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 is not a comprehensive list of legislation or issues that chapters are working on, but rather a spotlight in the moment of what is moving. There are many more bills and issues BHA's chapters are grappling with so be sure to check out individual chapter pages for more news and ...

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 that still have a "blue law" of not allowing hunting on Sunday.  H.B. No. 7231, An Act Concerning Sunday Hunting, aims to repeal existing prohibitions against Sunday hunting, thereby expanding opportunities for hunters within the state. Taking all the various hunting seasons into account, upwards of 25 ...

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 State’s public lands, waters and wildlife. The RI  team weighed in on over four dozen legislative bills, regulatory proposals, permitting applications and enforcement issues, and for the second year in a row was able to get one of our top policy priorities across the finish line. Below you’ll find ...

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 Council. This process, which occurs approximately every 5 years, is intended to assess the performance of state coastal regulators, both highlighting their accomplishments and issuing recommendations and/or necessary actions for improvement. In the current fiscal year, nearly 50% of CRMC’s budget ...

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 Hunters & Anglers. Now, each will be transmitted to the Governor for the final step of RI’s legislative enactment process.   “The New England Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is grateful to the House and Senate bill sponsors, the Committee Chairs, and House and Senate Leadership for their ...