House passes hunting legislation

WASHINGTON – A hunting bill passed by the House on Tuesday makes it harder to restrict hunting and fishing on public lands and ensures that the hunter’s arsenal will continue to include lead bullets.

The legislation, which passed 274-146, also allows those who have legally hunted polar bears in Canada to bring their trophies home.

Republican sponsors said the bill, which faces an uncertain future in the Senate, protects sportsmen from bureaucratic restrictions. Democratic opponents said it was unneeded because 85 percent of federal land is open to hunting and called it a concession to the gun lobby.

The lead issue refers to efforts by environmentalists to ban the use of lead in ammunition and fishing tackle. They say lead poisoning kills 10 million to 20 million birds and other animals every year.

The Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 and again this year rejected petitions from conservation and some hunting groups to ban lead bullets, shotgun pellets and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act, saying the issue was not within the agency’s jurisdiction.

The House bill would give legal backing to that position by clearly limiting the EPA’s authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act.