MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club, the oldest wildlife conservation group in the U.S., today praised the Senate’s passage of the “Great American Outdoors Act.” The bipartisan bill introduced by Senator Cory Gardner (CO), Senator Steve Daines (MT), and Senator Joe Manchin (WV) fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund and also provides funding to land management agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and BLM, to tackle their deferred maintenance backlogs.

“This is good news for all sportsmen and sportswomen concerned about access to places to hunt, fish, target shoot and recreate on public lands,” said Tim Brady, president of the Boone and Crockett Club. “Hunters and recreational shooters need access to public lands, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund projects are opening up access across the country.”

Brady also cheered Senate inclusion of funding for the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and BIA to reduce their deferred maintenance backlogs: “Hunters deserve roads, trails and facilities that are well maintained by the Forest Service and BLM, and this bill provides critical funding for deferred maintenance needs.”

“The Boone and Crockett Club thanks Senator Gardner and Senator Daines for securing President Trump’s support, and we urge prompt passage of the bill in the House of Representatives,” Brady concluded.

About the Boone and Crockett Club

Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.