House Bill 1576 and Senate Bill 1047 are an unprecedented threat to the wildlife of Pennsylvania. These bills would undermine the ability of our wildlife management agencies to protect the mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and other creatures of the Commonwealth.
Late today, the House Republican leadership scheduled House Bill 1576 for floor votes during the week of March 10, when the House returns from its recess that started today.
The good news is that these bad proposals are now drawing unusually strong and unified opposition from a diverse range of conservation, environmental, hunting and angling organizations from across Pennsylvania.
Last week, 17 conservation and environmental organizations sent a joint letter to the Pennsylvania House and Pennsylvania Senate in opposition to HB 1576 and SB 1047.
This letter was signed by PennFuture; Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Chapter; Pennsylvania Environmental Council; Clean Water Action; PennEnvironment; Appalachian Mountain Club; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; The Nature Conservancy, Pennsylvania Chapter; Audubon Pennsylvania; Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania; Keystone Trails Association; Pennsylvania Forest Coalition; American Rivers; Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association; Natural Lands Trust; Wildlands Conservancy; and Pennsylvania Land Trust Association.
Earlier in January, seven Pennsylvania angling and hunting organizations sent a joint letter to the Pennsylvania House and Senate opposing HB 1576 and HB 1047.
This letter was signed by the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited; Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs; Pennsylvania Trappers Association; Pennsylvania Chapter, Quality Deer Management Association; Pennsylvania Chapter, National Wild Turkey Federation; Pennsylvania Chapter, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever; and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Izaak Walton League.
It is vital that legislators hear from constituents opposed to these bad bills prior to their return to Harrisburg.
Steve Stroman is State Policy Director for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg.
