On July 27, 2014 Susan Recce submitted an Opinion piece to OregonLive (“Bans on lead ammunition are misguided”) that ignores the decades of wildlife research and peer-reviewed science which clearly documents the toxicity of lead ammunition to wildlife. Since the late 1950s, wildlife exposure to lead ammunition has been well investigated. The use of lead ammunition results in widespread avian mortality throughout the United States. Accordingly, more than half of the states have instituted restrictions on the use of lead ammunition to minimize effects to upland game birds, eagles, waterfowl, and other wildlife. In 2008, TWS collaborated with the American Fisheries Society (AFS) to produce a technical review on lead ammunition (Sources and Implications of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on Natural Resources) A 2009 position statement by The Wildlife Society also summarizes the negative effects of lead ammunition on wildlife.
As a local organization of scientists and wildlife professionals, the Oregon Chapter of the Wildlife Society promotes wise conservation and management of wildlife resources in Oregon and strives to educate the public on the effects of lead ammunition and potential alternatives. We encourage our members to stay up to date on this important issue.