I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4790
To recognize hunting heritage and provide opportunities for continued hunting
on public lands.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 29, 2000
Mr. CHAMBLISS (for himself, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. PETERSON of Min-
nesota, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin,
Mr. THUNE, and Mr. HANSEN) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To recognize hunting heritage and provide opportunities for
continued hunting on public lands.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hunting Heritage Pro-
tection Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Recreational hunting is an important and
traditional recreational activity in which 14,000,000
Americans 16 years of age and older participate.
(2) Hunters have been and continue to be
among the foremost supporters of sound wildlife
management and conservation practices in the
United States.
(3) Persons who hunt and organizations related
to hunting provide direct assistance to wildlife man-
agers and enforcement officers of Federal, State,
and local governments.
(4) Purchases of hunting licenses, permits, and
stamps and excise taxes on goods used by hunters
have generated billions of dollars for wildlife con-
servation, research, and management.
(5) Recreational hunting is an essential compo-
nent of effective wildlife management, in that it is
an important tool for reducing conflicts between peo-
ple and wildlife and provides incentives for the con-
servation of wildlife and habitats and ecosystems on
which wildlife depends.
(6) Each State has established at least one
agency staffed by professionally trained wildlife
management personnel, that has legal authority to
manage the wildlife in the State.
(7) Recreational hunting is an environmentally
acceptable activity that occurs and can be provided
for on Federal public land and water without ad-
verse effects on other uses of that land and water.
SEC. 3. RECREATIONAL HUNTING.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Federal public land and water
shall be open to access and use for recreational hunting
except—
(1) as limited by the Federal agency with re-
sponsibility for Federal public land or water—
(A) for reasons of national security;
(B) for reasons of public safety; or
(C) for reasons specifically authorized in
applicable Federal statutes as reasons for clo-
sure; and
(2) as recreational hunting is limited by the
State in which the Federal public land or water is
located.
(b) MANAGEMENT.—The head of each Federal agen-
cy with authority to manage a natural resource or public
land or water on which a natural resource depends shall
exercise that authority, consistent with subsection (a), in
a manner so as to support, promote, and enhance rec-
reational hunting opportunities, to the extent authorized
under State law and regulation and in accordance with
applicable Federal law.
(c) NO NET LOSS.—Federal land management deci-
sions and actions should, to the greatest extent prac-
ticable, result in no net loss of hunting opportunities on
public lands.
(d) AREAS ADMINISTERED BY THE NATIONAL PARK
SERVICE.—This Act shall not be construed to compel the
opening to recreational hunting of national parks or na-
tional monuments administered by the National Park
Service.
(e) NO PRIORITY.—This section does not require a
Federal agency to give preference to hunting over other
uses of Federal public land or water, or over land or water
management priorities established in Federal law.
(f) AUTHORITY OF THE STATES.—This Act shall not
be construed to impair the primacy of State authority in
regulating the taking of fish and wildlife on land or water
within the State, including Federal public land or water.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL RECREATIONAL HUNTING COORDINA-
TION COUNCIL.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a
National Recreational Hunting Coordination Council (in
this Act referred to as the ‘‘Council’’).
(b) DUTIES.—The Council shall—
(1) ensure that Federal agencies consider the
social and economic values of healthy wildlife habi-
tats that support recreational hunting;
(2) make available to the public the latest re-
source information and management technologies to
assist in the conservation and management of wild-
life and the provision of recreational hunting oppor-
tunities;
(3) assess the implementation of the plan re-
quired under subsection (e);
(4) prepare a biennial report of accomplish-
ments under such plan; and
(5) review and evaluate Federal policies and ac-
tivities that affect hunting opportunities.
(c) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Council
shall consist of 11 members appointed as follows:
(A) 1 member appointed by the Secretary
of the Interior.
(B) 1 member appointed by the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(C) 1 member appointed by the Secretary
of Defense.
(D) 1 member appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives.
(E) 1 member appointed by the minority
leader of the House of Representatives.
(F) 1 member appointed by the majority
leader of the Senate.
(G) 1 member appointed by the minority
leader of the Senate.
(H) 2 members appointed by the President
from among the directors of State fish and
wildlife agencies.
(I) 2 members appointed by the President
to represent recreational hunters.
(2) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed
for a term of 2 years.
(3) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Council
shall be filled in the manner in which the original
appointment was made. Any member appointed to
fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the
term for which the member’s predecessor was ap-
pointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of
that term.
(4) PAY.—Each member shall serve without
pay.
(5) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—Each member shall
receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and
5703 of title 5, United States Code.
(6) CHAIRPERSON.—The President shall des-
ignate the Chairperson of the Commission from
among its members.
(d) POWERS OF COUNCIL.—
(1) HEARINGS
AND
SESSIONS.—The Council
may, for the purpose of carrying out this Act, hold
hearings, sit and act at times and places, take testi-
mony, and receive evidence as the Council considers
appropriate.
(2) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any
member or agency of the Council may, if authorized
by the Council, take any action which the Council is
authorized to take by this subsection.
(e) RECREATIONAL
HUNTING
RESOURCES
CON-
SERVATION PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Council, in cooperation with Federal agencies,
States, and tribes, and after consulting the hunting
community, shall develop a Comprehensive Rec-
reational Hunting and Wildlife Resource Conserva-
tion Plan.
(2) AGENDA.—Such plan shall recommend a 5-
year agenda for Federal agencies identified in the
plan and shall include—
(A) measurable objectives to conserve and
restore wildlife habitats that support viable and
healthy wildlife resources that may be hunted;
(B) actions to be taken by such agencies to
ensure and facilitate hunting access to appro-
priate public lands, including Department of
Defense lands where provision of hunting op-
portunities is consistent with national security;
and
(C) a comprehensive mechanism to evalu-
ate the achievements of the agenda.
(3) INTEGRATION.—To the extent practicable,
the Council in developing such plan shall integrate
it with existing plans and programs, reduce duplica-
tion, and include recommended actions for coopera-
tion with States, tribes, wildlife conservation groups,
and the hunting community.
(4) UPDATING.—The Council may update such
plan.
(f) TERMINATION.—The Council shall terminate 10
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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