(Regional)-South Dakota Senator John Thune, co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, has announced that the omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015 includes an important provision championed by Thune preventing the Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating lead in ammunition and fishing tackle for one year.

“This is a big win for sportsmen and women in our state,” said Thune. “If the EPA bans lead in ammunition and fishing tackle, it would dramatically increase the cost, making hunting and fishing unaffordable for many enthusiasts. This one-year ban provides some reprieve to sportsmen and women around the country while giving the Senate time to take up my bill to permanently ban the EPA from regulating ammo and tackle. It is important we ensure that future generations of South Dakotans are not unnecessarily restricted from hunting, fishing, and enjoying the great outdoors.”

Thune introduced the Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act in the Senate with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) in September of 2013. This legislation would permanently exclude ammunition and fishing tackle from regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act, leaving the oversight to the relevant state agencies, which currently regulate ammunition and fishing tackle.