Issue: United States Congressional Bills S838 and HR1558 recently introduced by the U.S.-based Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus (CSC) have the potential for negative impacts on wildlife, including raptors, by forever preventing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from regulating on lead in ammunition. Publicity from the CSC and others regarding these bills claim there is “no credible science” behind the conclusion that lead from spent ammunition is negatively impacting wildlife.

RRF has prepared a formal statement regarding this issue:
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH SHOWS THAT LEAD (Pb) FROM SPENT AMMUNITION CAUSES DEATH AND SICKNESS TO BALD EAGLES, GOLDEN EAGLES AND OTHER WILDLIFE, AND LIMITS THE REESTABLISHMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR POPULATION.

Action Needed: Letters must be sent to legislators who are members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, which collectively sponsored the U.S. Senate and House bills. Some of these members are sponsors of the bills; others are on either the Senate or House Committees responsible for reviewing the bills.

We need to send approximately 300 letters so that RRF’s voice can be heard on this issue. Anyone willing to print and mail letters on behalf of RRF, please e-mail Conservation Committee Co-chair Joan Morrison. Please indicate how many letters you are willing to send. Dr. Morrison will provide you with the RRF’s official letter, names and addresses, and mailing instructions.

STOP PRESS! July 22 2011

Thank you to everyone who has contacted us with offers of help. The response has been fantastic and we have been overwhelmed with offers! We now have enough volunteers to send out the letters so we are no longer recruiting volunteers. If you have already contacted us but have not yet heard back, we expect to be in touch with you over the next day or so. Thank you all so much for your interest and support.