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Comments on Lead & Hunting & Sport Fishing on FW Refuges due 8/8/22

Name: Comments on Lead & Hunting & Sport Fishing on FW Refuges due 8/8/22
Start: 2022-08-08T00:00:00-06:00
End: 2022-08-08T23:59:59-06:00

August 8, 2022

Monday, August 8th, – deadline for public comments on hunting/fishing and lead use in bullets and tackle on USFWS Wildlife Refuges

Quote from above: “An estimated 10 – 20 million birds and other animals die each year from lead poisoning in the US per year. Lead poisoning occurs when animals scavenge on carcasses shot and contaminated with lead bullet fragments, or pick up and eat spent lead-shot pellets or lost fishing weights, mistaking them for food or grit. Hunting with lead-based ammunition poses a significant health risk to humans, wildlife and ecosystems. Lead is highly toxic, and there is no safe level of exposure.”

The USFWS is engaging in rule making that would gradually lead to limits on use of lead bullets & tackle on 10 of it’s Wildlife Refuges, while opening some up 19 Refuges to new or increased hunter/fisher access – send comments by 8/8/22

Follow this link to learn more & comment: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0055-0001

NGO info on the issues:

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/get_the_lead_out/scientific_reports.html

https://huntingwithnonlead.org

Here is a link to a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit about these issues:

https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-aims-to-protect-endangered-wildlife-from-massive-sport-hunting-fishing-expansion-on-national-wildlife-refuges-2021-11-29/

Written comments: USFWS will accept comments received or postmarked on or before August 8, 2022. That might be just before midnight EST.

Written comments: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:

• Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, type in FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0055, which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, click on the Search button. On the resulting screen, find the correct document and submit a comment by clicking on “Comment.”

• By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0055, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

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PHAS also has a campaign to limit adverse environmental impacts from SD GFP proposed shooting range in Meade County, where lead pollution from bullets is one of the concerns: https://phas-wsd.org/action-alerts/

Details

Date:: August 8, 2022