Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013

Floor Speech

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3590) to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes:

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, our nation's public lands have always required balanced management for a variety of uses for the American people. And while I am pleased to see a public lands bill on the Floor of this House that acknowledges uses beyond oil and gas drilling, I regret that it once again fails to meet the balance necessary to responsibly manage our lands for generations to come.

I don't think there is any disagreement in the House over the importance of outdoor recreation on public lands. More than 75 percent of federal lands are open to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. However, in order to ensure that these areas are available for the future, all uses must be balanced with conservation. And today's bill would override critical environmental protections while depriving hunters and fisherman from offering input on land use decisions.

The bill also replaces the only federal advisory committee with a voice for the hunting community with a new council, removing representation from hunting outreach and education groups and sportsmen and sportswomen at-large in favor of representatives from the firearms, ranching, and agriculture industries. Finally, it would allow for guns at certain Army Corps facilities, without exemption for public safety or national security concerns.

I have joined with Mr. Holt and members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Caucus to offer an amendment to this bill to clarify that the Secretary of Interior has the authority to plan for a changing climate, which poses a real threat to outdoor recreation through sea level rise, drought, and wildfire. It will also lead to changes in hunting seasons, migratory patterns, and invasive species populations. While we should be taking action here in Congress to address climate change and its impacts on recreational hunting and fishing, this amendment ensures that we don't limit the Secretary's ability to plan for these developments. I urge my colleagues to support it.

While there are parts of this bill that would get unanimous support from the House, it contains deeply flawed provisions that jeopardize the condition of public lands. I urge my colleagues to reject it and work on a consensus bill that guarantees recreational opportunities for generations of American sportsmen and women.

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