National Wildlife Refuges at Risk

The link below will take you directly to the docket on Tuesdays and Thursdays:

https://beta.regulations.gov/document/FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-0001

To go directly to the comment page, use this link:

https://beta.regulations.gov/comment/FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-0001

Please note, if you decide to comment any other day of the week, the original links below will work.

We apologize for the inconvenience!

This fall more of our National Wildlife Refuges are at risk of being opened to hunting and fishing. We cannot allow any more of these pristine lands to be destroyed. Submit your comments no later than June 8, 2020 to help stop this proposal from moving forward, and protect our National Wildlife Refuges!

This proposed rule change is significant, as it would open an additional 2.3 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge and fish hatchery land for unnecessary hunting and fishing. This is more land than the state of Delaware!

Our Federal government has proposed to open, for the first time, eight National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) to hunting and sport fishing, including mountain lion hunting in Arizona, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Washington refuges. They also want to increase hunting opportunities in 89 other NWRs, as well as opening 41 NWRs on private lands for hunting and sport fishing only. Please help to stop this action!

This action will also reduce the safety and integrity of public lands that have been protected since president Theodore Roosevelt founded the National Wildlife Refuge System in 1903. It will be putting countless native mammals, reptiles, and migratory birds at risk. Most of all, it signals a strong disinterest in public safety.

Add one or more of these points to your comments:

• • The National Wildlife Refuge System was established (by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903) to “conserve America’s rich fish and wildlife heritage”.
  • There is no conservation or management need for opening/expanding these NWRs to hunting and sport fishing.
  • Thousands of native wildlife species will be negatively impacted by this action.
  • Opening/expanding these NWRs benefits hunters and anglers only.
  • NWRs provide minimally disturbed habitat for fish, wildlife, and native plants.
  • NWRs provide opportunities for humans to enjoy nature, recreate, and observe wildlife.
  • Increasing hunting opportunities for upland and big game hunters will increase vehicle traffic, disturb non-hunting recreation, and disturb wildlife and plant communities.
  • In states where hounds are allowed for upland and big game hunting, these increases in hunting opportunities will lead to increased risk to non-target wildlife species.

In your own words, please speak for mountain lions and the rest of our native wildlife and tell the U.S. government that you DO NOT support this proposal!

For more information, and to submit your comments, visit this link.

NOTE: The government is testing their new beta site on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s this month. If the link above does not take you directly to the docket, please visit https://www.regulations.gov and paste FWS-HQ-NWRS-2020-0013-0001 into the search bar. Then click the “Comment Now!” link.

Thank you for giving our native wildlife a voice. YOU are helping to save America’s Lion!