Tell Congress: Don’t Poison Bald Eagles and Condors

Every year, millions of wild animals die slow, painful deaths from lead poisoning — not from pollution or pesticides, but from something shockingly preventable: spent lead ammunition and fishing tackle left behind on our public lands and waters.

Now, Congress is considering H.R. 556 — the so-called “Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act.” Don’t be fooled by the name — this bill would block federal agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Park Service from restricting toxic lead ammunition and tackle, even when it’s proven to harm wildlife, water, or people.

 If H.R. 556 passes, these agencies would be barred from even considering limits on lead unless they could show — with impossible, case-by-case proof — that entire wildlife populations are being poisoned. It would tie the hands of scientists, ignore decades of research, and gut long-standing environmental protections.

Under the Obama Administration, the USFWS enacted prohibitions on lead ammunition and tackle on certain national wildlife refuges to protect threatened and endangered species. But the first Trump Administration immediately reversed those protections, putting convenience and industry pressure ahead of wildlife health. Now, H.R. 556 threatens to lock that rollback into law forever, making it nearly impossible to restore science-based safeguards in the future.

H.R. 556 would also roll back progress already made on our national wildlife refuges — places that were specifically created to protect animals. It could even overturn existing bans on lead in sensitive habitats and prevent new science-based safeguards down the road. In short, this bill protects the gun-lobby status quo, not the hunters, anglers, or wildlife it claims to represent.

Lead fragments don’t disappear after a shot is fired or a lure breaks. Scavengers like eagles, hawks, and condors ingest it while feeding on carcasses. Fish and waterfowl absorb it from their habitat. Just a tiny piece of lead can be deadly — causing seizures, starvation, and organ failure.

Here’s the truth: non-lead alternatives are already here. Hunters and anglers across the country are using copper bullets and steel sinkers that perform just as well — without poisoning wildlife or contaminating the land we all share.

Congress must reject H.R. 556 and stand up for America’s wildlife. Our national parks, refuges, and forests should be safe havens — not toxic traps.

Please add your name now to demand your representatives vote NO on H.R. 556 and keep lead out of our public lands and waters!

_______


Source

Earthjustice https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/please-vote-no-on-h.r.-556.pdf