We Search for the Missing — M-44s Could Kill Us Doing It

I am writing to urge you to support Canyon's Law (S. 2179) and permanently ban M-44 "cyanide bomb" devices on public lands. In April 2026, the ban on these devices was reversed, putting hikers, hunters, families, pets, wildlife, and the volunteer search and rescue teams who serve our communities at direct lethal risk. M-44s are indiscriminate — they cannot distinguish between a coyote and a child's dog, a hiker's boot, or a search-and-rescue canine working a missing persons case. There is no field antidote. One triggered device ends a life. Search and Rescue volunteers deploy nationwide to disasters like the July 4th Texas floods, the Ruidoso NM wildfires, and the Asheville NC flooding, working with trained dogs and horses to find the lost and missing. They should not have to navigate hidden cyanide bombs while doing so. Neither should any of us when we take our families onto public lands that belong to all Americans. Public lands should be safe for the people and animals who use them. I urge you to cosponsor and vote for Canyon's Law to permanently stop these devices from being manufactured and permanently ban M-44 devices on public lands. There are other proven methods that do not carry the risk that Cyanide Bombs do. Protect first responders. Protect our animals. Protect the public.