Stop the New NRA Attack on Wildlife

For the third consecutive year, the NRA has gotten the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus to introduce legislation aimed at preventing the EPA from doing its job by regulating lead that kills wildlife.

Toxic lead has been sensibly removed from water pipes, gasoline, paint and other sources dangerous to people — but tons of spent lead from hunting and fishing gear are still left in the wild every year, where they enter the food chain and exact a deadly toll.

Lead ammo also poses serious health risks to humans who consume wild game riddled with lead-shot. Since effective, nontoxic bullets, shot and fishing weights are now widely available and comparable in price to lead, more than 250 organizations in 40 states are calling on the EPA to get the lead out.

Don't let the NRA's politics of fear undercut our environmental laws.

Take action — help us protect eagles, falcons, loons, cranes, condors and people from unnecessary lead poisoning by urging your representatives to stop the cruel and misguided "Sportsmen's Act."
Subject: Stop the Cruel and Misguided Sportsmen's Act

Dear [Representative],

I am writing to urge you to oppose S.405 and/or any variant of the recently reintroduced "Sportsmen's Act." This bill, promoted by the gun lobby, ignores sound science and would ensure millions more painful deaths for wildlife. The bill is also a blatant attempt to keep the EPA from doing its job by enforcing regulations that will protect people and wildlife from preventable lead poisoning.

Although toxic lead has been sensibly removed from such sources as paint and gasoline, it's unfathomable that each year we still permit tens of thousands of tons of toxic lead to be shot into the environment or left behind in our precious waters. When this lead enters the food chain, it takes a deadly toll. Bald eagles, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, loons, cranes, condors, herons and other birds and wildlife die incredibly painful lead-poisoning deaths.

There's simply no reason to continue using toxic lead for hunting or fishing anymore. Not when effective, nontoxic bullets, shot and fishing weights are widely available and, in many cases, comparable in price to lead. And not when state regulations in place for seven years in California have proven that requiring nonlead hunting ammo does not restrict hunting.

What the "Sportsmen's Act" aims to do is strip EPA's authority to regulate toxic lead in ammunition and fishing gear under the Toxic Substances Control Act -- under the banner of protecting the rights of hunters. But this legislation shows callous disregard for the health of 10 million hunters, their families and low-income beneficiaries of venison donations who are at continued risk of lead poisoning when they eat contaminated meat. This bill also ignores the mountain of scientific evidence pointing to lead ammo and fishing tackle as the major sources of lead poisoning exposure for more than 130 species.

[Your comments here]

I urge you to oppose this bill and allow the EPA to do its job. Your vote could help end the annual deaths of millions of birds and wildlife.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
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