INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
December 30, 2025
Washington, D.C.
Congress
The House is in Recess this week
The Senate is in Recess this week
WHAT WE’RE READING
Washington: Probe of Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to stretch into 2026
Kentucky: Kentucky Attorney General’s Office demands resignation of Fish and Wildlife Board chair
Iowa: DNR proposes fee increase for hunting and fishing licenses to help fund wildlife programs
United States: BLM makes more sage grouse habitat available for energy development
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1. Happy New Year from SCI’s Advocacy Team
A very Happy New Year from SCI’s Advocacy team! As we reflect upon 2025, let us celebrate all the progress we have made together in protecting and expanding the right to hunt locally, nationally, and internationally. We look forward to all the opportunities and experiences 2026 has to offer and invite you to continue standing with us in support of hunting and science-based wildlife management. From our family to yours, Happy New Year!!!
2. The Advocacy Team Continues the Fight in Q2
SCI’s Advocacy team had a busy quarter to finish the year! Over the past three months, many of our legislative priorities made significant progress. We also celebrated legal victories and the opening of new hunting opportunities. Read the complete report here.
3. SCI Endorses ESA Proposals on 4(d) Rule Rescission and Listing Criteria Amendments
Last week, SCI submitted two comment letters supporting proposals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to update its Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations. The first letter is in favor of the proposal to rescind the “blanket 4(d) rule,” which automatically applies endangered species prohibitions to threatened species. SCI’s comment demonstrates that this rule conflicts with the ESA’s plain language and legislative intent, which call for species-specific regulations tailored to conservation needs. As explained in the comment, Congress intended flexibility for managing threatened species, not uniform restrictions. SCI also supports incorporating “necessary and advisable” determinations that weigh both conservation and economic impacts in future rules and urges individualized strategies to promote effective species recovery.
The second letter concerns proposed amendments to species listing criteria. SCI supports removing language that excludes economic impact data from listing decisions, emphasizing that transparency fosters public trust and conservation success. SCI also endorses clarifying the term “foreseeable future” to ensure reasonable projections and recommends specifying a time frame for threatened species assessments. Additionally, SCI strongly advocates for aligning delisting criteria with listing standards to eliminate ambiguity and reduce unnecessary litigation. These changes will restore decision-making authority to wildlife experts and improve clarity in ESA implementation.
4. Happening on the Hill
This week, SCI joined the American Wildlife Conservation Partners in a letter to House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership expressing our support for inclusion of the Conservation Reserve Program in the next Farm Bill. This program has, among many other benefits, effectively protected and bolstered wildlife habitat. But it has operated under three successive one-year extensions, creating uncertainty and a lack of consistency. SCI and partners encourage long-term reauthorization to enhance and expand the program’s benefits. Read the full letter here.
5. Hunters’ Embassy™ Happenings
2025 was a record-setting year in the Hunters’ Embassy™, with all-time highs in number of events, number of attendees, and number of VIP’s! We thank everyone who joined us to learn, celebrate, or support our champions in Congress. Here’s to an even better year in 2026! See our 2025 recap here.
6. Happening on the Hill
At the conclusion of the Annual General Meetings of Southern African professional hunting associations, Jess de Klerk, CEO of PHASA and SCI Guide and Outfitter Liaison Everett Headley met in Pretoria, South Africa. SCI will continue to partner with PHASA on work in South Africa, focusing on trophy shipments and CITES regulations. SCI Southern African Liaison Mpho Tjiane has also been instrumental in maintaining this relationship, enabling SCI to respond quickly to partners on issues of mutual concern. And following a PHASA special election, Eardley Rudman was elected PHASA President, succeeding Toni du Bruyn. Rudman plans to attend the SCI Convention and Lobby Day at the Hunters’ Embassy, along with de Klerk. Pictured above (L-R): SCI Africa Liaison Mpho Tjiane and SCI Guide & Outfitter Liaison Everett Headley in between meetings in Botswana and South Africa.
7. Women Go Hunting
African PH’s Wife Hunts Her First Whitetail with WGH and Legends Ranch
Carolyn Guthrie was one of 14 women who received a Learn-to-Hunt experience at the Legends Ranch through SCI’s Women Go Hunting (WGH) program in early December. She won the trip after entering the WGH Sweepstakes at the SCI Convention in Nashville, TN.
According to Carolyn, “I married a man with a great love for the outdoors and hunting. He is a professional hunter, PH, in Zimbabwe, and so I have been involved with the industry and enjoyed being involved in hunting but had not done much hunting myself.” The WGH event offered her first opportunity as well as camaraderie with all the participants and the community of women who hunt or support hunting.
To read more of Carolyn’s story, click here.
8. 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!
