Legislation that would severely restrict waterfowl hunting in a key hunting area of Massachusetts has been scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 12. House Bill 4138, sponsored by Rep. RoseLee Vincent, would create a gigantic buffer zone that covers the tidelands, extending 1,500 yards offshore from Revere beach and the Point of Pines beach in the city of Revere. The Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing will take place at 1 p.m. in room A-1 and A-2 of the Legislative Building.
Take Action Today! Massachusetts sportsmen should call their state representative and state senator and ask them to vote NO on HB 4138. Members can contact their legislators by using the Sportsmen’s Alliance Legislative Action Center Directory.
Rep. Vincent claims she is concerned about public safety, however, hunting in this area has occurred before Massachusetts was even a state, and there is no evidence or data to justify such a restriction. Massachusetts law places the responsibility for hunting regulations with the state Division of Wildlife and Inland Fisheries, except when public safety is a concern. This prevents the creation of differing hunting restrictions from town to town across the state.
“The proposed buffer zone would extend nearly a mile into the ocean, eliminating a great hunting location,” said Luke Houghton, associate director of state services for the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “This bill is not about safety concerns. It’s about Rep. Vincent and her neighbors who live along one of the beaches impacted by her legislation. They want to close down hunting near them, but they do not own public waterways and beaches.”
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.