INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
November 25, 2025
Washington, D.C.
Congress
The House is in Recess this week
The Senate is in Recess this week
WHAT WE’RE READING
Wisconsin: Should Wisconsinite’s hunt sandhill cranes? What to know about a bill in the Legislature
California: New wolf pack confirmed in Northern California, wildlife officials say
Kansas: ‘I think it’s time to lift the ban now’: Kansas debates trail camera ban on hunting lands
Alaska: White House has its sights on Alaskan hunting rules
Pennsylvania: Changes coming to Pennsylvania’s elk license lottery as lawmaker seeks more transparency
Oklahoma: Oklahoma wildlife officials ask Drummond to butt out of pending cases amid tribal hunting conflict
Colorado: Washington says it won’t give Colorado wolves for winter release
United States: Trump team proposes big changes in ESA rules
United States: Rep. Zinke pushes to make wildlife crossing funds permanent
United States: NEPA bill includes amendment to protect project permits
Canada: In the wake of Bella Coola bear attack, some call for B.C. to revisit ban on grizzly hunt
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1. Happy Thanksgiving from SCI’s Advocacy Team
The SCI Advocacy team wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We thank all of you who continue to help us in our fight to defend the right to hunt! Your support continues to place SCI at the forefront of protecting and expanding hunting around the world.
We hope everyone has the opportunity to surround themselves with friends and family, reminding themselves of what they are truly grateful for. Whether sitting at the table carving turkey or sitting in a tree stand taking aim, our team extends our deepest appreciation and together say HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
2. Judge Rejects Injunction Against Florida’s First Bear Hunt in 10 Years
Yesterday, a Florida state court rejected Bear Warriors United’s attempt to block the state’s first black bear hunt in a decade. The judge ruled that the group failed to meet the high standard for a temporary injunction, in part due to SCI’s arguments. In doing so, the court affirmed the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s authority, allowing the hunt to move forward and begin on December 6, 2025. This decision underscores the hunt’s role in helping to manage Florida’s growing bear population and reduce human-bear conflicts, which include more than 300 annual vehicle collisions and a recent fatal attack. While this is a significant victory, the fight is not over —the Court will now consider the merits of the case. SCI remains committed to defending the right to sustainably and ethically manage bears in Florida!
3. Proposed ESA Revisions Aim to Cut Red Tape and Reinforce Species Protection Standards
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed four rules to realign the Endangered Species Act regulations with their Congressional mandate and simplify implementation. The Service proposes to reverse changes that expanded federal authority and added complexity. Key updates include restoring prior standards for listing and critical habitat, requiring species-specific protection for threatened species, and clarifying criteria for critical habitat exclusions. SCI has previously submitted comments supporting many of these changes as an important step toward the proper implementation of the ESA.
4. European Parliament Members Attend Event on Lead Ammunition Restrictions
On November 18, SCI’s partner, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE), hosted an event for members of the European Parliament on the impact of lead ammunition restrictions. The event on “Restricting lead in ammunition in Europe: Implications and consequences,” hosted by MEP Riho Terras (EPP, Estonia), brought together key stakeholders to discuss the European Commission’s proposal to restrict the use of lead in ammunition for hunting and outdoor shooting. The discussion focused on the implications of the restrictions on multiple sectors. To read more and watch the event, click here.
CITES CoP20 Underway in Samarkand
The CITES 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20) has started in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, running from November 24 to December 5, 2025, with SCI and SCI Foundation in attendance. SCI and SCIF aim to ensure decisions made do not infringe on international trade in hunting trophies and other sustainable use.
SCI and SCIF’s nine-person delegation, pictured above, is comprised of staff, consultants and member volunteers: SCI International Affairs Liaison Jeremy Clare, SCIF Director of Conservation Dr. Chris Comer, SCI Africa Liaison Mpho Tjiane, SCIF Antipoaching and International Affairs Program Manager Dries van Coller, SCIF Africa Coordinator George Pangeti, SCI CITES Committee Co-Chair Donald Black, and Committee members David Little, John McLaurin, and Laura du Plooy.
Throughout the CoP, SCI and SCIF will coordinate with other pro-hunting and pro-use groups. Further, SCI, SCIF, and FACE created and distributed a voting guide supporting science-based decisions and sustainable use conservation practices. Stay tuned for SCI’s wrap-up report after the CoP.
6. SCI Attends Partners’ Annual General Meetings in Africa
SCI attended the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa Conference and Annual General Meeting and the Custodians of Wildlife Conference and AGM in mid-November. These gatherings serve as critical platforms for strengthening relationships between hunting organizations, wildlife managers, researchers, and community representatives who play an integral role in conservation and sustainable use. Across both events, stakeholders highlighted the importance of collaborative approaches to wildlife management, including community-based conservation models that ensure local people benefit directly from sustainable hunting and broader wildlife economies. SCI remains fully committed to deepening its engagement with hunting associations across Africa and to promoting constructive partnerships between the sector, governments, and rural communities.
Pictured above (L-R): SCI Foundation Conservation Program Manager Daniel Scognamillo, SCI Africa Liaison Mpho Tjiane, and South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment Chief Director Khorombi Matibe.
7. Happening on the Hill
SCI joined the 50-plus members of the American Wildlife Conservation Partnership in signing a letter to House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman requesting that the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 be implemented before statutory adjustments are made. We also requested than any such changes are part of a comprehensive approach that examine the full scope of the issue. To read the letter, click here.
On November 20, the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act was passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee. This bill, among other things, will reduce the regulatory burden and speed up habitat maintenance and restoration projects. SCI supports the legislation and looks forward to seeing it brought before the full House of Representatives.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to examine how the Bureau of Land Management land use planning process under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act affects permitting for energy, mining, grazing, and infrastructure projects on public lands. SCI thanks the Committee for its prioritization of the multiple use of public lands as it continues to examine areas of improvement to access and management.
8. Hunters’ Embassy™ Happenings
The SCI World Headquarters was quite busy this week! First, SCI hosted a Hunters’ Embassy™ Lunch and Learn for congressional staff, led by SCI’s legal team, on U.S. regulation of foreign species including CITES and the ESA. The attendees packed the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Fund conference room! SCI staff next presented to members of the 13th Minnesota Agriculture Rural Leadership Class about SCI’s work in the courts, in legislatures across the country and in Congress. And finally, the Hunters’ Embassy was visited by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senator John Curtis (R-UT), fielding questions from attendees at a fundraising reception about a variety of topics ranging from government budgeting to permitting reform. SCI continues to maximize use of the Hunters’ Embassy to protect the freedom to hunt and promote sustainable use conservation worldwide.
9. Women Go Hunting
Oregon: Last week, SCI Western State and Local Liaison Keely Hopkins met with legislative leaders in Salem during their Interim Committee Days. While there, Keely met with Senator Todd Nash, Vice Chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee to discuss wildlife management legislation following an informational hearing on ungulate predation across the state. She also met with Representative David Brock Smith, the current Chair of the Oregon Sportsmen’s Caucus and Marie Neumiller from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation to plan educational events for legislators during the upcoming 2026 session. On Wednesday, the Senate also voted to confirm two new Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission appointees, Hugh Morrison and Dave Moldol.
Nevada: The Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife, in which SCI participates, submitted a letter to the Washoe County Planning Commission objecting to the proposed testing of drones on the Iverson Ranch. The letter warns about the use of explosives in the testing process and the potential negative effect on surrounding wildlife and eminent danger of wildfires. Read the letter here.
Wisconsin: Last Wednesday, legislation to authorize a regulated sandhill crane hunting season in Wisconsin – Senate Bill 112 – was heard in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. The proposal was a result of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes which previously met to address the growing problems associated with an unchecked population, particularly the nearly $2 million annual crop losses. SCI submitted a formal letter acknowledging that the state’s current constitutional right to hunt and fish may legally require a science-based hunt. This is especially important because more than 1,400 sandhill cranes are killed annually in Wisconsin under depredation permits—birds that could be lawfully hunted, for the betterment of the species and conservation overall. Additionally, SCI signed onto a coalition letter in support of the bill with partners like Delta Waterfowl, Wisconsin Waterfowl Foundation, and others. A formal vote was not taken on the bill by the five-member committee, though it should take place before the end of the year.
10. Women Go Hunting
“Bear hugs” will never be the same for Sara Munns and her family after their experience in Louisiana this past March. Munns won the Women Go Hunting 2025 silent auction for a Black Bear Cub Denning Experience with wildlife biologists. This unique opportunity allowed Muns to accompany wildlife biologists into a black bear den to collect information on hibernating mother bears and their cubs. That work is part of the state’s bear management program, a program that recovered the Louisiana black bear from threatened species status.
SCI Foundation Carnivore Specialist Maria Davidson was originally the on-staff biologist that helped recover that population and eventually reestablish a black bear hunt. Thanks to Davidson, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries provided this experience for the Women Go Hunting silent auction.
“This Bear Denning Experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in biology work in the field and get to cuddle a black bear cub in the process!” says Munns. “For me, it was also a special way to bond with my family.”
To read more of Sara’s story and about Women Go Hunting, click here.
11. Picture of the Week
Hunting Heals is a humanitarian project offered by Four Corners SCI. We’re dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities by offering them transformative hunting experiences. CLICK TO LEARN MORE!
