Editor's Report

From the Brink: Louisiana's Black Bear Recovery

SCI Foundation and Safari Club International are proud to announce the premiere of a powerful new documentary chronicling one of America’s greatest wildlife recoveries: the return of the Louisiana black bear.

From the brink of extinction to a triumphant conservation success, this film explores the collaborative efforts that recovered this iconic species and highlights the crucial roles of conservation and hunting in this achievement.

You can watch the film from the comfort of your home on YouTube here.

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Stories from the Field

Interior Expands Hunting and Fishing Access at Refuges and Hatcheries

The Department of the Interior today announced 42 new hunting and sport fishing opportunities across more than 87,000 acres within the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This final update more than triples the number of opportunities and quintuples the number of units opened or expanded compared to the previous administration, underscoring a strong national commitment to outdoor recreation and conservation. 

“Hunting and fishing are more than just traditional pastimes, as they are also vital to the conservation of our lands and waters, our outdoor recreation economy, and our American way of life,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “The Trump administration is committed to promoting good government by reducing regulatory burdens by working with states to make access to these outdoor activities a reality for every American family.”

The Service is opening or expanding opportunities for hunting and sport fishing at 16 units within the National Wildlife Refuge System and one unit in the National Fish Hatchery System. These units are located in Alabama, California, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Texas and Washington. The Service is committed to ensuring that all hunting and fishing opportunities align with state fish and wildlife regulations. We continue to work closely with our state partners to maintain consistency, and align our update with state regulations, whenever possible.

The final update includes inaugural hunting opportunities at Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge and the formal opening of hunting opportunities at Grasslands Wildlife Management Area, as well as inaugural sport fishing at North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery.

The Service also is making administrative changes to existing station-specific regulations to improve the clarity and accuracy of regulations, reduce the regulatory burden on the public and comply with a Presidential mandate for plain-language standards. This supports President Trump’s Executive Order 14192 of January 31, 2025, “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” to reduce federal regulations and their associated costs and complexities leading to significant cost savings, promote economic growth and encourage innovation, and is further supported by Secretary’s Order 3356 Hunting, Fishing, Recreational Shooting, and Wildlife Conservation Opportunities and Coordination with States, Tribes, and Territories. 

“We are pleased to offer these new hunting and fishing opportunities that are compatible with our conservation mission,” said Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Brian Nesvik. “Hunting and fishing significantly benefit the outdoors by helping manage wildlife populations, promote outdoor stewardship and contribute to local economies. These refuges and hatcheries provide incredible opportunities for sportsmen and sportswomen and their families across the country to pass on a fishing and hunting heritage to future generations.”

The final 2025-2026 update also aims to better align Service regulations with state regulations and promote consistency across national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries, addressing the challenges hunters and anglers face in navigating complex federal and state requirements. 

Hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities contributed more than $394 billion in economic expenditures in communities across the United States in 2022, with hunters and anglers accounting for over $144 billion in expenditures, according to the Service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The survey also found that, in 2021, an estimated 39.9 million Americans over the age of 16 fished and 14.4 million hunted.

A complete list of all units opening or expanding opportunities is in the final rule, which will publish in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025, and be available at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket Number: FWS-HQ-NWRS-2025-0031. The updates will be effective for the upcoming 2025-2026 hunting seasons beginning on September 2, 2025.

The National Wildlife Refuge System is an unparalleled network of 573 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts. There is a national wildlife refuge within an hour’s drive of most major metropolitan areas. More than 69 million Americans visit refuges every year. National wildlife refuges provide vital habitat for thousands of species and access to world-class recreation, from fishing, hunting and boating to nature watching, photography and environmental education.

There are 71 national fish hatcheries visited by more than one million people each year in the National Fish Hatchery System. Hatcheries offer opportunities for viewing the operations and learning about fish, as well as activities such as fishing, hunting, hiking, sightseeing, nature study, birdwatching and photography. In addition to offering opportunities for viewing the operations and learning about fish, many hatcheries also provide picnic areas and offer other activities. Hatcheries have also distributed 73 million fish and aquatic wildlife to enhance state and tribally managed recreational fisheries and boost local economic development. Currently, there are more than 25 units in the National Fish Hatchery System open to hunting and/or sport fishing.

Under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the Service permits hunting and fishing along with four other types of wildlife-dependent recreation, including wildlife photography, environmental education, wildlife observation and interpretation, when they are compatible with an individual refuge’s purpose and mission. Hunting, within specified limits, is currently permitted on more than 430 units, and fishing is currently permitted on more than 370 units in the Refuge System.

The Service manages hunting and fishing programs to ensure sustainable wildlife populations while also offering other wildlife-dependent recreation on public lands.

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Eyes on the Anti-Gunners

Banning Gun Ownership from Groups of People is NOT the Answer

If you are like me, you received the news of Charlie Kirk's assassination with shocked numbness. My first thoughts were, "I bet it was some liberal wacko or a transgender person." That was my bias kicking in. The fact that it was true is horrifying, but does NOT justify the follow-up thoughts on banning transgender people from owning guns. Let me explain.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) recently reported that senior Justice Department officials are “weighing proposals” to limit transgender people’s Second Amendment rights. This is disturbing and should be to any American.

Reports from CNN and others say the unidentified DOJ officials are considering the move in response to the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis late last month. A blanket prohibition, affecting unknown numbers of people who have harmed nobody, is simply wrong.

“Gun owners already know what it’s like for the government to penalize them for crimes they did not commit,” said the CCRKBA Chairman.  “We shouldn’t even consider such an extreme response to heinous act committed by one disturbed individual, much less implement it, no matter how horrible the crime. The deranged Minneapolis killer is no longer a threat to anybody, and we needn’t make scapegoats of others who had nothing to do with that outrage, just to create the impression something is being done. The ironic aspect of this controversy is that some in the liberal media are suddenly supporting gun rights because somebody in the Trump administration is talking about restricting transgenders from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Perhaps they will learn something from this."

The government, no matter who is in charge, must understand that enumerated rights protected by the Constitution cannot be stripped away for what amounts to a publicity stunt. If we allow that to happen to one minority group, it could happen to another group, and then another, until the right becomes a distant memory, especially for those of us who have worked so hard to protect it. This is a bad idea, and it needs to go away immediately.

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Legislative Update

Federal Court Rules Post Office Gun Ban Unconstitutional

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled in favor of a group of plaintiffs in a case challenging the ban on possessing and carrying firearms in United States Post Offices. In granting summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, the court granted both declaratory and injunctive relief, declaring the ban unconstitutional and preventing its enforcement for the plaintiffs. Originally filed in June 2024, the lawsuit challenges the ban on firearms carry in U.S. Post Offices and on postal property. The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is joined in the case, FPC v. Bondi, by the Firearms Policy Coalition and two private citizens. 

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor issued a 17-page opinion striking down the federal ban on carrying firearms in post offices — declaring it violates the Second Amendment.

As noted in Judge O'Connor's opinion, “The Court determines that both 18 U.S.C. § 930(a) and 39 C.F.R. § 232.1(1) are inconsistent with the principles that underpin this Nation’s regulatory tradition. Thus, they are unconstitutional as-applied to carrying firearms inside an ordinary post office or on post office property.”

The bottom line is that this ruling delivers Three Devastating Blows to Government Overreach:

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News from the LSA

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Garand Raffle for Junior Shooters

Get your 2025 M1 Garand Raffle Tickets!

Tickets for the 2025 M1 Garand Raffle to Support Junior Shooting programs in the State are now available. The drawing will be held October 18, 2025. Winner need not be present to win.

All donations stay here in Louisiana and are spent solely on Junior Shooting programs.

Buy Raffle Tickets

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Future Events

The LSA maintains a calendar of events that may be of interest to gun owners, shooting competitors, and friends of the Second Amendment. To see a list of events, visit our Meeting/Events Information page.

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Join, Renew, or Donate

As you are no doubt aware, the LSA has a new enterprise system for maintaining our membership files and records. If you are confused on how to join or renew, follow this simple checklist below.

If you would like to donate to the LSA, please click here.

If you would like to donate to the Junior Shooting Fund, please click here.

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