This is your July edition of BHA's State Policy Spotter - a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting our wild public lands, waters and wildlife across North America. Note - this...

For the last several years the New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers has advocated to reform Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). After first weighing in in...

BHA submitted online testimony in reference to two bills up for public hearing in the Connecticut General Assembly Environment Committee today (3/24/25).   Connecticut is one of the few states...

UPDATE - 2/13/25 Good news! House Bill 202: House Committee Vote 14-1, Inexpedient to Legislate. Fortunately, the bill’s forward progress is all but over. Today, the House Fish and Game and Marine...

Rhode Island BHA 2024 Policy Roundup Following a successful year in 2023, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ team in Rhode Island advocated more effectively than ever in 2024 to support the Ocean...

The Massachusetts State Leadership Team (SLT) supports a series of proposed regulation changes impacting both deer and bear hunting in Massachusetts. These changes create additional hunting...

On October 15, 2024, BHA’s Rhode Island Team submitted written testimony to NOAA, related to their periodic coastal management program review focused on Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Management...

Some time between late 2022 and early 2023 the Quidnessett Country Club (QCC), located near the northern end of North Kingstown RI, built a sea wall near one of the holes of their golf course. Had...

Just days before the end of the 2024 legislative session the RI General Assembly approved three wildlife bills in concurrence, each of which was supported by the New England Chapter of Backcountry...

On April 8th, 2024, the Vermont team submitted a comment to the US Forest Service on the Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project (Telephone Gap IRP). The Green Mountain National Forest is part...

4/5/24 The US Forest Service is seeking public comment on a project called the Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project (Telephone Gap IRP). The scope of the project is broad and it includes a...

  Thanks to pressure from the hunting and angling community, which was generated from New England BHA and other key Vermont Sporting groups, lawmakers made significant amendments to S.258 before...

2/17/2024 The Vermont Legislative session is in full swing and bills that will have a major impact on our ability to hunt, fish, and trap are up for discussion.  The Senate Committee on Natural...

The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) and the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) are leading  Move Forward Together Vermont a large-scale planning...

On Tuesday February 6th RI’s House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources will meet at the Rise of the House to hold public hearings on several bills, including two wildlife bills that...

Last April BHA’s Rhode Island team participated in a preliminary determination hearing before the Jamestown Harbor Commission related to two CRMC aquaculture applications, 2023-02-080 and...

2023 was another busy year for the Massachusetts BHA team! From Beacon Hill to Westborough, the New England Chapter worked diligently on behalf of our fishing and hunting heritage, not to mention...

This Tuesday, October 24th, RI’s Coastal Resources Management Council will meet to consider Application 2023-04-094, in which RI’s Department of Transportation outlines plans to rebuild the bike...

Earlier this year Massachusetts Representative Michael Day (D-Middlesex) introduced HD4420 – An Act to Modernize Firearm Laws. This piece of legislation, which was both complicated and extensive,...

In collaboration with the University of New Hampshire's Wildlife Management and Modeling Lab (WMML) and New Hampshire Fish and Game, the New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA)...

The Archery Deer Hunting Season Extension: Massachusetts BHA's Call for Change In the heart of Massachusetts, an important discussion has emerged surrounding the proposed extension of the archery...

For nearly twenty years, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers has sought to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting. A vision for backcountry conservation and...

For the last several years BHA’s New England Chapter has played a leading role in the organization’s advocacy efforts to recover and protect Atlantic Striped Bass, which have been supported by...

On Monday June 26, 2023 RI Governor Dan McKee signed H5174A & S417A, completing the legislative process for the pair to become State law. The Governor’s signature comes less than two weeks after...

H5174A & S417A are headed to the Governor's desk! On June 15th, the RI House of Representatives voted to approve each, concurring with the RI Senate's approved version. This step represents a...

The finish line is in sight! During the last several RI Legislative Sessions protecting and restoring access to Rhode Island’s shoreline has been a top priority, and the Rhode Island team has...

Back in 2022 every BHA Chapter from North Carolina to Maine – the entire footprint of the Atlantic Striped Bass range – advocated for conservation-minded priorities in Amendment 7 to the Striped...

Next week ASMFC Commissioners from up and down the east coast will convene in Arlington, VA for the Commission’s Winter Meeting. As part of this meeting, ASMFC’s Striped Bass Board is scheduled to...

  AFI Director Trevor Hubbs has been hitting the podcast network on a speaking tour for a few months garnering support for the program and building sponsor relationships.   For a list of Podcast...

Earlier this month Rhode Island’s Land and Water Partnership hosted its 19th annual Conservation Summit in Kingston, RI to hold workshops and discussions on the state’s most pressing conservation...

Take Action Now! For the past few months, we have been excited to share that MassWildlife will be moving forward on several of our regulatory priorities. These include ending hunting hour...

In early May the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will convene for their spring meeting, at which time we’re expected to see their Atlantic Striped Bass Board finalize Amendment...

UPDATE: Click here for a complete guide on how you can take action and protect the future of striped bass!    In early May the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will convene for...

The Massachusetts State Leadership Team was disappointed to learn that S.507, An Act Addressing Noise Issues of Migratory GameHunters Near Coastal Dwellings, accompanied with S.508, An Act...

The VT State Team of BHA recently submitted comments to Senator Leahy, with copies to other state and federal decision makers, in support of a federal appropriation to add to United States Fish...

Thanks to the hard work of the Massachusetts State Leadership Team and BHA’s Massachusetts membership, with the help of hunters, anglers, as well as other hunting and fishing organizations, we...

The New England Chapter of BHA has introduced legislation in the RI General Assembly that if passed would protect Rhode Island’s wildlife, and in particular our wild deer. Introduced by Rep. Scott...

With the Rhode Island legislative session in full swing and DEM’s hunting & fishing annual regulatory process right around the corner we’ve been working hard to ensure the voices of hunters and...

Welcome to the inaugural edition of a quarterly update from Maine Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. Our goal is to provide highlights of current news on the policy front, preview coming events and...

­2021 was the first year of the biennial session of the Legislature and a busy one for the Maine BHA policy team. In addition to the big $40 million Land for Maine’s Future win, volunteers worked...

Earlier this year the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers New York and New England Chapters submitted comments on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Public Information Document for...

2021 has been an interesting year, and while we did not host in-person events during the first half of the year the New England BHA team was hard at work standing up for the interests of hunters...

 The New England Chapter’s New Hampshire State Leadership Team recently submitted final comments on Bear Brook State Park’s revised management plan.  At nearly 10,000 acres, Bear Brook State Park...

In April of 2020, two Little Compton brothers applied for a lease to establish a commercial oyster growing operation in the tidal waters adjacent to Sapowet Marsh Wildlife Management Area in...

Maine is one of only two states in the US that has a complete ban on Sunday hunting. The Maine leadership team of the New England Chapter of BHA has been considering this issue and related Sunday...

By Matt Breton                                                                                                                                    This piece was first published in VTDigger   Last...

Rhode Island’s Constitution, Article 1 Section 17 states: “The People shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all rights of fishery, and the privileges of the shore, to which they have been...

In the first two months of 2021, the Maine BHA team identified over 75 bills introduced to the Legislature that could impact hunting and fishing, land conservation, and public access.  As of March...

The New England Chapter of BHA recently introduced language in the Rhode Island General Assembly to prohibit captive hunting in Rhode Island. Introduced by Rep. Scott Slater (D – District...

During the 2019 legislative session, the New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers opposed captive hunting at three committee hearings in the Rhode Island General Assembly....

February 15, 2020, Brandon, VT- Vermont members of BHA, along with a few new friends, met to celebrate public lands at Red Clover Ale Co. There were tales of turkeys, tracking bucks, big brown...

Back in February, the New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers weighed in on H5130 – Canned Hunting Prohibited. In principle, we supported the push to prevent importing big game...

Along the banks of the East Branch of the Passumpsic River in East Burke, VT, members of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers joined the ranks of Trout Unlimited, Connecticut River Conservancy, Burke...

On March 19, the New England Chapter submitted written testimony to the House Environmental and Natural Resources Committee urging the rejection of Bill H5849, which would allow private shooting...

The New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is dedicated to ensuring that fair chase ethics that guide hunters from coast to coast persist and continue to influence both new and...

As recently as last summer, we’ve seen egregious attempts to exploit a legal flaw in Rhode Island to push for the development of the state’s first high fence captive big game hunting facility....

Connecticut hunters and anglers have long enjoyed the privilege of practicing their craft in the public lands and waters of their home state. The State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, State...

Critics of the governor's intent to increase timber harvesting and divert its revenues worry about a shift in how forests are managed.Nestled between Moosehead Lake and Baxter State Park are...

A PETITION TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FISH AND GAME DEPARTMENT AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FISH AND GAME COMISSIONDate: February 1st, 2014Brandon Corey EllisCo-Chair Board of...

This was a letter wrriten to Doug Morin on behalf of the New England BHA Chapter:Dear Mr. Morin:We write on behalf ofthe New EnglandChapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA). Backcountry...