Feds will try paying hunters to go lead-free in wildlife refuges

By Michael Doyle | 07/25/2024 04:18 PM EDT

A pilot program will roll out at seven refuges managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

A wildlife biologist shows lead bullets.

A wildlife biologist shows lead bullets, which often fragment into pieces. Birds and other wildlife can then consume the lead fragments in entrails left behind by hunters. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

The Fish and Wildlife Service will test use of the carrot instead of the stick as a way to reduce the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on national wildlife refuges.

In what the agency describes as a “voluntary, incentive-based” pilot program, seven wildlife refuges have been selected for participation this fall. Hunters at the selected refuges will be able to get rebates in exchange for using lead-free ammo. The program will supply prepaid credit cards for reimbursement of the cost of lead-free ammunition with proof of purchase.

β€œThe Service is committed to providing access to National Wildlife Refuges and also to minimizing the impacts to wildlife from lead exposure,” FWS Director Martha Williams said in a statement, adding that “this pilot program and the lessons learned will be critically important in determining our best approach to managing lead use by outdoor recreationists on refuge lands and waters.”

Advertisement

The pilot program also includes what the agency calls “refuge-specific economic incentives” as well as a monitoring component that will assess impacts and derive lessons that might be applied at additional refuges.

GET FULL ACCESS