House Passes Bennet-Backed Measure to Improve Bow Hunters' Access to Prime Hunting Lands

Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives today passed a package of bills that includes a provision authored by Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet to provide bow hunters with access to some of the country's prime hunting lands. The measure would allow bow hunters with sheathed archery equipment to cross national park lands along established trails or corridors to access adjacent hunting lands.

"Bow hunters have been denied access to cross our national parks as other hunters do all the time," Bennet said. "This is a commonsense solution to fix this oversight in our laws and allow bow hunters to carry their bows when traveling to and from some of the best and most scenic hunting areas. We will continue to work to pass this measure in the Senate."

Currently, bow hunters do not enjoy the same rights to cross national park lands as those with firearms, who may cross these lands to access adjacent hunting lands. The Bennet bill would give the same rights to bow hunters that other hunters already have.

Bennet introduced the measure as an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act. Senate leadership is currently working on a path forward for the bill.