Groups are urging the National Park Service to ban lead-based fishing tackle at places such as Voyageurs National Park/NPS file
While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to phase out the use of lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle at a number of wildlife refuges, the National Park Service has not instituted such a ban and is being urged by a coalition of groups to do so.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the American Bird Conservancy, and the Union of Concerned Scientists and driving the lobbying effort. Under the plan, the NPS would join 26 states and countries that have already banned lead ammo, they say.
"The ecological stakes are profound," the groups say. "Altogether, more than 130 park wildlife species are exposed to or killed by ingesting lead or prey contaminated with lead:
Lead is a leading threat to birdlife, especially bald eagles, hawks, and other raptors, as well as other birds from loons to condors;
Lead fragments from spent shells remain lodged throughout the wildlife food chain; and
Lost lead fishing tackle leads to elevated levels of lead in fish and amphibians."
“Banning lead from our national parks would be one of the single biggest conservation advances in a generation,” said Rocky Mountain PEER Director Chandra Rosenthal, noting that early in the Obama years the NPS briefly announced such a ban, called “Get the Lead Out.” but reversed course under opposition from the National Rifle Association and ammunition and gun manufacturers. “It is high time for our parks to ‘Get the Lead Out.’”
While most parks by law do not permit hunting, some 76 of the 423 national park units allow recreational, subsistence, or tribal hunting. However, those parks with hunting (the largest are in Alaska) cover more than 60 percent of land within the entire National Park System. In addition, more than 85 percent of parks with fish (213 in all) are open for fishing.
"The Golden Eagle, California Condor, and dozens of other species are under threat from lead ammunition and fishing tackle," said Hardy Kern, American Bird Conservancy's director of government relations, pesticides and birds campaign. "Our public lands should be safe havens for wildlife, and lead has no place on them."
“The science is clear—lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle are harmful to wildlife and human health," stated Jacob Carter, Research Director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The National Park Service should heed the evidence, protect our public lands and wildlife, and ban lead from our national parks.”
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Comments
This is a subterfuge to end all hunting in the 76 NPS units which so allow it. Until proponents of this radical proposal can offer a viable alternative to lead ammo, which currently does not exist, this is merely a ban on hunting.
In many cases, Congress specifically authorized/mandated that hunting continue after NPS unit creation. For the Executive Department to unilaterally thwart the will of the People through their elected representatives is undemocratic to its core.
Loui, are you aware that lead shot has been banned for 25 years when it comes to waterfowl hunting, and yet hunting continues in national wildlife refuges where allowed? There are options for non-lead shot on the market. This won't close parks where hunting and fishing is allowed to hunting and fishing.
https://1source.basspro.com/news-tips/waterfowl-gear-technique/27344/non...
Kurt- that is because the barrel of a shotgun is smooth bored. You can shoot steel ammo out of them without issue. The same ammo would ruin a rifle barrle as it is riffled to spin the bullet and provide a more accurate shot.
There are currently available options for rifle barrels, the most common being copper bullets. This is a needed change and I say that as a hunter of large game for 40 years.
I would like to see as much attention focused on the damage to wildlife, especially birds and bats, from wind generators. As many as 200 eagles are killed per year as well as many thousands of others.
Copper bullets are a much better alternative to lead bullets. Check out this informative article from the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife agency. https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/nonlead-ammunition.html
Ithis past time to get lead out of the environment. We eliminated lead in paint and gasoline, and many states are prohibiting its use in fishing tackle.