In mid-December the U.S. Senate took the final step on legislation requiring federal agencies that manage fresh waters to digitize and pool their regulatory data into a consistent mapping format. Doing so would allow the American public to confidently access and enjoy our nation’s public waters. That measure, H.R. 187 (Modernizing Access to Public Waters Act, or MAPWaters Act) is now headed to the President’s desk to become law.
Access is not only defined as geographic access or physical access, but it is also the ability to know where, when and how sportsmen and women can enjoy their respective activities. There are five federal agencies under two different cabinet-level secretaries that have some degree of jurisdiction and regulatory authority over what hunters, anglers and boaters can or cannot do on many of the nation’s inland navigable waters.
For example, the U.S. Forest Service manages or co-manages more than 5,000 miles of rivers designated as “Wild and Scenic” alone, while the Bureau of Reclamation manages 294 reservoirs that see 90 million visitors each year. However, information on how to access these waters, various restrictions on fishing or hunting in certain areas, watercraft or propulsion restrictions, etc., are often presented in different agency formats and can be difficult for hunters and outdoorsmen to find.
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Senior Vice President Taylor Schmitz previously testified before the House Natural Resources Committee in support of MAPWaters. He highlighted the importance of this bill to not only increase access, but also to improve and simplify recreational opportunities for America’s nearly 55 million sportsmen and women.
“Access is often cited as the number one challenge for hunter and angler participation,” Schmitz said. “From one waterbody to the next, it can be difficult to know how you can access those waters and what equipment or vessel you can use when fishing, hunting or recreational boating. We are grateful for the leaders and members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus who continue to prioritize our nation’s sportsmen and women by delivering a win to reduce uncertainty and provide hunters, anglers and boaters with the information they need to access our public waters worry free.”
Rather than tracking down information on permitted uses of federal waters through waterbody-specific websites or publications, the MAPWaters Act will provide clear information for the nation’s hunters, anglers and boaters so they can confidently have a successful day on the water.
