Fairfax, Va. – A proposal by Congressmen John Campbell (R-CA) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to prohibit necessary and legal practices used to effectively manage wildlife and predator species was overwhelmingly defeated today in the House of Representatives. The amendment to H.R. 2112, the Agriculture appropriations bill, was strongly opposed by the NRA and other pro-hunting organizations. It was pushed by the Humane Society of the United States and other radical anti-hunting groups.
“Wildlife and wildlife predators cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage annually to natural resources, public infrastructures, private property and agriculture,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director for NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “We will continue to oppose efforts like the Campbell-DeFazio Amendment that seek to diminish essential wildlife and predator management programs that protect our hunting heritage.”
The amendment would have drastically reduced funding to the Wildlife Service Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Program (WS), which is authorized by Congress to manage a program to decrease human-wildlife conflicts throughout the United States, including damage from predator animals.
Coyotes and other predators have decimated a great deal of the mule deer, moose and elk populations throughout the United States. As it stands, lethal predator control remains the best tool we have for keeping large predators in balance with existing habitat and the prey they require.
“This was yet another defeat for the anti-hunting agenda being pushed by the Humane Society of the United States”, concluded Cox. “The NRA will continue to fight to protect America’s hunting heritage from those who seek to eliminate it.”
