Today, Aug. 11, the Sportsmen’s Alliance, together with Safari Club International (SCI), filed notice of intent to sue the U.S. Dept. of Education to restore recently announced funding cuts to hunter education, archery and other outdoor programs in schools nationwide. The department announced the cuts in guidance documents the agency sent to schools and districts throughout the country.

The department’s decision is due to its interpretation of gun control provisions in last year’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). Since the funding cuts were announced, however, the sponsors of the BSCA – along with a bipartisan group of Congressmen and Senators who voted for the bill – have voiced their strong opposition to the administration’s funding cuts.

The programs subject to the cuts, like hunting education and archery, promote mental health, responsibility and student participation in outdoor activities. That many of these programs also engage students in America’s strong outdoor traditions and hunting heritage is critically important in many areas of the country, especially as the population becomes more urban and less connected to the outdoors over time.

“It’s obvious that the Administration’s interpretation is wrong under anyone’s understanding of the gun control package passed last year,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “We are moving quickly to restore some sanity here and protect funding for these critical programs.”

As part of the notice of intent to sue, the Sportsmen’s Alliance and SCI request that the department withdraw the funding guidance announcing the cuts and publish notice in the Federal Register that no funding will be withdrawn as a result of the previous interpretation of the BSCA.

About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.