Senator Ed Markey has worked to protect public lands

Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey has taken heroic stands for ALL Americans, spoken out on issues that benefit our nation.

The SHARE Act bears a misleading title that imperils our national treasures.

Below is the Good Senator's reply to my opposition:

EDWARD J. MARKEY MASSACHUSETTS		218 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20510 (202) 224-2742
	United States Senate February 20, 2014

Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this matter.

Our national parks have rightly been called America's best idea. From Yellowstone National Park to Cape Cod National Seashore, the National Park Service preserves America's treasures for all citizens to enjoy. That is why I am proud to have been an advocate for our public lands and other conservation programs throughout my career in Congress.

On November 21, 2013, Congressman Robert Latta introduced H.R. 3590, the SHARE Act in the House of Representatives. I am strongly opposed to the SHARE Act because it would endanger the health and welfare of wildlife and people alike. The bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from restricting the use of toxic lead ammunition on our public lands, potentially exposing wildlife to this potent neurotoxin. The bill would also hinder existing environmental review processes for projects on public lands and would promote polar bear hunting internationally by allowing the importation of polar bear carcasses into the United States. These proposals are not in the spirit of conserving our nation's wildlife and public lands. I will continue oppose them in the Senate.

Prior to my election to the Senate, I was the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation. As the Ranking Member of that committee, I was a vocal supporter of America's public lands and have consistently advocated for sufficient funding for our conservation programs. In 2012, I strongly opposed similar legislation, The Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012, when it was considered in the Natural Resources Committee and on the floor of the House. Like the SHARE Act, this legislation falsely claimed to act on behalf of sportsmen while surreptitiously pursuing harmful changes to conservation programs, including stripping the Environmental Protection Agency of its ability to protect wildlife and the environment from lead poisoning through exposure to lead ammunition. I was proud to stand with my colleagues to oppose these damaging proposals in the House and will continue to oppose similar legislation in the Senate.

Thank you for writing to me about these concerns. Please feel free to contact me again about this or any other issue through my website, http://markey.senate.gov/contact. Please sign up through my newsletter at, http://markey.senate.gov/newsletter. You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
United States Senator