"No Net Loss" of public hunting lands has become increasingly important to ensure access to current and future generations of hunters. Also referred to as "Hunting Heritage Protection Acts," these bills create a base line number of publicly owned lands open to hunting, ensuring that future generations have the same opportunities as currently exist.

History

The issue was introduced at the inaugural NASC Annual Meeting in 2004 by Illinois Representative Dan Reitz and first issued as a NASC issue brief during the 2005 legislative session.  Sportsmen's caucuses in Missouri, Tennessee and Virginia passed related legislation in 2007.  Sportsmen's caucuses in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and Mississippi previously addressed the issue.

Points of Interest

• In Florida, many of the environmental and land conservation groups were concerned that the legislation was trying to open state parks to hunting. The bill had to specifically provide that State Park lands would not be used as replacement lands.
• This legislation in no way infringes on private property rights or on local governments to manage their own lands.

Action

NASC works with individual state caucuses to develop language if they select this issue to put before their own legislatures.