NRA Protests Shooting Ban at Bears Ears National Monument

by
posted on December 10, 2024
Bears Ears National Monument Chestnutlede

The National Rifle Association has joined a group of sportsman's organizations in filing a protest with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over the BLM’s final management plan curtailing sport shooting opportunities at Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) in Utah.

In addition to curtailing hunting opportunities, the management plan closes some 1.3 million acres of BENM in southeast Utah to recreational shooting (as one can probably tell by the vast amount of acreage, BENM encompasses far more land than simply the literal "Bears Ears" rock feature).

“This is another example of the Biden-Harris administration circumventing the law to punish recreational shooters and cut off access to federal lands,” said Randy Kozuch, NRA-ILA executive director, when the proposed plan was released. “This radical decision underscored the importance of the November elections to ensure that those in power respect the Second Amendment and our ability to exercise those freedoms.”

On Nov. 1, the NRA, along with nine other organizations, filed a formal appeal over the new management plan that punishes shooters and hunters for no legitimate conservation-based reason. “Our protest is simply stated: The BLM violated the Dingell Act … by prohibiting recreational shooting in its entirety on Bears Ears National Monument,” the appeal stated.

The 2019 John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act declared it national policy that the BLM and U.S. Forest Service consider hunting, fishing and recreational shooting (HFRS) opportunities as part of federal land, resource and travel management plans. It also declared it national policy that these agencies conserve and enhance the management of wild game species and their habitats—including through hunting and fishing—in concert with state fish and game laws.

For more information on this new management plan, as well as the NRA's protest against it, check out the reporting over on NRA's Hunter's Leadership Forum.

Latest

NRA ILA Lede
NRA ILA Lede

NRA Files Lawsuit Challenging Colorado’s Excise Tax on Firearm and Ammunition Sales

On March 31, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), together with the Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Colorado State Shooting Association, Magnum Shooting Center and an NRA member, filed a lawsuit challenging Colorado’s 6.5-percent excise tax on the retail sale of firearms, firearm precursor parts and ammunition.

The Magnum Research 10mm Magnum BFR Revolver

This 6-shot, single-action revolver may well be the first factory-made handgun chambered in this caliber in over three decades.

Hunting Heritage Trust Grant Applications Being Accepted

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearm industry, has opened the application period for the 2025 Hunting Heritage Trust Grants. They offer a total of $100,000 in financial support for programs that work to expand participation in hunting and the shooting sports.

Hardware Review: Marlin Model 1895 Dark

If you think lever-action rifles should only have walnut stocks and a blued-metal finish, then the new Marlin Dark series with its polymer buttstock and aluminum AR-esque handguard probably won’t be your thing. That’s a shame, because this recent offering in Marlin’s line of modernized, capable lever-action rifles has a lot going for it in terms of performance, functionality and fun.

ATN Shipping TICO LTV Thermal Clip-On

This thermal clip-on device is a huge night-time gear multiplier for hunters and observers, transforming any daytime scope into a thermal sight.

MidwayUSA Named Official Sponsor of the 2025 NRA Annual Meetings

Glock, Inc. is the Presenting Sponsor of the Freedom Experience on Saturday, April 26th

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.