Update from Chapter Chair With the hunting seasons mostly wrapped up, I am getting stir crazy dreaming about chasing gobblers in the spring turkey woods, and the NY Chapter is busy working on plans for the upcoming year. We have started putting together our policy positions supporting public land and water access and science-based wildlife management all while tracking the flurry of new legislative bills that can impact hunters and anglers. We are in the early stages of organizing a big ...

  Late last week the Trump administration fired more than 5,000 federal employees within the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service (totaling 10% of the USFS staff). The firings were done without regard for staff roles or performance, but rather targeted individuals with "probationary status" who were hired or switched federal jobs within the last year, as well as veterans hired through non-competitive processes within the last two years. This is a devastating blow to the ...

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is revising its land use plan in Nebraska, potentially opening nearly all of its 5,100 acres for sale. These parcels, primarily 40 to 80 acres each, are scattered across the western two-thirds of the state and have been federally owned since the Homestead era. BLM Field Manager Chad Krause noted that many of the parcels are not easily accessible to the public without permission from adjacent landowners, reducing its public value. The Nebraska BHA chapter ...

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is a member organization that seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife. Our mission is to provide access and opportunities for quality fair-chase hunting and fishing opportunities; habitat restoration and stewardship; and conservation education.  We support the North American Model of Wildlife Management and hunter ethics. We ...

The Michigan chapter of BHA is pleased to report that, following our call to not skip the public input process, the Michigan DNR has halted further plans on a proposed 400 acre solar farm within the Gaylord Forest Management Unit. This decision is a significant win for conservation and public land protection, reflecting the power of community engagement and the importance of thoughtful land use. After reviewing the project, we saw the lack of transparency and availability for public comment, ...