2019 was Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ best year yet. It has been an incredible journey with you by our side as we grew from seven to 40,000 members in just 15 short years.
Members
who wrote
Letters to decision makers
Public land supporters
from chapters in
states, two Canadian provinces, one Canadian territory, and Washington, D.C.
volunteer hours
the equivalent of nearly
full time employees
College Clubs
with several more
in development
Advocated for the expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuges, expanded our Stream Access program, and worked to secure permanent authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Successfully advocated for passage of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act — the largest conservation legislation win in decades, which also included vital protections for the Methow headwaters and Yellowstone ecosystem.
Successfully completed a years-long campaign to open 500,000 acres of state trust lands that were previously closed to public use, with 100,000 acres opened immediately to the public in 2019.
Engaged on more than 40 pieces of important federal conservation legislation in support of issues like chronic wasting disease, natural resources funding including the Land and Water Conservation fund, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, wildlife migration corridors, Pittman-Robertson, and fisheries habitat conservation and management.
Worked against dangerous amendments to weaken sage grouse management plans that would lead to reduced opportunity for hunters and rural economic declines.
Built on our Hunting for Sustainability program to increase hunter recruitment and participation with nonconsumptive groups.
Led a campaign of hunters and anglers opposing notorious public lands antagonist William Perry Pendley’s appointment to acting director of the Bureau of Land Management, ultimately generating over 20,000 letters to senators in just a few short months.
Finalized planning and funding for the Armed Forces Initiative.
Added eight new chapters Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and the Yukon.
Finalized Memorandum of Understanding working partnership with United States Forest Service.
Represented hunters to the general public through popular media campaigns like the Field to Table blog and Public Land Owner Film Festival.
Finalized a 2020 strategic plan, laying the groundwork for the next five years of work.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that relies on private donations for our organization’s work on public lands. BHA is fiscally transparent and strives to be efficient in our everyday work. In Fiscal Year 2019 our revenue was $5,120,611 and expenses were $4,736,329. We directed 93.6 percent of our own budget to programs and 6.4 percent to administration and fundraising. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ tax ID is 20-1037177. Statement of Activities, Year Ended December 31, 2019
Defeated public land seizure bills that threatened public lands and hunter opportunity.
Funded signage project to address illegal motorized use.
Defeated two public land seizure bills that threatened public lands and hunter opportunity.
Passed S.B. 316 with bipartisan sponsorship, which helps limit private landowners from illegally blocking public access to public lands.
Campaigned to change stream access policy by lobbying the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish to amend a highly unpopular and unconstitutional set of rules which allows landowners to shut down access to public water.
Worked in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources and other partners to secure the acquisition of 31,000 acres of American Electric Power lands that were traditionally accessible for hunting and fishing but were at risk of being sold off.
Successfully fought against the implementation of a permit requirement for archery hunters in the Central Cascades wilderness areas.
Expanded public hunting access in the Keystone state by helping advance passage of legislation that repeals the ban on Sunday hunting for three Sundays during the season.
Advocated for a successful bipartisan ballot measure titled the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act, or GOSA, which directs a portion of the sales tax on outdoor gear to outdoor recreation and conservation projects within the state.
Initiated an amicus brief in successful defense of wildlife as a public trust resource in Texas, thereby preventing the legal categorization of deer species as private property.
Worked to include the Methow Headwaters Protection Act in S. 47. The provision prohibits future mineral development on 340,000 acres of national forest land that are home to the state’s largest mule deer herd and populations of salmon and steelhead.
Contributed to Access Yes program.