The Senate has voted 77-20 in favor of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, a package of more than 150 public lands, water and resources bills.


Initially passed by the Senate in January in a 74-21 vote following months of wrangling, the omnibus bill was recently rejected by the U.S. House in a closely contested vote. Senate Democrats subsequently reintroduced the measure in an effort to facilitate its passage and streamline the House approval process. The Senate's vote enables the House to approve the legislation with only a simple majority vote.


Measures in the bill of particular significance to hunters and anglers include the Wyoming Range Legacy Act and National Landscape Conservation System, both of which enable citizens’ continued enjoyment of sporting opportunities on public lands in the American West.


Passage of the Wyoming Range Legacy Act would prohibit further energy leasing on 1.2 million acres of prime big-game habitat and native trout waters and permit conservation groups to buy and retire existing energy leases. Codification of the National Landscape Conservation System would conserve hunting and fishing opportunities on millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management lands that comprise some of the nation’s most important extant fish and wildlife habitat.

“A prime example of this legislation’s importance to sportsmen is the Wyoming Range Legacy Act,” said Dr. Rollin Sparrowe, TRCP co-founder and acting board chair of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, which is a colalition organizations and partners devoted to preserving the traditions of hunting and fishing.


“The Wyoming Range is actively used by the public, including generations of Western families, yet remains an inherently wild place. The threats it faces from development demand that we undertake prompt and binding measures to ensure its future responsible management.