Senator Lamar Alexander on Friday released the following statement ahead of “National Hunting and Fishing Day,” celebrated each year on the fourth Saturday of September:
“Tennessee is one of the best states for hunting and fishing, and generations of Tennesseans prize their right to do so on the lands we cherish,” said Senator Alexander. “I’m proud to have supported numerous pieces of legislation to protect our right to hunt and fish without burdensome regulations, conserve Tennessee’s lands and wildlife for future generations, and uphold our Second Amendment rights.”
Throughout his career, Senator Alexander has been an avid supporter hunting and fishing, a right that 1.2 million Tennesseans voted to protect through an amendment to Tennessee’s Constitution that ensures Tennesseans have the personal right to hunt and fish.
- He is a cosponsor of the Sportsmen’s Act – legislation that would open more public land to hunting and fishing while supporting programs to help create and maintain shooting ranges on federal land.
- He is a lead sponsor of the Tennessee Wilderness Act, which would designate nearly 20,000 acres as wilderness in the Cherokee National Forest in East Tennessee, preserving the land for hunters and fishers for generations to come.
- He has consistently supported the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is critical for conserving valuable fish and wildlife habitat. Over the past 40 years, Tennessee has received more than $170 million from this fund, which uses revenues generated from offshore oil and gas production.
- In 2013, Senator Alexander introduced the Freedom to Fish Act to protect Tennesseans’ right to fish below dams on the Cumberland River operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which was signed into law later that year.
- He has worked to keep Tennessee’s national fish hatcheries at Dale Hollow and Erwin open, to ensure that “Tennessee’s trout fishing will remain some of the best in the country.”
- Senator Alexander has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association for his defense of Tennesseans’ Second Amendment rights.