SCI, SAF, NRA Jointly Sue BLM over Unjustified Closure of Recreational Shooting on Sonoran Desert National Monument
WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, January 17, Safari Club International, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (SAF), and the National Rifle Association (NRA) sued the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to challenge the agency’s attempt to restrict recreational shooting on 99% of the almost-500,000 acre Sonoran Desert National Monument.
The lawsuit contends that BLM violated key federal laws and regulations, including the Administrative Procedure Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and most importantly, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019. The Dingell Act mandates that federal lands be open to hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting unless specific exceptions apply. BLM’s own policy reinforces this principle, and approximately 99% of BLM lands are currently open to recreational shooting.
The decision to restrict nearly all shooting on the Sonoran Desert National Monument violates the Dingell Act and these other laws.
Previously, nearly 90% of the Monument was open to recreational shooting. However, after lawsuits by environmental groups, BLM adopted a proposal to close nearly 99% of the area to shooting. Neither the radical environmental groups nor BLM, in this instance, assessed how these shooting closures would affect Pittman-Robertson Act funds. Recreational shooters contribute most of these excise tax revenues, which exceed $1 billion annually and are critical for conservation efforts in all 50 states.
SCI, SAF, and the NRA are committed to protecting public land access for all Americans. This lawsuit aims to ensure that federal agencies uphold their legal obligations to balance conservation with recreational opportunities, safeguarding the future of hunting, shooting, and conservation funding for generations to come. For the same reasons, SCI was prepared to sue over the complete closure of target shooting on the Bears Ears National Monument—but BLM reversed course over pressure from SCI and other groups, and kept shooting open.
“The Bureau of Land Management’s politically motivated decision to restrict recreational shooting is an affront to our heritage and the conservation principles that hunters and recreational shooters have championed for decades,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “With new leadership under President Trump’s administration, we are optimistic that federal agencies will return to balanced, science-based decision-making that prioritizes public access and upholds the law.”
“This lawsuit isn’t just about recreational shooting; it’s about holding federal agencies accountable to the people they serve,” added SCI President John McLaurin. “The BLM’s decision disregards its responsibilities under federal law and undermines the significant contributions of sportsmen and women to funding conservation. We look forward to working with the new administration to ensure that public lands remain accessible for all citizens.”
Background:
For over 50 years, SCI has been the leader in defending the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI is unique in the scope of its ability to defend and advance the freedom to hunt. SCI is the only hunting rights organization with a Washington, D.C.-based national and international advocacy team and an all-species focus. SCI also mobilizes more than 150 chapters and affiliate networks representing millions of hunters around the world.