Hundreds of Hunting and Fishing Groups Voice Their Support for Action on Climate Change

Hundreds of sportsmen’s groups want President Obama to act on climate change, and they think the administration’s recent power plant rule is a pretty good way to do it.

On Wednesday, 325 hunting, fishing, and outdoors groups and individuals signed a letter to the president voicing their support for the Administration’s rule aimed at curbing carbon emissions from existing power plants.  The sportsmen’s groups, which include Trout Unlimited and Pheasants Forever, are part of what they say is a $90 billion hunting and fishing industry and combined represent millions of members.

“As hunters and anglers, we see first-hand how climate change is altering habitat and putting our outdoor heritage at risk,” the groups state in the letter.  “As stewards for future generations, it is our obligation to conserve land and water resources by advancing climate-adaptation strategies that promote healthy fish and wildlife populations, and sustain the forests, grasslands, rivers and other systems on which they — and we — depend.”

The groups singled out the president’s Climate Action Plan and executive order on climate preparedness as positive steps toward protecting the environment from the worst impacts of climate change, and said that they were especially pleased by the president’s “recognition that responding to climate change requires steps to reduce the carbon pollution that threatens fish and wildlife.”  The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its proposed rule on existing power plants in June, a regulation that aims to reduce carbon emissions from power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

Hundreds of Hunting and Fishing Groups Voice Their Support for Action on Climate Change