NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, strongly opposes Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s proposed plan for the Department of the Interior to shutter access to recreational shooting on 1.3 million acres of the Bears Ears National Monument, in Utah. Today’s announcement will needlessly deny recreational target shooters access to the monument for no legally justifiable purpose and will violate federal law.

“Secretary Haaland’s proposed plan to close access to 1.3 million acres for recreational shooting is a violation of federal law,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and Chief Executive Officer. “Public lands must be made available for all the public to use. Federal law explicitly states that when closures of public lands are necessary, they must be limited in area and duration to achieve a specific stated objective. Secretary Haaland has articulated none of the required criteria, as required by law. The Secretary should rescind or drastically modify this misguided policy and apply the law as intended: to benefit the public.”

The John D. Dingell, Jr., Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which was signed into law in 2019, sets the criteria upon which the Secretary of the Department of the Interior may close public access to public lands. The law limits the area and duration for when public access to federal lands may be closed. Closures may only occur when a clear and quantifiable objective is identified. Secretary Haaland’s announcement to close 1.3 million acres to Bears Ears National Monument fails to meet these requirements.

The Dingell Act states that federal lands will remain open to hunting, fishing and recreational shooting in accordance with applicable law. That is, unless the Secretary establishes that a specific area must be closed for one or more particular reasons, including public safety, administration or compliance with applicable laws. If that is to occur, the Secretary must limit the closure to the smallest area necessary and for the shortest amount of time to achieve the stated purpose.

None of these criteria were met before Secretary Haaland announced that public access will be denied to countless recreational shooters who, since the land is public, own those lands. The announcement will deny access in a manner detrimental to conservation funding. What is most appalling is that this punitive political action is occurring despite the absence of any indication that recreational shooters pose an any viable threat to the monument’s cultural, historic or natural resources.

“NSSF is deeply troubled by this blatant violation of the law to close off access to 1.3 million acres of public land,” Bartozzi added. “This unlawful closure demonstrates that the Biden-Harris administration and Secretary Haaland are openly hostile to the interests of America’s sportsmen and women. This action clearly shows utter disdain for the rule of law. NSSF will protest this proposal and will work with the Bureau of Land Management to ensure future shooting opportunities in the Monument remain available to recreational target shooters.”

NSSF encourages all Americans who enjoy access to public lands to comment on this proposal and to make their voices heard.