The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) welcomes today's Interior Secretary's Order ensuring maximum hunting and fishing opportunity on Interior public lands.
The Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, today released Secretary Order 3447 to remove needless barriers to hunting and fishing, expand opportunities where provided by law, and improve coordination with state, tribal, and territorial wildlife agencies.
"This is a tremendous first step toward improving the conservation values of public lands," said Gray N. Thornton, President and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. "Hunting and fishing directly involve the public in agency missions to conserve fish and wildlife. We are grateful to Secretary Burgum for this conservation commitment."
Public lands managed by the Interior Department were the first achievements of the conservation movement. Since then, many of these lands have been acquired and improved with funds raised by hunters and anglers through the purchase of Federal Duck Stamps and the payment of excise taxes on guns, ammunition, fishing tackle, and boat fuel.
"Until now," Thorton added, "hunting and fishing were improving only incrementally on public lands. Annual 'hunt-fish' rules were always appreciated, but we much prefer this approach to opening every hunting and fishing opportunity permitted by law that is safe and compatible with other activities. Also, concerns about lead ammunition and tackle have been needlessly divisive. This order continues voluntary incentive programs to ensure hunters and anglers are fully informed on their options and that restrictions only apply where justifiable."
The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF), based in Bozeman, Mont., was founded in 1977 by sportsmen and other wild sheep conservationists. WSF is the premier advocate for wild sheep, having raised and expended more than $156 million, positively impacting these species through population and habitat enhancements, research and education, and conservation advocacy programs in North America, Europe, and Asia to "Put and Keep Wild Sheep On the Mountain"®. In North America, these and other efforts have increased bighorn sheep populations from historic lows in the 1950s-60s of 25,000 to more than 85,000 today. WSF has a membership of more than 11,000 worldwide. www.wildsheepfoundation.org.