07/16/2025
SCI celebrates the passage through committee of H.R. 281 and H.R. 556
As the leading voice for hunters and wildlife conservation, SCI is proud to support H.R. 281, which delists the Yellowstone grizzly bear population from the Endangered Species Act, and H.R. 556, which prevents the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture from banning traditional lead ammunition and tackle on federal lands without adequate justification.
Both bills passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee today. These bills are vital to ensuring science-driven wildlife management and preserving access to America’s public lands for all hunters and anglers.
SCI believes hunters are not only stewards of wildlife but also critical partners in conservation. Effective wildlife management must be rooted in data, not politics or emotion, and where populations like the Yellowstone grizzly have recovered, management authority must be restored to the states.
At the same time, SCI strongly opposes efforts to ban the use of traditional lead ammunition and tackle without sound scientific justification. Such restrictions will unfairly limit access to hunting and fishing, particularly for rural, novice, and youth sportsmen and women. If passed, H.R. 556 will help ensure that federal policy does not undermine conservation through exclusion.
As part of our mission to be First for Hunters, SCI thanks the primary sponsors of each bill: Rep. Hageman (H.R. 281) and Rep. Wittman (H.R. 556), as well as Chair Westerman for bringing these bills to a vote.
SCI applauds the Committee for advancing these bills and urges their swift passage through Congress.
