Bearts Ears National Monument. U.S. Forest Service Photo

On Friday, NRA-ILA and other sportsmen’s groups filed a formal protest against the Biden-Harris administration’s plan to close recreational shooting access to 1.3 million acres in the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah.

Last month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a final Resource Management Plan that directs the closure of 1.3 million acres to recreational shooting in the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. NRA-ILA, joined by other members of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Roundtable, filed a formal protest against the management plan.

Such a sweeping closure throughout Bears Ears fails to comply with a 2019 law specifically written to head off such actions by the federal government. The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act established a policy that the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service consider hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting opportunities as part of federal land, resource and travel management plans. The Dingell Act also requires recreational shooting closures apply to the “smallest area for the least amount of time that is required for public safety, administration, and compliance with applicable law.”

“This management plan is in clear violation of the law,” said Randy Kozuch, NRA-ILA Executive Director. “Time and again, we see the Biden-Harris administration restrict access to federal lands to gun owners, hunters, and recreational shooters. The NRA is proud to stand with other members of the sportsmen’s community to protest this egregious action.”

The Bears Ears closure is the latest in a series of actions by the Biden-Harris administration to circumvent the law to punish recreational shooters and cut off access to federal lands. Earlier this year, nearly 99% of the Sonoran Desert National Monument’s 485,791 acres were closed to recreational shooting. Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration attempted to cut federal funding for schools with archery and hunter education programs, though that policy was quickly overturned by Congress. All of this underscores the importance of tomorrow’s election to ensure that those in power respect the Second Amendment and our ability to exercise those freedoms.

—Courtesy NRA-ILA

16 COMMENTS

  1. What to do? What to do? Get off your slacker behind and VOTE TRUMP/VANCE 2024! 🇺🇸🫡🇺🇸🫡🇺🇸🫡🇺🇸

  2. Why aren’t the libertarians supporting their guy???
    The gun toting gay  libertarian candidate for president Chase Oliver??

    From Liberal Currents:

    “To My Fellow Libertarians: It’s Time to Embrace the Harris-Walz Ticket
    Libertarians, long used to holding their noses to pick the lesser evil or abstaining entirely, now have plenty of reasons for enthusiasm.”

    From Reason Magazine:

    “The Peculiar Phenomenon of Libertarians Supporting Donald Trump”

    • We have a guy? Or a party? LOL nah we just vte for whoever will do the least damage to the constitution. Those assholes are just commies

      • You said it. The least damage to the Constitution.
        I’m very grateful to the founders of this country. The signers to the Declaration of Independence. Not all of them were slave holders. Most people don’t know that.

        There’s no such thing as a “perfect candidate.” There’s only a better candidate. They all have flaws.

    • Libertarians: “Property rights are sacrosanct.”

      Also Libertarians: “Humans have the unlimited right of migration.”

      These knuckleheads don’t realize these statements are mutually exclusive.

      • You would be amazed how little that matters when we don’t give out free shit or preferential treatment to anyone. But as was mentioned earlier utopian ideals don’t make for good governance so applying the ideals to what actually works and going for actual improvements while preserving the Republic is the only reasonable approach. And if that proves impossible well plenty of unreasonable options that will work to a lesser extent and with greater suffering for all.

  3. The S.C. has already ruled that these bureaucrats are not allowed (as per the Constitution) to create regulations without congress. Just another ‘agency’ that needs to be dissolved, but alas Dems do not like the concept; ‘Republic of States’ where Utah controls what happens within it’s borders. Barry, during his administration grabbed more land from the states than any prior president except for maybe Teddy Roosevelt when the National Parks were established.

    • “Was anyone still “undecided” and looking for a reason to vote Trump-Vance? “

      Is anyone ever truly “undecided” about political issues?

  4. “The Dingell Act also requires recreational shooting closures apply to the “smallest area for the least amount of time that is required for public safety, administration, and compliance with applicable law.” “

    Well, here it is:
    Smallest area required? All of it.
    Least amount of time? Unlimited.

    Safety and environment, before freedom, or liberty. The needs of the few, or the one, are outweighed by the needs of the many, or the one.

    If we, as a society, are not safe in every moment, we are not free at all.

    • Sam I Am,

      I came to post a similar sentiment: the Bureau of Land Management did consider recreational shooting and declined to accommodate it. Next?

      • “I came to post a similar sentiment:…”

        We, the people, need to accept that they, the ruling class, are not pleased with us.

        And it is our fault.

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