Environmentalists, Hunters Clash Over Outdoors Bill

An expansive outdoor recreation and conservation bill expected to pass the Senate on Monday has hunting enthusiasts and environmentalists at odds with one another. The Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 will introduce a number of measures designed to boost funding for fish and wildlife habitats, as well as expand opportunities for hunters. Among the 17 provisions is an increase in the price of duck stamps, the profits from which would go to wetlands protection. It also includes funding for coastal states to eradicate invasive wetland pests, such as nutria. What has environmentalists concerned is the bill’s language regarding the use of potentially hazardous means. In particular, the bill would allow the continued use of lead ammunition, which introduces some 14,000 tons of lead into the environment every year. Fishing and hunting groups have long resisted the phasing out of lead in the...