Like so many of you, I grew up enjoying the beautiful outdoor regions our great state has to offer. Whether it was fishing along the Outer Banks, hiking through the Uwharrie National Forest or hunting whitetail deer, many of my fondest childhood memories include these experiences. We are blessed to live in a state that offers so many outdoor opportunities.
The outdoors are something I learned to appreciate from an early age, and conserving these resources for future generations remains one of my priorities in Congress. It is my hope that my son, and your children, will be able to enjoy the bounty that America has to offer as they grow up — just as many of us did when we were growing up.
We all agree on the need to protect our outdoors, and sportsmen and conservation go hand in hand. We know that in order to continue to enjoy these resources in the future, we must have responsible management practices in place today.
However, federal agencies often will outright prevent access to federal lands. This is contrary to the whole idea of the federal government owning land for public interest. Additionally, activist groups have, and continue to, petition the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of lead in hunting ammunition and fishing tackle.
This ban on certain ammunition and tackle would increase the costs for hunters, sports shooters and fishermen. Coupled with federal bans to access public lands, these efforts hurt our ability to enjoy the outdoors and maintain our rich sporting heritage.
The good news is the House of Representatives has a bipartisan solution that works. This past week, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass the SHARE — Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement — Act. This legislation protects our traditional hunting and fishing equipment from unwarranted federal bans, and it also requires federal land managers to support and facilitate our access to these areas.
This legislation will help ensure future generations have access to these lands, which preserves our rich outdoor sporting heritage. The SHARE Act also maintains state authority for fisheries management in state marine waters, because North Carolina knows what’s best for our state much more than bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
As your representative in Congress, you can count on me to continue to advocate for responsible management of our public lands while also protecting the livelihoods of public land users. This is a common-sense solution that preserves our access and proper management for public lands.
This legislation now heads to the Senate and with such a strong vote in the House of Representatives, it is my hope that they can follow our example and come together for the good of the American people.
I came to Washington to make government work for you, and this legislation is a small step in that direction.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-Concord, represents North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Richmond County.