Posted on 03/02/2017 12:17:28 PM PST by jazusamo
New Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed an order Thursday overturning a ban on using lead ammunition on wildlife refuges.
Zinke signed the order on his first day in office, overturning a policy implemented by former Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Dan Ashe on Jan. 19, the Obama administration’s last full day in office.
Ashe’s policy would have banned the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on all FWS wildlife refuges that allow hunting or fishing, as well as in all other hunting or fishing regulated by the agency elsewhere.
It was meant to reduce the harm to animals and plants from potential poisoning from ammunition left on the ground or in the water.
“After reviewing the order and the process by which it was promulgated, I have determined that the order is not mandated by any existing statutory or regulatory requirement and was issued without significant communication, consultation or coordination with affected stakeholders,” Zinke wrote in his order.
Zinke also signed an order Thursday asking agencies within his purview to find ways to increase access to outdoor recreation on the lands they oversee.
“It worries me to think about hunting and fishing becoming activities for the land-owning elite,” he said in a statement. “This package of secretarial orders will expand access for outdoor enthusiasts and also make sure the community's voice is heard.”
Gun rights advocates, sportsmen’s groups, conservatives and state wildlife agencies were united against the lead ban.
Lead is standard in ammunition, and lead-free bullets are more expensive, leading opponents to accuse FWS of trying to crack down on hunting. Furthermore, opponents say that scientific studies do not show large-scale harms from lead use in hunting and fishing.
“This was a reckless, unilateral overreach that would have devastated the sportsmen's community,” Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement, thanking Zinke.
“The Obama administration failed to consult with state fish and wildlife agencies or national angling and hunting organizations in issuing this order. This was not a decision based on sound scientific evidence — it was a last second attack on traditional ammunition and our hunting heritage.”
no it doesn’t
the regulation applied to wildlife preserves where there can be no indiscriminate killing of wild life. Any wild life killing will be carefully discriminated
Oh no, will those nice animals get lead poisoning from mean hunters, now? /S Another win....Thank you, Sec. Zinks
While the mechanism for lead shot to kill waterfowl definitely exists, the instance of it and the effect on wild populations of waterbirds is hugely overblown.
This is the same as the DDT scare all over again, except instead of killing hundreds of millions of humans, it is causing increased costs to the hunting community, decreased interest in hunting (the desired goal of these feel good laws), and actual decrease in funds available to manage wildlife due to loss of the sales of hunting licenses and related gear.
The number one reason for the drastic loss of the numbers of waterfowl and wildlife is due to urban sprawl and loss of habitat. The huge flocks that used to populate the Eastern Flyway were not lost due to any kind of lead poisoning, it is due to loss of habitat, pure and simple.
Many hunters quit waterfowl hunting because the non toxic loads do not kill, they only wound and cripple, unless the bird is inside 20 yards (rarely happens), I am one that was forced to quit.
The leftists are only interested in eliminating hunting, not saving animals from unintentional lead poisoning.
It had to do with raptors eating lead pellets in dead or wounded waterfowl. Eagles and peregrine falcons. I doubt it’d be changed. Love to see it though.
Wait, the meat at stores didn’t harm any animals?? I guess the meat harmed soybeans, only!!
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