HR 4089 Could Change the 1964 Wilderness Act
We just got word about HR 4089, a House Bill that could significantly impact our National Forests. The bill, called the Sportsmen's Heritage Act, would give hunting, fishing and fish and wildlife management aimed at bolstering hunting and fishing top priority in Wilderness.
HR 4089 has the ability to fundamentally change the 1964 Wilderness Act by allowing the construction of roads to facilitate hunting and fishing, and it could be used to allow the construction of dams, buildings or other structures within Wilderness as well as habitat manipulations in Wilderness under the guise of "wildlife conservation" or for providing hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting experiences.
Specifically, it strips away the Wilderness Act's prohibitions on the use of motorized and mechanized vehicles, motorboats and aircraft, other motorized equipment, and structures and installations for any activity related to hunting, angling, recreational shooting, or wildlife conservation. It would waive "any requirements imposed by the Wilderness Act" for federal public land managers or state wildlife managers for any activity undertaken in the guise of wildlife management.
