Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3590 - Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2013

(House Rules)

(Rep. Latta, R-Ohio, and 74 cosponsors)

While the Administration strongly supports the goal of promoting recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting opportunities, and recognizes the economic and community benefits associated with hunting and fishing, it opposes this bill. These important recreational opportunities abound on public lands and are valued by millions of Americans who hunt and fish on public lands, forests, parks, and refuges. Accordingly, the Administration supports certain titles of H.R. 3590, but opposes others which include harmful provisions that impair Federal management of federally-owned lands and undermine important existing public land and environmental laws, rules, and processes.

The Administration supports Title II, which amends funding requirements under current law for target range construction and maintenance, thus reducing the financial burden on State and local governments for public target ranges. The Administration also supports Title IV, which allows importation of certain polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada. The Administration also supports Title V, which would facilitate electronic sales of the duck stamp. The Administration has no objection to Title I, which excludes certain sport fishing equipment from the classification of toxic substances.

However, the Administration strongly opposes Title VIII, which would: (1) exclude management decisions from the National Environmental Policy Act, the cornerstone law guiding environmental protection and public involvement in Federal actions; (2) supersede longstanding statutory planning discretion; and (3) undermine the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Administration also opposes Title VI, which prohibits the Secretary of the Army from enforcing any regulations that would prohibit the possession of firearms at water resources development projects with limited exceptions. Furthermore, the Administration has concerns with Title VII, which abolishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council and replaces it with a council that is exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the framework and transparency that FACA ensures, and Title III, which rescinds authority to manage certain commercial filming activities on Federal lands and waterways managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture.

The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to enact sportsmen and recreation legislation that addresses the concerns raised with certain provisions of H.R. 3590.