PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 13, 2023
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule that notes the best available science reveals that lead ammunition and tackle have negative impacts on both wildlife and human health. But the agency is phasing out lead ammunition over three years in just eight national wildlife refuges; that allows hunters to leave behind tons of lead in hundreds of other refuges that will kill animals from 130-plus species. Ask the Maine commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to ban the use of lead to protect our iconic wildlife across the state. ~ Gina Garey, Animal Wellness Action, Portland