Yesterday reminded me once again why I love being a member of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Every year, we hold our annual chapter board meeting for the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, bringing everyone together in person. Given that our chapter encompasses Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware, it’s not always easy for us to gather for in-person events. This meeting is always a special occasion because it allows us to connect face-to-face. This gathering allows us to sit down and ...

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) is thrilled to share exciting news for Maryland and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed. On December 13, 2024, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams joined partners and community members to celebrate the establishment of the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge (SMW NWR) as the 573rd unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. When complete, the ...

Exciting news! Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act (HB2059) has been referred directly to the House Appropriations Committee (HAC), bypassing the Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee. This expedited process means we need your immediate help to ensure VGOA is heard by the HAC Natural Resources subcommittee. You can help by contacting HAC Natural Resources Subcommittee members. Reach out to them via phone or email to express your support for HB2059.   Here’s a template you can ...

    Every year Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) celebrates National Public Lands Day as a month-long celebration.  So, what exactly is all this about and what is National Public Land Day.  In 1994 the first Public Lands Appreciation Day was organized by the Times Mirror Magazine.  That year the only public land agency to participate was the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  In the years to follow the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) would take over responsibility of ...

The core mission of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a non-profit conservation organization, is to preserve our unique outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing through education, stewardship, and advocacy on behalf of our public lands, waters, and wildlife. Preserving and increasing public access and opportunity for hunters and anglers is critical to our mission. Mid-Atlantic BHA believes restrictions on Sunday hunting are an impediment to reasonable hunting access ...