Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act Introduced in House

AWI supported House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in reintroducing the Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act (HR 4716) in July. This bill would prohibit the possession or use of body-gripping traps—which endanger wildlife, people, and pets—within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). It includes a limited exemption allowing federal personnel to use traps for wildlife management, but only after they have documented a lack of success using nonlethal methods. 

The stated mission of the NWRS is to conserve land and water for the sake of “biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health.” These spaces are intended as sanctuaries where wildlife can thrive and all Americans can enjoy the great outdoors. Allowing the use of inhumane and dangerous traps is a clear violation of the NWRS’s mission. 

Please ask your representative to cosponsor HR 4716. Send an email directly through AWI’s Compassion Index or a letter via postal mail to:

The Honorable [full name of your representative]
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

(If you are uncertain who your US representative is, you can call 202-225-3121.)

Program Terms: Terrestrial Wildlife

AWI Quarterly Terms: Government/Legal, Quick Read