Heitkamp and U.S. Senate Sportsmen's Caucus Secure Final Senate Passage of Key Provisions from Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp and members of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Sportsmen's Caucus -- which Heitkamp co-chairs -- secured passage of key provisions of the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act in the Senate. The legislation was included as an amendment to the energy bill the Senate passed this morning.

Heitkamp helped introduce the Sportsmen's Act which builds on the previous year's bipartisan legislation. The bill, which had 46 cosponsors and more than 40 groups supporting it, strengthens all of the provisions from the previous year, plus some additional provisions that increase access to federal lands for the benefit of sportsmen and women.

The bill contains several provisions important to North Dakota's hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters, which would:

- Permit more shooting ranges on federal lands for hunting target practice -- This bill improves states' abilities to create and maintain shooting ranges on federal and non-federal lands. It also encourages improved coordination between federal land agencies and state and local authorities to maintain these shooting ranges. North Dakota has several public shooting ranges, and this provision would make it easier for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to expand or re-open shooting ranges, which face challenges due to population growth.

- Help preserve and restore wildlife habitats -- This provision would benefit North Dakota duck hunters by continuing efforts to restore, improve, and preserve wetland habitats critical to migratory birds through the reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

- Allow bows to be transported through national parks -- This provision would enable bows to be transported across U.S. National Parks. Currently, firearms can be carried across national parks but bows cannot be transported, presenting issues for hunters who want to cross these lands.

- Provide better access on public lands -- This bill would require federal land management agencies to identify public lands without public access routes, and create a plan to provide access routes to lands that have significant potential for recreational use. The bill would also help counties and states better manage primary access routes on public lands.

"North Dakota has a proud tradition of hunting and fishing, and sportsmen and families alike enjoy the great outdoors," said Heitkamp. "Today the Senate helped protect that heritage by approving key parts of our bipartisan bill that expands the access hunters and anglers can enjoy on our treasured public lands and preserves the habitats of wildlife, so that many more sportsmen can enjoy that legacy for generations to come."

"There's no question that America's sportsmen and women deserve greater access to our public lands. With the Senate's approval of my broad, bipartisan energy bill, fishermen, hunters, recreational shooters and other outdoor enthusiasts are now significantly closer to that goal," said Murkowski. "This a big step forward to allowing long-held traditions to be passed down from generation to generation without the federal government getting in the way."

"The Sportsmen's Act has been a long time in the making, and I'm proud to lead this bipartisan effort alongside Chairman Murkowski. After previous attempts stalled on sportsmen's bills in recent years, we worked hard to find areas of agreement, and we didn't allow controversial amendments from either side of the aisle to derail our effort," said Heinrich. "Traditions like hunting, hiking, camping, and fishing are among the pillars of Western culture and a thriving outdoor recreation economy. This bipartisan legislation will enhance opportunities for outdoor recreation and reauthorize key conservation programs. It will also go a long way toward solving many of the problems hunters and anglers face in accessing and using our nation's public lands. I am hopeful that, thanks to our vote today, our kids and grandkids will be catching trout and chasing mule deer for many years to come."

"The passage of this bill ensures that the more than a half-of-a-million sportsmen and sportswomen in the state of Idaho can enjoy greater access to our public lands," said Risch, co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. "Hunting and fishing give us a great reason to be in the great outdoors and a great reason to hand down traditions, and I am glad to say that the passage of these sportsmen's provisions will ensure the protection of hunting and fishing rights for Idahoans while working to conserve our treasured lands for future generations."

"As a lifelong and avid sportsman, I know firsthand that our hunting, fishing and outdoor heritage is so important to who we are as West Virginians and as Americans," said Manchin. "Our hunters, fishers and recreation enthusiasts keep our outdoor recreation economy alive in West Virginia. In our state, it truly is a family affair that we pass from one generation to another and these traditions provide a deep and lasting appreciation for all the outdoors have to offer. We must protect these traditions and I applaud the passage of this bipartisan legislation that will expand hunting and fishing rights and allow people a greater ability to enjoy the wilderness while also boosting West Virginia's economy."

"Outdoor recreation is important to Nebraska. I was pleased to see legislation to promote our country's hunting, fishing, and conservation heritage included in the bipartisan energy bill that passed the Senate today," said Fischer.

The leaders of the Senate Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus are original cosponsors of the bill, including U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Deb Fischer (R-NE).

Click here to read more about how the Sportsmen's Act works to expand opportunities for hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts, reauthorize key conservation programs, improve access to public lands, and help boost the outdoor recreation economy.