We know. Reading the news can sometimes be depressing. But we’re here to keep you updated on some of the good news that’s happening in both conservation and the hunting and fishing world. Keep reading for a little emotional boost. (And if you hear of a good news story in your neck of the woods, please let us know about it!)
Poll Shows Westerners Strongly Support Conservation on Public Lands
At a time when public lands seem like they’re constantly under attack by Congress and the Executive Branch, it’s heartening to see that the people who know public lands best are strongly opposed to the proposals coming out of D.C.
A new poll released by the National Wildlife Federation showed that Westerners overwhelmingly oppose Congressional plans that short-change conservation in favor of oil and gas development. The poll surveyed voters in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. You can see the full results here. Make sure you look at slide 5 which shows how voters overwhelmingly want to see air, water, and wildlife protected on public lands.
Bipartisan Public Lands Caucus Forms on Capitol Hill
Even as some Republicans were voting to sell off public lands this week, some Democrats and Republicans came together to pledge to protect public lands. Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), who helped organize the Public Lands Caucus the purpose was to bring “Democrats and Republicans together to preserve access, defend conservation, and invest in the outdoor economy that powers rural communities like mine in southern New Mexico.”
Co-founder Ryan Zinke (R-MT) said he followed “the motto of Teddy Roosevelt that public lands are ‘for the benefit and enjoyment of the people,’ and that means making sure we both conserve and manage those lands to ensure public access for the next generation.”
Rappahannock Tribe in Virginia Acquires 1,000 Acres of Ancestral Land for Conservation
In April, the Rappahannock Tribe announced that it had acquired the largest amount of its ancestral lands with the transfer of nearly 1,000 acres from The Conservation Fund. It will be preserved for conservation in perpetuity under an easterment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Board of Historic Resources. The land is a cultural and ecological treasure that has one of the largest concentrations of nesting bald eagles along the Atlantic Coast. Patricia Morris, a spokeswoman for the Tribe, said “hunting, fishing, and ceremonies can resume on the lands where their ancestors are buried.”
