WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Senate Vice-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, today helped introduce bipartisan legislation to provide greater opportunities for and expand access to public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting activities in North Dakota and throughout the country.

The Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act is a package of legislative provisions aimed at enabling hunters and anglers to do what they enjoy most, while removing unnecessary regulations and protecting these natural habitats and resources into the future. Heitkamp has been a strong voice in Congress for sportsmen and women and has been a leader in building support for efforts to preserve this way of life for millions of Americans.

“Enjoying the outdoors has always been a part of life in North Dakota, where a little ice doesn’t stop our anglers from making a big catch and opening day for hunters is circled on calendars like birthdays and anniversaries,” said Heitkamp. “It’s our responsibility to make sure these resources remain for future generations, and this bipartisan set of bills would play an important role in expanding opportunities for hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities on public lands throughout our state. As Vice-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, I will continue to work to make sure our prairies and lakes stay open and preserved for years to come as our sportsmen and women deserve the chance to experience the outdoors and do what they love.”

The bill contains several legislative provisions important to North Dakota’s hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters, which would:

• Permit more shooting ranges on federal lands for hunting target practice – This bill improves states’ abilities to create and maintain shooting ranges on federal and non-federal lands. It also encourages improved coordination between federal land agencies and state and local authorities to maintain these shooting ranges. North Dakota has several public shooting ranges, and this provision would make it easier for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to expand or re-open shooting ranges, which face challenges due to population growth.

• Help preserve and restore native species – This provision would reauthorize the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), a non-profit that works to preserve and restore native species and habitats with pressing environmental needs in areas throughout the country. Click here to view projects NFWF has supported in North Dakota, across the United States, and around the world since 1985.

• Allow bows to be transported through national parks – This provision would enable bows to be transported across U.S. National Parks. Currently, firearms can be carried across national parks but bows cannot be transported, presenting issues for hunters who want to cross these lands.

• Provide better access on public lands – This bill would require federal land management agencies to identify public lands without public access routes, and create a plan to provide access routes to lands that have significant potential for recreational use. The bill would also help counties and states better manage primary access routes on public lands.

In the 2014 Farm Bill, Heitkamp pushed to include a new, more strategic approach to conservation efforts through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Through the program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) coordinates and provides resources to help farmers restore or sustain natural resources, including supporting clean water, productive soil, and enhanced wildlife and pollinator habitats.

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