Washington, D.C. — Born Free USA has announced its support for the introduction of the Limiting Inhumane Federal Trapping (LIFT) for Public Safety Act (H.R. 5954) in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). This important bill would not only prohibit all officials and contractors of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using leghold traps, Conibear traps, and snares in the line of duty, but would also ban the use or possession of such traps on all land managed by the DOI or USDA. The bill includes limited exceptions, including for endangered species protection and invasive species control, but requires non-lethal management methods to be used and documented first.[teaserbreak]
The introduction of this bill comes one day after Born Free USA released its shocking undercover trapping investigation, Victims of Vanity II, which reveals brutal, dangerous, and sometimes illegal trapping practices common on private, public, and protected land.
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA, “We have seen countless times that these traps are viciously cruel and indiscriminate, a hazard to public safety, and an ineffective management tool. There is simply no reason to use these brutal devices and it is utterly indefensible to subject any animal to such a horrific fate on our federal public land: land set aside for the protection and conservation of our wildlife.”
The LIFT for Public Safety Act would prevent USDA Wildlife Services from using any injurious or lethal trap in the line of duty. Wildlife Services routinely kills 2-5 million animals annually in the name of “wildlife management.” In 2015, the agency killed approximately 3.2 million animals, more than 54,000 of whom first suffered in a crushing or suffocating trap.
“We’ve seen too many concerning examples of wild animals suffering and pets falling victim to body-gripping traps. It’s disgusting such inhumane traps are so widely used,” said Representative Blumenauer. “With many effective non-lethal methods that can be used in place of these cruel traps, the federal government should not and cannot continue to endorse their use.”
This vital bill would also ban the use of these traps on the nearly 700 million acres of federal public land managed by the DOI and USDA. Overseeing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Park Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Department of the Interior manages more than 500 million acres, or approximately one-fifth of all U.S. land, and 75% of all federal public land. The other 25% of federal public land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and equates to approximately 193 million acres.
Born Free USA asserts that wildlife, people, and their pets should be able to enjoy these vast expanses of American wilderness without the risk of being caught, injured, and possibly killed in an indiscriminate and painful trap. The organization urges other members of Congress to join Congressman Blumenauer in support of H.R. 5954.
“We thank Congressman Blumenauer for his leadership. We also urge the swift passage of this strong legislation to ensure that federal tax dollars are not being used to inhumanely trap wild animals, and that all of our public spaces are safe for people, their pets, and wildlife,” Roberts adds.
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation”: the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, TheRodiCompany@gmail.com