Sportsmen's Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Enhancement Act
1/11/2023, 1:30 PMCongressional Summary of HR 3173
Sportsmen's Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Enhancement Act
This bill reauthorizes several programs supporting the conservation of wildlife habitat.
The bill amends the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act by extending until July 25, 2022, the Department of the Interior's authority to sell certain public land and use the proceeds from those sales for acquiring land located within or adjacent to federal lands. When prioritizing the acquisition of inholdings (private land that is surrounded by public land) and nonfederal lands with exceptional resources, Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must consider the extent to which an acquisition of land would increase the public availability of resources for, and the public's access to, hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities. The bill also removes from the scope of the Act land that is eligible for sale under specified public land laws.
The bill reauthorizes through FY2020 the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act.
The bill reauthorizes through FY2020 and revises the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
Interior and USDA must ensure that specified amounts from the Land and Water Conservation Fund are made available each year for securing public access to federal land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes through land transactions.
