Quigley, SEEC Members Raise Climate Change Threats to Outdoor Recreations

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) offered an amendment to H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, to ensure the Secretary of the Interior maintains the authority to consider climate change when making decisions regarding conservation and recreational activities on public lands.

"This bill undermines America's outdoor heritage by weakening environmental review and public disclosure requirements that protect our nation's vulnerable habitats. I'm proud to stand with those who believe climate change must be at the forefront of decisions made about the conservation and recreational use of America's public lands," said Rep. Quigley.

Today, more than 75 percent of federal lands are open to recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting. Yet, climate change threatens to irreversibly transform public lands in ways that would jeopardize the recreational activities this legislation claims to promote. For public lands recreation, climate change will mean changes in hunting seasons, migratory patterns, and native and invasive species populations. Sea level rise, wildfire and drought all have the potential to alter landscapes and limit existing opportunities for hunting, fishing and recreation on public lands.

Our nation's public lands currently provide 6.1 million American jobs, $646 billion in outdoor recreation spending each year, $39.9 billion in federal tax revenue, and $39.7 in state/local tax revenue. All this is threatened by climate change.

Efforts to conserve natural resources, and the recreational opportunities they provide, will help reduce the impacts of climate change. Recognizing this, the Administration has invested significantly in conserving relevant ecosystems, and is also implementing climate-adaptation strategies that promote resilience in fish and wildlife populations, forests and other plant communities, freshwater resources, and the ocean.

In addition, the President has also directed federal agencies to identify and evaluate additional approaches to improve our natural defenses against extreme weather, protect biodiversity and conserve natural resources in the face of a changing climate, and better manage our public lands and natural systems.

In addition to Rep. Quigley, the amendment was offered by SEEC Vice-Chair Rush Holt (NJ), Co-Chair Gerry Connolly (VA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Members Alan Lowenthal (CA), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Jim Langevin (RI), Matt Cartwright (PA), Keith Ellison (MN), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Carol Shea-Porter (NH), Lois Capps (CA), John Delaney (MD) and Susan Davis (CA).

Rep. Quigley volunteers at River Rescue Day. In Congress, he is a staunch advocate for environmental protections.

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