Bowhunter – September 2019

THE PRESENT administration has done many things

to improve habitat and access for hunters. For ex-

ample, under former Secretary of the Interior Ryan

Zinke, hunting was expanded on 10 national wild-

life refuges. Zinke also directed bureaus to open

hunting on some national monument lands where

hunting was legally allowed, and he established the

Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council.

Feds Doing More For Hunters

POLITICIANS REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION,

AND DEER STERILIZATION ON STATEN ISLAND ISN’T WORKING.

Conservation Editor

Dr. Dave Samuel

†

The Council is intended to provide

the Secretary of the Interior and the

Secretary of Agriculture with advice

regarding the establishment and imple-

mentation of existing and proposed

policies and authorities with regard to

wildlife and habitat conservation.

In late 2017, Zinke created the Inter-

national Wildlife Conservation Coun-

cil. The Council provides advice and

recommendations to the Secretary of the

Interior and focuses on increased public

awareness regarding conservation, wild-

life law enforcement, and economic ben-

efits that result from U.S. citizens travel-

ing abroad to hunt.

Ever since the “Cecil the lion” incident,

the antis, and many politicians, have been

doing their best to stop all hunting and

importation of the “Big Five” from Africa.

The result is that some states have passed,

or proposed, laws to prevent hunters from

bringing any Big Five species home from

their hunts. In response to that, Zinke

created an advisory board to help rewrite

federal rules for importing the heads and

hides of African elephants, lions, and rhi-

nos. Very good move.

After Zinke left his position, David

Bernhardt was appointed Secretary of

the Interior. He continued the push to

helphunters.Onestephe tookwasa very

bi g deal. In mid-March 2019, Bernhardt

signed Secretarial Order 3373, which

directed the Bureau of Land Manage-

ment (BLM) to ensure that when they

were proposing tracts of land for a land

exchange or for a sale, they must con-

sider what such actions will have on

outdoor recreation, including hunting

and fishing. Formerly, the BLM did not

have to consider hunters, fishers, hikers,

etc. when making a land sale or land ex-

change. Now, it will be one of the factors

considered in determining the appropri-

ateness of the disposal or exchange. Still

further, if a tract of BLM land is adjacent

to other state or federal public lands,

BLM will coordinate with those adjacent

landowners (state and/or federal) and

determine how best to ensure continued

or improved hunter, hiker, and fisher ac-

cess. Yep, another great move.

Why is Secretarial Order 3373 im-

portant? The Federal Land Policy and

Management Act of 1976 requires the

BLM to identify lands for potential dis-

posal or exchange. This new Secretarial

K

Outdoor recreation

is important to a

lot of people, and

politicians are finally

recognizing that fact.

38 BOWHUNTER /// SEPTEMBER 2019