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Bill passes House preserving boating, fishing access while balancing conservation

| General Government Relations

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced on October 8 that the House Natural Resources Committee voted to approve the addition of the Preserving Public Access to Public Waters Act (H.R. 3310) to the bipartisan Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406). The Preserving Public Access to Public Waters Act was introduced by Reps. Ros-Lehtinen, Carlos Curbelo, and Mario Diaz-Balart, in part to address the National Park Service’s blatant disregard for public access concerns raised in objection to the proposed no-fishing zone in Biscayne National Park. H.R. 3310 is cosponsored by 36 members of the House of Representatives, including 18 members of the Florida delegation.

Specific provisions include:

  • Protecting traditional fishing equipment containing lead from unwarranted federal bans.
  • Requiring federal land managers to support and facilitate access for fishing, hunting and recreational shooting on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.
  • Preventing unnecessary closures to fishing and hunting on public lands by implementing an “open until closed” management policy.

 
To read a full press release on the bill, click here.