Illinois Bill Ensures "No Net Loss" of Hunting Opportunities- (04/30)
An Illinois bill will protect hunting opportunities on the state"s public lands.
Senate Bill 2156, the Hunting Heritage Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon, ensures that public hunting land cannot be closed without compensation, i.e. another piece of public land being opened to the sport. The Hunting Heritage Protection Act provides that state public land management decisions, to the greatest practical extent, should result in "no net loss" of land area available for hunting opportunities.
Senate Bill 2156 also mandates that the Director of Natural Resources submit an annual report detailing the areas that were closed to hunting, reasons for closures, and the compensatory areas that were opened to hunting.
The bill"s provisions are virtually identical to congressional legislation that the U.S. Sportsmen"s Alliance helped draft in 2000. The federal bill, also called the Hunting Heritage Protection Act, was created to protect hunting on federal public land.
On March 2, SB 2156 passed the Senate, 45-4. The bill was approved by the House Agricultural and Conservation Committee on April 21, 15-0.
Take Action! Illinois sportsmen should contact their representatives today and ask for support of SB 2156. Ask them to help protect recreational hunting lands and ensure that no net loss of huntable public land occurs. To find your representative and for contact information, call (312) 814-6440 in the Chicago area or (217) 782-4141 for the Springfield office or use the Legislative Action Center at
www.ussportsmen.org.
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Illinois Hunters (FYI)
