Providing for Consideration of H.R. Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support today's rule.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with Sportsmen's Caucus Co-chair Tim Walz and Caucus Vice Chairs Jeff Duncan and Gene Green in introducing H.R. 2406, the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, better known as the SHARE Act.

This bipartisan package of legislation protects and advances hunting, angling, and recreational shooting traditions and also promotes fish and wildlife conservation efforts.

The SHARE Act passed the House of Representatives in both the 113th and 112th Congress with bipartisan support, and in October 2015 the Natural Resources Committee voted 21-15 in favor of the bill.

In addition, H.R. 2406 is supported by the Nation's leading hunting and fishing conservation organizations, which represent millions of sportsmen and -women across the Nation.

This commonsense proposal will expand opportunities for hunting and fishing and promote conservation across the United States, particularly on Federal lands. In many parts of the country, American sportsmen and -women rely on access to Federal lands to hunt, fish, and recreationally shoot.

This bill would expand access to these lands by requiring the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to keep lands open for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting unless there is a specific reason to close them.

The bill also requires the National Park Service or Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to consult with State fish and wildlife agencies prior to closing areas to fishing, and allows State fish and wildlife agencies the added flexibility needed to construct public shooting ranges.

The SHARE Act also protects Second Amendment rights. It ensures the rights of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms on lands and waters managed by the United States Corps of Engineers, which is consistent with rights afforded on other Federal public lands. The bill also prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from unnecessarily regulating ammunition and fishing tackle.

As an avid sportsman, I am humbled to advocate for this commonsense legislation. I am proud, also, to introduce it in order to advance the priorities of American sportsmen and -women.

I encourage my colleagues to ensure that America's hunting and fishing heritage remains a top priority for the Federal Government for years to come and to pass this critical legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and to support H.R. 2406.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source