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Committee backs bill limiting sitewide lead bans on federal refuges, prompting science and access debate
Summary
The House Natural Resources Committee voted to report HR 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, after partisan debate over whether federal land managers should be authorized to restrict lead ammunition and tackle without site‑specific scientific findings. Sponsors say the bill protects access; opponents argue lead harms wildlife.
The House Natural Resources Committee voted to report HR 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, to the full House after extended debate over whether federal land managers should be able to prohibit lead ammunition and fishing tackle at particular sites based on broader ecological concerns. Representative Whitman, sponsor of the bill, said it preserves access to hunting and fishing unless unit‑specific science shows lead is “primarily causing” wildlife population declines.
Supporters said the bill protects sportsmen’s access to federal lands and promotes site‑specific, science‑based decision making before broad prohibitions are imposed. Representative Whitman noted federal and state conservation funding tied to hunting and fishing, telling the committee that fish and…
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