Standing up for sportsmen’s access and safety

L ike many Arkansans, my introduction to firearms and shooting sports came through family. I still value those memories today, many years after my father’s impassioned lessons on gun safety or the occasion when he let us handle a prized antique flintlock.

We are blessed. The Natural State offers endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and especially shooting sports, hunting and fishing. It is important to me to serve as a good steward of the resources and traditions that Arkansas proudly offers.

In Congress, I’m honored to serve as a co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and work with over 200 colleagues from communities coast-to-coast advocating policies that protect and enhance our constituents’ ability to enjoy the outdoors and pass that same passion down to their children.

Historically we’ve had tremendous success.

Just last Congress, I helped lead a bill to create an electronic Federal Duck Stamp. We got it passed and signed into law with bipartisan approval, and being an active member of the Sportsmen’s Caucus was an important asset, providing a solid base of support that helped generate more momentum.

Arkansas is the duck hunting capital of the world. The Duck Stamp Modernization Act makes waterfowl hunting more accessible, decreasing barriers to compliance and increasing revenue for conservation by allowing use of an electronic duck stamp on a smart phone to meet the requirement to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp and carry it while in the field.

Hunters and anglers also deserve the opportunity to recreate on public lands. Yet several federal agencies have recently attempted to inhibit them by proposing a ban on the use of lead ammunition or tackle at these sites. Such a restriction is unreasonable absent clear evidence of a decline in wildlife population being primarily caused by using lead in ammunition or tackle.

That is why I recently joined over two dozen of my colleagues to introduce the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act to ensure hunting and fishing can continue on public lands.

Another hurdle that stands in the way of avid shooting sports participants better enjoying their hobby is a burdensome regulation that makes firearms suppressors harder and more expensive to obtain. This unnecessary obstacle can also contribute to physical harm.

The most effective firearms suppressors on the market can only reduce the peak sound level of a gunshot to the rough equivalent of a jackhammer. In light of that, I am part of an effort to reclassify suppressors and treat them like traditional firearms for the purpose of regulation so shooting sportsmen and women can more readily obtain this tool to protect their hearing.

One thing we know all sportsmen have in common is a passion for conservation. They know that habitat preservation and enhancement is essential for future generations to enjoy the same outdoor activities that we grew up learning to love. This Congress has a ripe opportunity to incentivize more wildlife habitat protection.

As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I will be working to support important programs that benefit farmers, rural communities and the sporting- conservation community through passage of a new five-year farm bill.

Enjoying the outdoors through hunting and fishing is part of the fabric and culture of The Natural State. It is an honor to advocate policies that secure our access and enjoyment of these cherished activities for many years to come. I am excited for the advancements we will make on this front in the months and years ahead.

Sen. John Boozman