WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s plan to expand recreational access within the National Wildlife Refuge System is good news for hunters, anglers, and wildlife conservation. 

“National wildlife refuges provide some of the nation’s finest free, public hunting and fishing experiences in the United States, and the Fish and Wildlife Service has established an annual tradition of offering more such experiences that are compatible with the needs of wildlife and fish at each refuge,” said Mike Leahy, senior director of wildlife, hunting and fishing policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “Millions of National Wildlife Federation members and supporters hunt or fish or have family members who do, and stand to benefit directly from these annual offerings. Further, new wildlife-based recreational experiences like these allow more people to engage with wildlife and the natural world, and contribute to the conservation and funding of both.”

The National Wildlife Federation also heralded the proposal as a mean to help reduce wildlife exposure to lead ammunition and tackle, which can cause harmful and often fatal lead toxicosis in wildlife on national wildlife refuges. A growing body of scientific evidence has documented the negative impacts on eagles, swans, waterfowl, and many other species of wildlife that ingest lead bullet fragments, shotgun pellets, or fishing weights and lures. The National Wildlife Federation through its Lead-Free Landscapes initiative has educated hunters and anglers on the use of non-toxic alternatives, which are increasingly available, affordable, and effective.