Summary: Anti-hunting extremists have filed a petition with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission to completely ban the use of traditional lead ammunition for taking wildlife in Colorado.
Anti-hunting extremists—led by disgraced former Humane Society of the United States executive who was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations Wayne Pacelle—petitioned the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission (CPW) to ban hunting with traditional lead ammunition in the Centennial State. This move comes just months after they snuck an amendment into the federal Farm Bill that would have banned hunting with dogs—a move that Sportsmen’s Alliance defeated.
Why are Activists Targeting Lead Ammunition and Tackle?
Banning traditional lead ammunition has been the goal of these groups for some time. In 2010, several groups petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the manufacture of lead ammunition and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Both of those petitions were denied and upheld by courts. These groups also sought to ban hunting with lead ammunition in the Kaibab National Forest. This attempt also failed after a decade of litigation. More recently, they attempted to force the Fish and Wildlife Service to ban lead ammunition in the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia. Sportsmen’s Alliance and others intervened in and successfully defended that lawsuit.
How Do State-Level Lead Ammunition Bans Impact Hunters?
Having failed at the federal level over and over again, they have set their sights on the states, where they have had some success. California banned hunting with lead ammo in 2019 to protect condors. Those condors are still dying of lead poisoning despite high levels of compliance with the ban. These extremist groups now ask CPW to make it “unlawful to possess lead ammunition and a firearm capable of discharging that ammunition while taking or attempting to take wildlife.”
How is Sportsmen’s Alliance Fighting the Colorado Ban?
Sportsmen’s Alliance is again answering the call to fight for our members’—and all Americans’—ability to use traditional lead ammunition.
Issues like these are at the heart of the Sportsmen’s Alliance mission and we will continue to monitor this important issue. Don’t stand on the sidelines—join us as a member or a donor of the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund in protecting tomorrow’s hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage today.
What is the Mission of the Sportsmen’s Alliance?
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
