HR4180-119

What This Bill Does

Canyon's Law prohibits M-44 devices, also known as cyanide bombs, on public land. The findings describe sodium cyanide as a highly toxic restricted-use pesticide, cite injuries to children and people who triggered devices, deaths of family dogs, harm to nontarget wildlife including protected species, and the low precision of M-44 predator-control devices. The operative section bans preparing, placing, installing, setting, deploying, or otherwise using M-44 devices on public land and requires any federal, state, or county agency that has deployed them on public land to remove each device within 30 days. Covered public lands include land managed by the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service.

Who Benefits and How

Public land visitors benefit because cyanide-ejector devices would be removed from federally managed public lands. Children near public lands benefit from reduced accidental sodium-cyanide exposure risk. Family pet owners benefit because M-44 devices have killed many domestic dogs and would be barred on public land. Nontarget wildlife benefit because indiscriminate sodium-cyanide devices could no longer be deployed on covered public lands.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federal wildlife control agencies must remove existing M-44 devices from public land within 30 days. State predator-control programs lose authority to place M-44 devices on covered public lands. County agencies using M-44 devices must remove them and find alternative predator-control methods. Livestock producers relying on public-land cyanide devices may need other coyote, fox, or wild-dog control tools.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits preparing, placing, installing, setting, deploying, or using M-44 sodium-cyanide devices on public land.
• Requires federal, state, and county agencies to remove existing public-land M-44 devices within 30 days.
• Defines M-44 devices as sodium-cyanide ejector or predator-control devices triggered by animals.
• Covers public lands managed by the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Forest Service.