by NRA-ILA Staff - Tuesday, March 31, 2015
NRA-ILA is making headway for American hunters on three key fronts when it comes to overturning the ban on the sale and trade of legally owned ivory.
Proposed Regulation Update
Currently, NRA-ILA staff is meeting with Administration Officials to voice opposition to the proposed regulations that would ban the domestic sale and trade of legally owned ivory. The proposed regulation is now at the Office of Budget and Management, which is the last step in the rule-making process before it is published for comment. NRA-ILA will file its comment once the rule is published.
Legislation Update
Since the last report regarding ivory, U.S. Representative Don Young (R-Alaska-At Large) introduced H.R. 697, a bill that would prevent the Obama Administration from banning the U.S. sale and trade of legally-owned ivory, as well as ensure that sport-hunted elephant trophies can be imported from countries with sustainable elephant populations. NRA-ILA staff is working with the U.S. House to gain support for H.R. 697.
Sport Hunted Trophy Update
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) intends to limit sport-hunted elephant trophy imports to two per hunter per year. It also will extend a ban on the importation of sport-hunted elephant trophies from Zimbabwe for the 2015 calendar year. NRA-ILA opposes these restrictions and is working with other interested groups to prevent their implementation.
NRA-ILA State and Local Update
Thus far in 2015, 16 states have introduced ivory ban legislation to prohibit the intrastate sale of ivory. Bills in five states—Iowa, Oklahoma, Maryland, Washington and Virginia—have already failed in the legislative process. NRA-ILA will remain vigilant in opposing such legislation and in educating policy makers on the inefficiencies and misguided approach of banning lawfully acquired ivory.