For Immediate Release

Today the House Natural Resources Committee voted to advance H.R. 3668, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act, to the House floor. The bill includes multiple attacks on wildlife, public lands, endangered species and marine ecosystems. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a Senate version of the bill, S. 1514, in July.

Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“The SHARE Act is about anti-environmental lawmakers pushing an anti-wildlife agenda that will hurt our natural heritage. This bill should be vigorously opposed on the House floor and should not be signed into law.

“While the SHARE Act purports to benefit sportsmen and their enjoyment of wildlife and wildlands, the bill actually undermines our conservation legacy. It contains an avalanche of attacks on the laws and regulations that protect our natural heritage such as the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and a rule that helps protect wolves and bears on public lands in Alaska.”

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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