Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council Spring Meeting: May 17, 2024

11:00am 

Meeting overview: John Devney, HWCC Vice Chair

Approval of meeting minutes from the December 4, 2023, meeting

Council Subcommittee report-outs 

• Wildlife Health: Land Tawney, Chair  
  - Comments of Siva Sundaresan, Deputy Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  - Christian Myers, Policy Advisor – National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
       - Continued discussion of Council recommendations related to the management of future use of lead and 
          lead-free ammunition on Federal lands.
       - Discussion and consideration of FWS lead-free ammunition pilot projects on National Wildlife Refuges.
   
• Public Lands: Joel Webster, Chair
       - Continued discussion of Council recommendations related to DOI and USDA land appraisal and 
          land exchange processes. 
       - Discussion of BLM Solar energy programmatic environmental impact statement. 
               - There will be further discussion after the afternoon briefing on the topic by BLM staff.
   
• Hunting & Recreational Shooting: Jeff Crane, Chair 
  - Discussion of potential Council recommendation related to access for hunting and recreational shooting on 
     lands designated as a national monument national monument
  A national monument is established by executive order of the president or by Congressional legislation. The Antiquities Act authorizes the president to proclaim “historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest” as national monuments. The National Wildlife Refuge System helps manage two national monuments: Hanford Reach National Monument in Washington state and World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Hawaii, Alaska and California.
  
  Learn more about national monument or wilderness
   
• Conservation Funding: Joel Pedersen, Chair 
       - Continued discussion of Council recommendations related to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
  The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.
  
  Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and 
         the Inflation Reduction Act.
   
• Private Lands: Michael Crowder, Chair
   
• Public Engagement/R3: Keith Tidball, Chair

Subcommittee report-outs, cont.

Federal agency briefings (approximate times)

FWS briefings

Briefing on name change of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Conservation Investment 

• Paul Rauch, Assistant Director – Office of Conservation Investment, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Presentation

Briefing of Fiscal Year 2025 budget request for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Hot topics: hunt/fish rule, electronic duck stamp, NAWCA

• Steve Guertin, Deputy Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (tentative) Presentation

Update on implementation of Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3362, Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and MigrationCorridors

• Anna Wearn, Policy Advisor – U.S. Department of the Interior & Connectivity Coordinator – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Briefing on U.S. Forest Service regulations regarding mature and old growth forests

• Jennifer McRae, Acting Assistant Director - Public Engagement & Planning, U.S. Forest Service Presentation

Briefing on the Bureau of Land Management solar energy draft programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

• Vicki Campbell, Natural Resources Specialist - California State Office and Jeremy Bluma, Senior Advisor - National Renewable Energy Coordination Office, Bureau of Land Management Presentation