Sarah Strommen, Commissioner for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), recently issued an order banning the use of lead ammunition on 56 Scientific and Natural Areas (SNAs) where hunting is allowed. The move comes on the heels of a controversial legislative session in which lead ammunition bans for public hunting areas were considered but not advanced by the legislature.

“This means thousands of acres are now off limits for hunters that can’t afford the high expense of lead alternatives,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “The order contains no data that shows lead is actually a problem for these 56 SNAs, but hunters are being shoved off the landscape anyway.”

Lead bans have been considered by the Minnesota legislature for more than two decades, but nothing has passed. This executive action requires no approval from the legislative branch, or the governor’s office, to remain in effect.

“This is a massive case of executive overreach by Commissioner Strommen,” added Adkins. “We are reviewing the administrative record and will decide soon what next steps will protect sportsmen going forward.”

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.