expansions on the National Wildlife Refuge System , some accused us of playing politics .

What has transpired , however , is exactly what we said was going to happen ( and we ’ re not surprised ).

Having written the 1997 Refuge Improvement Act , the expertise of the Sportsmen ’ s Alliance is hard to overstate in this realm . While everything is playing out exactly as we said , the effects of our political pushback has resulted in anything but partisan politics . A universal objection to the settlement talks undertaken by the Department of Interior and U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service ( USFWS ) with the Center for Biological Diversity has risen in our community and with political leaders . A coalition of more than 40 hunting and fishing conservation and advocacy groups submitted a letter in opposition to the negotiations . A bipartisan group of 33 U . S . House of Representatives members and 27 U . S . Senators followed suit by filing their own letters of opposition to the closing of present and future refuges or the banning of lead ammunition and fishing gear .

A ban on lead fishing tackle would include many of the common weights used by anglers for bass , panfish , trout and other species .

ADOBE STOCK ( 3 ); COURTESY OF FEDERAL AMMUNITION ( OPPOSITE TOP RIGHT )