Opportunities to enjoy outdoor sports like hunting and fishing aren't universally available. Folks in rural America might have a buddy with a farm they can hunt on and another buddy with a pond for fishing, but some people just don't have friends with vast acreage or stocked fishing holes. They have to find it for themselves, which means public land of some sort.
Unfortunately, public land isn't always super easy to find in close proximity. While there's only so much you can do about that, one thing that can be done is to at least make sure as much public land is available as possible, and that means making sure what's there has all the necessary maintenance done so people can enjoy it.
And the National Shooting Sports Foundation is happy to see that a House bill was introduced reauthorizing a fund meant to do just that.
NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, commends the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) for introducing the Great American Outdoors Act 250, H.R. 9250, legislation to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund, a proven conservation and public access initiative that addresses deferred maintenance projects across federal lands. The bill would revamp expired portions of the Great American Outdoors Act that was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2020.
“NSSF applauds the introduction of legislation to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund and ensure continued investment in America’s public lands and outdoor recreation infrastructure,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for NSSF. “The Legacy Restoration Fund has demonstrated that targeted investments in public land facilities, roads, trails, campgrounds, recreational shooting ranges and wildlife habitat projects provide lasting benefits for hunters, recreational shooters, anglers and all outdoor enthusiasts.”
The legislation would continue critical funding for deferred maintenance needs by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). America’s hunters and recreational marksmen and women depend on access to well-managed public lands. Reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund will help enhance and expand hunting opportunities, improve access to recreational shooting areas, support wildlife habitat conservation and ensure that future generations can enjoy our nation’s outdoor traditions.
We should also remember that access to land for hunting means that many who haven't hunted before may finally decide to get out there and try to get a deer or shoot some birds. That means them buying their first firearm specifically for that purpose.
While Fudds are a thing, most gun owners become gun voters in time, which means that people being able to hunt, to pass it on to their children, and to take up the pastime for the first time as adults, all translate into more gun ownership in this country and more people taking an interest in our Second Amendment rights.
This isn't just about hunting. This is about our historical firearm tradition continuing for another 250 years and more.
And if some people put some meat in the freezer, so much the better for them.
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