My favorite Looney Tunes Characters (c) Warner Brothers

AmmoLand Gun News

USA --(Ammoland.com)- I have begun to think of the Republican campaign as a series of Looney Tunes cartoons being replayed again and again.

They are filled with a combination of laughs and the fantastical, self-defeating violence of Wily Coyote trying to catch the Roadrunner

As the primary season moves along, I sometimes think that far too many Republicans have temporarily lost their minds. Three years of Barack Obama will do that to you.

My response to the campaign thus far may have something to do with the fact that, like Reagan and others, I was once a Democrat and, to borrow a phrase from Paul, First Corinthians, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

These days, a lot of Republicans sound like a kid who sent Santa a list of toys he wanted and, even though he got most of them, he feels compelled to write and ask why he didn’t get all of them.

Granted that Republicans don’t have the most scintillating field of candidates, but most, including Donald Trump, have concluded that a guy that made millions as a successful venture capitalist, gave a couple of million away in charity just last year, has been a Governor, and hasn’t had a single hint of scandal in his life, might not be such a bad choice.

His opponents at this point include a guy who wants to start a Moon colony, is married to his third wife, left the Speaker’s position under a cloud of ethics impropriety, is given to saying genuinely bizarre and extremely nasty things with regularity, and would make the pathological narcissist in the White House look like a Boy Scout.

Another opponent —one whom nobody including himself— thinks could get elected seems to be in the race for the purpose of having one last hurrah, beating the drum for a few good ideas and a lot of really bad ones. Ron Paul has been in Congress since shortly after the last Ice Age ended and has sponsored only one bill that passed.

And, finally, there is Rick Santorum who is so infused with religious commitment that he reminds me of someone who was touted in a similar fashion, a former Sunday school teacher named Jimmy Carter. All the religion in the world cannot substitute for the steely-eyed realism a President requires in a world filled with evil counterparts.

It’s the voters, however, about whom I worry. New Hampshire was expected to endorse Romney, but in South Carolina Republicans there gave the nod to Gingrich. The Floridians came through with the unmistakable choice, based I am inclined to think on the many older and wiser citizens that live there though, in fact, he won all the demographic groups.

Tasmanian devil, going around throwing bombshells that do nothing to advance the conservative agenda.

• Ron Paul may be mildly amusing to some, but he cannot win.
• Santorum is a nice guy and, as the saying goes, nice guys finish last.
• And Newt Gingrich is like one of the Loony Tunes characters, the Tasmanian devil, going around wrecking the place and throwing bombshells that do nothing to advance the Republican and/or conservative agenda.

Too many Republicans appear to be waiting for a candidate who is perfection in every respect, political and personal, and in the real world few fit that description. America has had its shot at electing a “messiah” and it has turned out very badly.

As the rest of the primaries unwind, I anticipate that Mitt Romney will emerge as the party’s choice. I also expect a lot of pure nonsense about his being a Mormon, about the fact that he has not always hewed perfectly to conservative principles, and that he has —God forbid— actually changed his mind more than once or twice in the past.

Lost in all this blather is the fact that he is ideally prepared for the toughest job in the world and appears to have both feet planted firmly on the ground.

I actually like the idea that he occasionally misspeaks, admits it, and then apologizes.

I hope that between now and the convention in Tampa, Republicans will regain their senses, their optimism, and their fighting spirit.

• Rolling over for the worst President of the modern era because our candidate is not “perfect” is not an option.
• Voting for a third party candidate is not an option.
• Staying home on Election Day because “your guy” didn’t get the nomination is not an option.

The Republican compass has to point in only one direction and that is the resounding defeat of Barack Obama.

c Alan Caruba, 2011

About:
Alan Caruba’s commentaries are posted daily at “Warning Signs” his popular blog and thereafter on dozens of other websites and blogs. If you love to read, visit his monthly report on new books at Bookviews.

Chuck Norris

Dallas, TX - -(Ammoland.com)- I think the mainstream media and Washington elite think the majority of voters just fell off the turnip truck.

But the South Carolina primary and other current voting trends show otherwise.

The MSM’s are working double time to get us to forget about the unprecedented results of the South Carolina primary, but they are a sign of what could be in Florida, Nevada and beyond. They are also proof that American citizens will not be outwitted by the political shenanigans of the powers that be.

Let me give you a few examples.
Despite the fact that ABC paraded Newt Gingrich’s bitter ex-wife across its airwaves two nights before the South Carolina primary, Newt won women’s votes 36-30 percent over Mitt Romney. And married women and evangelical women both backed Gingrich with 40 percent support.

Despite (or maybe on account of) Mitt’s creation of Romneycare in Massachusetts and promises for Social Security’s perpetuity, Newt gained 47 percent of the vote (to Mitt’s 36 percent) among those 65 or older.

Despite the MSM’s attempt to convey Newt as old and outdated, he received 27 percent of votes from those between 18 and 29 years old, only being beaten by Ron Paul’s 32 percent.

Despite the MSM and Washington elite’s campaign to convey that Newt would be dangerous to the country and world, 39 percent of U.S. veterans voted for Newt, compared with 32 percent for Romney.

Despite Romney’s spending millions on ads in South Carolina to convince voters that Newt is an ethically compromised Washington insider, Newt won 45 percent of the votes from very conservative voters, while Rick Santorum and Romney trailed with 23 and 20 percent, respectively.

Despite the MSM’s pro-Romney coverage and six years of Romney’s campaigning, Newt stole 31 percent of moderates’ votes from the Massachusetts moderate.

Despite Romney’s often-flaunted business credentials, 8 in 10 voters who said they were very worried about the direction of the economy also voted for Newt.

Despite the fact that 120 evangelical leaders met recently in Texas and claimed to have come to a consensus backing Santorum, the initial vote of those leaders split almost evenly between Santorum and Newt, 57-48, according to CBN News’ chief political correspondent. I don’t think it’s coincidental that a similar amount, 45 percent, of evangelicals also voted for Newt in his landslide South Carolina victory. Forty-five percent of pro-lifers also voted for Newt, compared with just 21 percent for Romney.

Even in Florida, Newt’s popularity is evident by the sizes of his audiences. Despite the fact that Washington heavyweights John McCain and Bob Dole have come out to endorse Romney — in a drive that The Boston Globe described as “GOP insiders (rising) up to cut Gingrich down to size” — the Los Angeles Times reported this past week that “Newt Gingrich (is) winning the crowd contest in Florida.”

And despite the fact that Romney and his cronies have and will spend millions more dollars in Florida and Nevada to perforate Newt’s character and record again — according to Newsmax, in Florida 20 times more money has been spent for Romney than has been spent there in support of any other Republican candidate — I believe that voters will be neither bought by his money nor directed by his political spin and rhetoric, just as those in South Carolina didn’t fall for the fool’s gold.

More proof came this past week via the triple-gang of the MSM, Romney and Washington elite.

They all pounced again on Newt, claiming he is not a Reagan conservative. But they were discounted again, as former President Ronald Reagan’s eldest son, Mike, who also has endorsed Newt, joined radio talk show legend Rush Limbaugh by lambasting Newt’s critics.

Mike said, “I am deeply disturbed that supporters of Mitt Romney are claiming that Newt Gingrich is not a true Reaganite and are even claiming that Newt was a strong critic of my father.” And Limbaugh added, “That kind of stuff is why people hate Romney so much.”

Newsmax reported that in a 1995 speech at a dinner honoring Reagan, former first lady Nancy Reagan said:

“The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive.”

There’s a reason 34 percent of those who voted for Newt in South Carolina said they “strongly supported” the tea party, dispelling another MSM myth (or is that a wish?) that the tea party’s influence has dwindled. Thirty-one percent of independents also voted for Newt.

To the naysayers of Newt, these words from Theodore Roosevelt are appropriate:

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause, who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

I think it’s time again that “we the people” showed the media and Washington elite exactly who is in charge.

South Carolinians were not duped by the titans of political swing. Floridian and Nevadan patriots, don’t you let them manipulate and muscle your votes, either.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK NORRIS

About Chuck Norris:Action hero and Second Amendment activist, Chuck Norris is one of the most enduringly popular actors in the world. He has starred in more than 20 major motion pictures. His television series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” which completed its run in April 2001 after eight full seasons, is the most successful Saturday night series on CBS since “Gunsmoke.”In 2006, he added the title of columnist to his illustrious list of credits with the launch of his popular Internet column. Now Chuck is a regular contributor to AmmoLand, click the following link to See more of Chuck Norris on AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- NJOA Endorses Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano in District 24.

Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano are running in the general election and after careful review have received the endorsement of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance.

Senator Oroho and Assemblyman Chiusano are co-chairs of the New Jersey Angling and Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJAHCC). Assemblywoman McHose was the 2011 recipient of the Frank Valgenti Award by the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs. The award is given to a New Jersey resident “who best exemplifies and supports hunting and fishing.”

All three legislators have demonstrated their commitment to environmental stewardship, sound scientific based wildlife management, and every NJOA supported bill. Three of the bills were signed into law by Governor Christie and include:

• Bill: S1181 Changed perimeter for bow and arrow hunting (Oroho, McHose, Chiusano sponsors).
• Bill: S1776 Authorizes counties to develop community based deer management plans and apply for special deer management permits for county-owned lands.
• Bill: A2304 Revised statute concerning licenses to take menhaden.

Senator Oroho also voted in support for Bill S221 (Prohibits the use of certain fishing gear on artificial reefs) and Bill S106 (Establishes Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program in DEP and appropriates $200,000 from Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund; Oroho is also a cosponsor). Assemblywoman McHose and Assemblyman Chiusano are cosponsors of the Assembly versions of both bill, A1152 and A288.

Senator Oroho, Assemblywoman McHose, and Assemblyman Chiusano are supportive of sound bear management policies, including a bear hunt. In addition, they support keeping the structure and responsibilities of the Fish and Game Council and Marine Fisheries Council to minimize political interference in the management of natural resources.

The three legislators have also authored legislation to require voter registration forms be made available when applying for a hunting, fishing, or trapping license (S1360 and A141); allow licensed dealers to provide firearms for display at fund raising events sponsored by certain tax exempt organizations (S765 and A149); provide for no net loss of DEP lands for fishing, hunting, and trapping purposes; (S333 and A174); and a constitutional amendment ensuring the rights of New Jersey residents to fish and hunt (SCR30 and ACR15).

According to Anthony Mauro, Chairman, NJOA, “The team of Senator Oroho, and Assemblywoman McHose, and Assemblyman Chiusano have demonstrated time and time again their commitment to conservation and to the health of our natural resources by their actions: their voting record, the bills they introduce, and their participation in outdoor activities.”

Mauro continued, “Assemblywoman McHose was with us from the beginning at one of the first NJOA rallies in Monmouth County in 2007 and her two colleagues, Senator Oroho and Assemblyman Chiusano share in her enthusiasm by taking a leadership role in the Angling and Conservation Caucus”.

The 24th District covers all of Sussex County and portions of both Warren and Morris Counties and will include the following municipalities in the next legislative session:

• Sussex County – Andover Borough, Andover Township, Branchville, Byram, Frankford, Franklin, Fredon, Green, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Hopatcong, Lafayette, Montague, Newton, Ogdensburg, Sandyston, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater, Sussex Borough, Vernon, Walpack, Wantage
• Warren County – Allamuchy, Belvidere, Blairstown, Frelinghuysen, Hardwick, Hope, Independence, Knowlton, Liberty, Oxford, White
• Morris County – Mount Olive

Please join the NJOA in supporting Senator Oroho, Assemblywoman McHose, and Assemblyman Chiusano this Tuesday, November 8th, forward this email to those you know that reside in the towns listed above, and check out their website at www.District24TaxpayerTeam.com.

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 8, 2011!

Thank you.

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- I received an overwhelming response to the “2011 NJ General Election and Your Legislators” action alert sent recently. I’d like to take a moment to respond to the many comments I’ve received.

Thanks to all of you that expressed appreciation for the format and the goal of educating and encouraging our legislators to become stewards of our environment by using the principle of conserving natural resources. This approach also makes clear the important role of anglers and hunters as custodians of the environment.

It also highlights the significance the NJOA axiom “Preservation through conservation.”

Almost every single email I received not only commented on the wisdom of using the above format but also expressed confusion about NJOA endorsements for 2011. I’m happy to explain.

Firstly, the NJOA has endorsed only one legislator for the 2011 General Election; Senator Donald Norcross. The process the NJOA uses for endorsing a candidate(s) is as follows:

1. Endorsement must be requested.
2. A review is made of the legislator’s voting record on bills regarding outdoors issues.
3. A review is also undertaken to determine whether the legislator demonstrates an understanding, appreciation, and pursuit of conservation of natural resources.

The 2011 NJ General Election and Your Legislators email sent yesterday (see link the follows: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/njelections/legislators.html ) was not an endorsement. It highlighted those legislators that responded to the NJOA Questionnaire and are members of the New Jersey Angler and Hunter Conservation Caucus (NJAHCC). It gives you the opportunity to get more legislators involved in the issues important to you.

Generally speaking, the legislators responding positively to the Questionnaire, and/or participate in the NJACC, understand outdoors issues. They may not agree with the particulars of each of our positions, but they certainly understand the importance of the scope.

From the emails I’ve received, it would be short-sighted for any legislator to believe that anglers and hunters are not “on the ball” when it comes to their voting records. Every email singled out a legislator(s) action that did not square with his words. The emails also displayed an understanding for a legislator’s opposition on fringe issues, but were unforgiving on core issues such as the removal of fixed gear from the artificial reefs.

Again, the NJOA’s “2011 General Election and Your Legislators” is to be used as a guide. It displays the legislators that responded positively to the NJOA Questionnaire and/or are members of the NJAHCC. As grassroots activists, the guide gives you the opportunity to contact the legislators who haven’t responded and/or are not NJAHCC members and ask them to become involved in issues important to you.

It also gives you the opportunity to contact a legislator(s) and request that his or her actions match his words. We are fortunate to have a form of government that allows us to express ourselves and work to effect change, let’s exercise it to its fullest extent.

Again, here’s the link to “2011 General Election and Your Legislators”
www.njoutdooralliance.org/njelections/legislators

Thank you for helping to make New Jersey a conservation-minded state.

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

Safari Club Internationa

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- On behalf of millions of American sportsmen and women, Safari Club International’s (SCI) Director of Hunter Advocacy, Melissa Simpson, testified yesterday before the House Committee on Natural Resource’s subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

Simpson provided testimony on H.R. 1581, the “Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011” on behalf of a sportsmen’s coalition that included the National Rifle Association and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.

“H.R. 1581 would help hunters who are being denied or limited access to public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service,” Simpson says. “Currently, the Bureau and Forest Service are managing nearly 43 million acres of public land under the prohibitions of wilderness area study area policy, even though the agencies have recommended to Congress that these areas are not suitable for wilderness designation.”

The protectionist management by the two agencies severely restricts hunter access to these lands by 1) failing to authorize roads and trails that would help disabled and elderly hunters’ access hunting areas; 2) prohibiting or limiting hunters from using carts for game retrieval and; 3) reducing hunters’ ability to access lands inaccessible by existing roads and trails. Studies have shown that one of the biggest reasons for the decline in hunting participation in recent years has been the lack of access to hunting lands.

Despite opponents claims that H.R. 1581 would open affected lands to oil, gas and timber development, testimony from high level officials of the Obama Administration confirmed that, if released into multiple-use, these lands would not immediately be available for development, but would be afforded the safeguards under current land use plans and other environmental regulations. Any changes would only occur during the land use plan revision process after public and local input.

“We applaud Congress for taking the necessary steps forward to follow the agencies recommendations and put these lands into multiple-use. Unlike the current ‘one size fits all’ management of these lands, HR 1581 will allow for local communities to determine what multiple-use management is most appropriate and improve access for sportsmen.”

About SCI
Safari Club International – First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s approximately 200 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 106 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit the home www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more information. www.hunterdefensefund.org.

Becoming an SCI Member
Joining Safari Club International is the best way to be an advocate for continuing our hunting heritage and supporting worldwide sustainable use conservation, wildlife education and humanitarian services. JOIN NOW: www.safariclub.org/Join.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced today that Vaughn T. Collins has joined the staff of the national sportsmen-conservation group.

As the TRCP’s director of government affairs, Collins will represent the TRCP on Capitol Hill and before federal agencies while promoting increased funding for fish and wildlife conservation and sound natural resources management.

“The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and our partners are fortunate to have Vaughn Collins, a dedicated conservationist, skilled political strategist and avid sportsman, working to organize and mobilize the sportsmen’s community in support of responsible management of the nation’s natural resources,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh.

“Decisions made in Washington, D.C., impact sportsmen and -women across the country, from how our public lands are managed to the rules governing marine fisheries,” Fosburgh continued. “Moreover, to ensure that critical conservation programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Conservation Reserve Program receive adequate funding, hunters and anglers must systematically engage in the federal appropriations and budget process. Vaughn will play a key role in assuring that sportsmen’s values are represented in these important conservation funding decisions.”

Collins was formerly director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited, where he advocated for wetlands conservation in Congress and worked with federal agencies and conservation groups to facilitate wildlife friendly federal programs. Prior to his time at DU, Collins was chief of the federal Duck Stamp Office at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior. He also served as deputy director of the Agriculture Department’s National Rural Development Partnership Office and was executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development.

“America’s fish and wildlife populations and our hunting and angling heritage rely on responsible management and sound conservation practices,” said Collins. “I am honored to be working with the TRCP on the front lines of conservation decision-making, in the halls of Congress and with the administration, to advance policy solutions that will benefit our natural resources and outdoor traditions alike.”

A New Englander who lived in northern Vermont for more than 20 years and who still owns a rural property there, Collins resides in Alexandria, Va., with his wife. He is an avid outdoorsman, conservationist, birder and waterfowl hunter.

Learn more about the TRCP and read the TRCP 2011 Conservation Policy Agenda.

TRCP 2011 Conservation Policy Agenda

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the tradition of hunting and fishing. Visit: www.trcp.org

Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation Conducts Sportsmen’s Roundtable with U.S. Senate

Congressional Sportsmen

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane and U.S. Senator John Thune, Chairman of the U.S Senate Republican Policy Committee and Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair, conducted a roundtable meeting with sportsmen’s groups and CSC Republican Senators yesterday to discuss issues of importance to the sportsmen’s community.

Leaders of the major hunting, fishing and wildlife conservation organizations and the outdoor industry gathered with Republican Senators in the U.S. Senate Russell Building to discuss a wide range of topics that are top of mind within the sportsmen’s community, including: conservation funding, lead ammunition and fishing tackle, Making Public Lands Public, state management of wolves, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, the 2012 Farm Bill, the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act, and the Magnuson-Stevens Act and national ocean policy.

“Working hand in hand every day like we do with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus on issues of importance to sportsmen, we thought it wise to bring many of these companies and organizations that support and work alongside us together with members of the Caucus to present their views on these important issues directly to the participating Senators,” said Crane.

CSC members interacting with sportsmen’s leaders yesterday included: Sen. Thune, CSC Vice-Chair Sen. Jim Risch, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. John Boozman, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sen. Jerry Moran, Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. John Hoeven, Sen. Mike Johanns and Sen. Mike Lee.

“As co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, I was pleased to work with the Caucus to bring together several Republican Senators and the national leadership of nearly all of the major hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations for a roundtable discussion,” said Thune.

“This event provided attendees an opportunity to meet face-to-face with Senators to discuss current and proposed legislation, as well as hunting, fishing, conservation, and outdoor recreation priorities.”

CSF Board Members Steve Sanetti of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bob Model of Boone & Crockett, Tommy Millner of Cabela’s, and Jeff Angers of the Center for Coastal Conservation, along with other representatives of a wide range of sportsmen’s groups were able to voice the importance of these topics to their members and customers who are part of the over 40 million Americans who hunt and fish every year.

About:
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. Throughout this time, CSF has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. Visit: www.sportsmenslink.org

Fix the Endangered Species Act

Safari Club International

Washington, D.C. –-(Ammoland.com)- Safari Club International (SCI) members will participate in more than 170 meetings this week with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on behalf of hunters everywhere.

Safari Club International’s lobby day on Capitol Hill represents the largest annual gathering of U.S. hunters in Washington, DC. This year’s focus will be on working with Congress to modernize the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to better manage species recovery and address the Act’s numerous failures.

The ESA was originally intended to help recover species at risk of extinction, but unfortunately the ESA has failed in its species recovery efforts. Currently there are over 2000 species listed as “threatened” or “endangered” while only 20 recovered species have been removed from these lists since the ESA was enacted.

In addition, scientific decisions for species conservation are inappropriately being made by the courts and not by the wildlife professionals within the federal agencies tasked to administer the ESA. The ESA also has a detrimental impact on jobs and the economy, particularly in rural communities, and imposes unnecessary and burdensome requirements. Radical anti-hunting and protectionist organizations have spent millions of dollars in an effort to manipulate the mandates of the ESA to list animals for the express purpose of regulating greenhouse gases. This extreme agenda is diverting the scarce resources of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lawyers and legal fees, rather than to conservation and species recovery.

“SCI’s 53,000 worldwide members – particularly the 200 that will be traveling to Washington this week – are insisting that Congress take real action to reform the Endangered Species Act,” said SCI President Dr. Larry Rudolph. “Since the late 1980s, there have been over one hundred Congressional hearings on the ESA as well as dozens of public ‘listening sessions’ across the country. It is time to actually update and modernize the Endangered Species Act so that we can do a better job in recovering species.”

Other legislative priorities SCI members will be discussing and supporting this week include:

• H.R. 1558/S. 838 – Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act
• H.R. 1445 – Outdoor Sports Protection Act
• H.R. 1444 – Federal Management Plans include Hunting
• H.R. 991 – Importation Permits For Polar Bear Conservation
• H.R. 990 – Restoration of the U.S.-Russia Polar Bear Conservation Fund Act of 2011
• H.R. 838 – Western Great Lakes Wolf Management Act
• H.R. 509/S. 249 – National Wolf Delisting
• Contact: Nelson Freeman, Media@safariclub.org

About the Hunters’ Defense Fund:
Safari Club International Hunters’ Defense Fund supports the important advocacy, conservation and legal work keeping hunters afield and promoting hunting worldwide. Donations to the Hunters’ Defense Fund have a direct impact on our freedom to hunt, wildlife conservation policy and important legislative, regulatory and legal issues. DONATE NOW: www.safariclub.org/hunterdefense

Safari Club International:
First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s approximately 200 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 106 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit the home page www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more information.

Congressional Sportsmen

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Safari Club International (SCI) and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) are pleased to announce SCI’s continued support of CSF and its programs: the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) and the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC).

SCI is a founding supporter of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation with contributions exceeding $850,000 since 1989. SCI continues to recognize the value CSF brings as organizing force for federal and state legislation to provide bi-partisan access to pro-sportsmen legislators to defend our hunting traditions and privileges.

“CSF and SCI have been working together over a 20 year partnership and SCI is excited to continue our commitment for another year,” said SCI President Dr. Larry Rudolph. “Together we can advance our priority legislation and work with members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus to preserve our hunting heritage.”

SCI and its members also regularly attend CSF functions, such as the Annual Banquet and Auction in Washington, DC, the Richard Childress “Wine, Wheels and Wildlife,” the Congressional Shoot-Out and NASC Annual Summit.

“There isn’t a more supportive group for our programs, events and legislative priorities than SCI,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “They understand the importance of having the sportsmen’s voice heard by government officials and the value of having a seat at the table with access to elected representatives.”

Safari Club Internationa

Safari Club International and its approximately 190 chapters are contributing time, talent, and financial support to local, national, and international hunter advocacy and conservation projects. SCI has spent nearly $300 million on hunter advocacy and wildlife conservation since inception. Through direct involvement and partnerships with like-minded organizations, SCI has become a political force in Washington, D.C. and other capitals around the world.

For over 20 years, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation has been the voice of the American sportsmen by protecting our interests and traditions in the halls of government. CSF is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with decades of combined public policy and political experience with unprecedented access to one of the largest, oldest and most effective caucuses in the U.S. Congress – the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus. In state capitols throughout the nation, nearly half of the nation’s chief executives are part of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus and nearly 2,000 state legislators make up the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses.

Please visit the SCI web site www.safariclub.org to learn about SCI programs and services. Also visit CSF at www.sportsmenslink.org.

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) welcomed more than 50 members of Congress and over 500 other guests, including government officials, congressional staff and outdoor industry representatives, for its annual banquet and auction Wednesday night.

The yearly banquet and auction provides an opportunity for the outdoor sporting community to recognize the tremendous work of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC).

Members of Congress were able to meet with the leaders of the hunting, fishing, and shooting sports communities to be acknowledged for their efforts on legislation directly impacting sportsmen.

“We work with members of the Caucus every day on issues of importance in keeping sportsmen active in hunting, fishing and the shooting sports, and the banquet is the best opportunity we have all year to thank them for their diligence in what has been a successful year for pro-sportsmen legislation,” said CSF President Jeff Crane.

A reception and silent auction preceded the dinner and live auction, where a large number of items, including guided hunting and fishing trips, vacation getaways, rifles, shotguns, pistols, fur coats and other prizes were auctioned.

“We are very grateful to all those supporters who attended and sponsored this event and provided some fantastic auction items, all benefitting our mission of working with the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus to keep sportsmen in the field,” said CSF Board Chairman Tom Baker.

This 2010 Banquet & Auction was hosted by Anheuser-Busch, Amgen, ATK, Cabela’s, Cox Enterprises Inc., Dallas Safari Club, Diageo, Ford, Intermedia Outdoors, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Outdoor Channel, Remington, Sportsman Channel, Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America and Yamaha.

NJ District 12 (Mercer and Monmouth) Colts Neck, East Windsor, Englishtown, Fair Haven, Freehold, Freehold Township, Hightstown, Little Silver, Manalapan, Marlboro, Millstone (Monmouth), Oceanport, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Belmar NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- State representatives in District 12 acted as a voting bloc and voted “NO” on companion bills S1181 and A1683 (Bow Perimeter change) to the disappointment of New Jersey conservationists.

In a June 30, 2010 Asbury Park Press article District 12 legislators contend that the proposed bow perimeter change was “too tight for densely populated areas.” However, each district surrounding District 12 with similar populated areas voted unanimously in bi-partisan support for the bill.

The vote by District 12 representatives Sen Beck, Asm O’Scanlon and Asw Casagrande is especially noteworthy since it is documented that anglers, hunters and conservationists were largely credited with helping them unseat incumbent animal activists in 2007.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, chairman, Anthony P Mauro Sr, expressed his disappointment with their votes, “With all due respect to our District 12 legislators, why they would use safety or being “too tight for areas” as a reason for not voting for the bow perimeter bill remains a mystery. There is absolutely no history of bow accidents on which to make claims of safety concerns. In fact, nearby Connecticut has no safety perimeter and Pennsylvania has a 150′ perimeter, the same as proposed in this new bill.”

Mauro continued, “Not only do the facts prove that safety is a non-issue, every legislative district bordering District 12 voted unanimously in favor of the bill and these affirmative votes crossed party lines. The outdoorsman, outdoorswomen, and all conservationists of New Jersey have reason to question the position of District 12 representatives with respect to the bill. As for the surrounding districts, we appreciate their support for New Jersey’s conservation initiatives.”

The bill is designed provide access to habituated deer, which will improve forest health, reduce deer/car collisions, minimize the spread of Lyme disease and assist in providing food for hunters, their families and donations of venison to people in need.

The tally of votes for District 12 and surrounding districts is included below. The Bow Perimeter bill passed the assembly 61 – 10 and the senate 25 – 7. There were also legislators that did not vote. The bill is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.

People may contact District 12 by calling: 732-933-1591

District #12

Sen Beck (R) Vote NO
Asm O’Scanlon (R) Vote NO
Asw Casagrande (R) Vote NO

District 14

Asw Greenstien (D) Vote YES
Asm DeAngelo (D) Vote YES
Sen Goodwin (R) Vote YES

District #13

Asw Amy Handlin (R) Vote YES
Asm Tompson (R) Vote YES
Sen Kryllos (R) Vote YES

District #11

Asw Angilini (R) Vote YES
Asm Riley (R) Vote YES
Sen Keane (R) Vote YES

District #30

Asm Dancer (R) Vote YES
Asm Malone (R) Vote YES
Sen Singer (R) Vote YES

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earth’s resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(AmmoLand.com)- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) — the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry — hailed today’s passage of the Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010 (H.R. 5552).

The bi-partisan legislation, sponsored by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) had 54 original co-sponsors and sailed through the House on a voice-vote. This legislation corrects a longstanding inequity in the Internal Revenue Code by permitting firearm and ammunition manufacturers to pay the federal excise tax payment on a quarterly basis, like other industries that support conservation through a federal excise tax.

Currently, manufacturers pay this tax on a bi-weekly schedule, forcing many manufacturers to borrow money to ensure on-time payment. Industry members spend thousands of man-hours administering the necessary paperwork to successfully complete the bi-weekly tax payments — monies that are due to the federal government long before manufacturers are paid by their customers.

HR 5552 revised an earlier bill (HR 510) to ensure that the legislation would not add to the budget deficit. The change to a provision of the tax code will not affect conservation funding and the legislation does not lower the amount of conservation dollars collected by the tax.

“This bill will strengthen wildlife conservation funding in America by helping manufacturers to grow their businesses,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.

“We are thankful for the tremendous support and leadership of Representatives Ron Kind, sponsor of this bill, and Paul Ryan (R-WI), co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, for championing this commonsense legislation.”

The firearm and ammunition excise tax is the major revenue source for funding the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund (also known as the Pittman Robertson Trust Fund). Last year, firearm and ammunition manufacturers contributed approximately $450 million dollars to wildlife conservation through excise tax payments.

Passage of HR 5552 would not have been possible without the hard work of many organizations including a broad coalition of more than 35 conservation groups who are members of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP). This coalition includes the National Rifle Association (NRA), Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club International (SCI) and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), which made passage of this bill a priority.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) also support this legislation. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service — Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) that collects the excise tax supports the legislation as it would reduce its work load thereby saving taxpayers money. In fact, there is no organized opposition to this pro-conservation, pro-growth, bi-partisan legislation.

“With passage of excise tax improvement in the House, it is our hope that the Senate, behind the strong leadership of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, will act fast to bring companion legislation up for a vote,” continued Keane.

NSSF is encouraging all sportsmen, hunters and gun-owners to contact their senators and urge them to support excise tax improvement legislation in the Senate (S. 632).

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 5,500 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)-The Assembly Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee met today to discuss and vote on A1683 (Bow perimeter bill).

This bill will assist in the reduction of deer/car collisions, improve forest health and minimize Lyme disease transmission. The bill is good public policy and has been promoted as by the NJOA for more than 2 years.

The following is coverage of A1683 (Bow Perimeter Bill):

A1683 (Burzichelli/McHose/Albano/Milam) – Changes perimeter for bow and arrow hunting around occupied building. Assemblyman Burzichelli testified on behalf of this bill, emphasizing that the intent is to protect agricultural interests and manage the ever-increasing deer population in the State. Witnesses in support reiterated the Assemblyman’s position, testifying that an overabundance of deer can cause a multitude of problems throughout NJ.

Tom Connors and Ed Markowski testified in favor of the bill on behalf of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. Other conservation, hunting and hunting organizations testified on behalf of the bill; including JCAA, UBNJ, NJ Audubon, NJCF, NJ Farm Bureau, NJSFSC and more.
The bill was released with a unanimous vote of 5-0.

The bill must be posted in the senate and assembly for a full vote. Passage in each house will deliver the bill to the Governor.

More information about the bill’s progress and how you can support passage of the bill will be forthcoming.

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earth’s resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Senator Donald Norcross, of the Fifth Legislative District, will take over as the Democratic Co-Chair of the New Jersey Angler and Hunter Conservation Caucus.

The New Jersey Angler and Hunter Conservation Caucus was initially formed by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, with assistance from the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation and others.

It grew quickly to 26 members from both parties and served to promote responsible enjoyment and protection of New Jersey’s diverse and rich environment.

Senate President Sweeney will remain a member, but yielded his responsibilities to Senator Norcross.

“From anglers and hunters, to hikers and campers – every year thousands of New Jerseyans and tourists enjoy our forests, pine barrens, shores, rivers and lakes,” said Senator Norcross (D-Camden/Gloucester).

“What is clear to me is that we need to continue to make New Jersey a safe and attractive place for these people to visit and enjoy while protecting our natural treasures. Anglers and hunters understand the pleasure of enjoying and the value of protecting these natural gifts, which is just one reason I am honored to be asked to head up this caucus,” Senator Norcross added.

“I am glad to have my friend Senator Norcross take my position. He is someone I trust to balance the need for conservation and the types of activities New Jerseyans enjoy in our great outdoors,” said Senate President Sweeney.

NJ Senator Donald Norcross

The NJ Angling and Hunting Conservation Caucus is a bi-partisan group, organized in part to address the needs of New Jersey citizens who fish, hunt, and pursue other outdoor activities. It seeks to ensure not only access to public lands, but to make sure there are strong protections and conservation measures in place.

“We are thrilled that Senator Norcross has accepted the position,” said New Jersey Outdoor Conservation Foundation Chairman Anthony P. Mauro, Sr. “It is an acknowledgement not only of his commitment to safeguarding our state’s natural resources but is recognition of the important economic contributions of New Jersey’s anglers and hunters. Spending by Garden State anglers and hunters directly supports 16,000 jobs, which provides $585 million of wages for working residents and generates $109 million in state and local taxes.”

Senator Norcross is currently working with members to develop the caucus’ agenda and meeting schedule for this legislative session.

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earth’s resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- The United States Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests has scheduled a hearing on April 28 concerning S. 1241, sponsored by CSC Senate Vice-Chair Sen. Jon Tester.

This legislation would establish new guidelines for filming hunting and fishing programs on federal lands.

Along with companion legislation filed last year in the U.S. House, H.R. 2031, sponsored by CSC House Co-Chair Rep. Dan Boren, and co-sponsored by six CSC members including Co-Chair Rep. Paul Ryan, S. 1241 would direct the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to create an annual permit and fee for commercial filming activities on Federal land for film crews of 5 persons or less.

Currently, fees and permits are used to help offset any impact made to public lands, but for the average hunting or fishing program the present rate is completely incompatible with the impact they actually make. The criteria for granting permits are most often inconsistently applied at the discretion of regional managers.

S. 1241 and H.R. 2031 would create a separate guideline and fee schedule to be truly reflective of the impact small crews’ activity has on the Federal land.

About:
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. Throughout this time, CSF has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. Visit: www.sportsmenslink.org

Arizona Game and Fish Department

Arizona --(AmmoLand.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Commission today urgently asks the public in joining them in opposition to Senate Bill 1200, proposed legislation creating a new appointment recommendation board that would evaluate and control which candidates for commission vacancies the governor could select.

SB 1200 is scheduled to be debated tomorrow and voted on this week in the state senate.

The commission asks people to immediately contact their state senator in opposition to SB 1200 and let them know that House Bill 2619 is a much better solution to an open and fair commission appointment process. Contact your senator now by following this link.

The commission expressed concern that SB 1200, if passed by the Arizona Legislature, could threaten the current commission system by granting greater influence to a select group while weakening the public’s voice in wildlife management.

“This legislation would lead to, and is intended to lead to, a commission made up entirely of people with similar views, similar backgrounds and similar intentions,” said current commission chair Jennifer Martin from Phoenix. “If this bill passes, and the majority of our stakeholders are disenfranchised and most Arizonans are left out, our broad support base that’s always waiting in the wings to protect the commission system, if necessary, will disintegrate.”

Other commission members voiced concern that the current commission system doesn’t need to be changed.

“Such legislation unnecessarily and dangerously polarizes an already delicate political process,” said Chino Valley commissioner Norm Freeman. “I don’t see a problem that needs to be corrected by legislative action that adds another layer of bureaucracy. “

Freeman said that he supports the great wildlife conservation work of the groups that are supporting this bill who represent approximately 6,000 citizens in Arizona, but he could not support change that grants a greater voice to one special interest group over another.

“The legal duty I undertook when appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate was to establish policy for the management, preservation, and harvest of wildlife and for watercraft and off-highway vehicle operations in the public trust for the benefit of the citizens of Arizona. I take that to mean all of the approximately 6,500,180 Arizona citizens, not a 6,000 member subset thereof,” he said.

Instead of all Arizonan’s having an equal voice in the commission selection process, SB 1200 would allow a 6,000 person subset representing less than 2 percent of hunters and anglers to decide commission membership.

As an alternative, the current Arizona Game and Fish Commission supports House Bill 2619.

“HB 2619 provides a better solution for an open and transparent commission appointment process by providing a timeline that needs to be followed and making the list of applicants available for public review,” said commission chair Martin.

The Game and Fish Commission is comprised of five members (serving staggered five-year terms) appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. No more than one commissioner may be from any one county. No more than three may be from the same political party.

The commission is the policy-setting board overseeing the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Since its inception in 1929, this organizational structure has served as a buffer for the best interests of science-driven wildlife conservation during eight decades of back-and-forth political change.

To contact your state legislators click here.

To find out who your legislator is click here.

Action is needed now!

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway Phoenix, AZ 85086, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

WASHINGTON, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation welcomed the sportsman-legislator champions of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus back to Washington last night at a reception honoring their commitment to hunting and fishing access in the 111th Congress.

The re-scheduled “Welcome” reception was originally scheduled for February 10 but had to be postponed until Tuesday because of the record snowfall in Washington, DC.

Over twenty members of the United States Congress joined together for this yearly gathering of hunting, fishing, and conservation leaders, policy makers, and industry representatives to celebrate the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus’ successes on behalf of sportsmen in the previous session of Congress and to focus on current legislative issues affecting hunters and anglers.

“For 20 years now, the combination of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and CSF have been at the forefront of pro-sportsmen’s legislation,” said CSF President Crane. “While the party in power may change, the true bipartisan nature of this Caucus insures that we never take our eye off of the sportsmen’s agenda.”

Past Caucus Co-Chair, Congressman Don Young, jokingly added, “hunting and fishing aren’t partisan pursuits—I’ve never met a partisan bullet.”

“It is really wonderful to gather with all these sportsmen leaders to discuss the ongoing issues that face our way of life,” said Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Dan Boren. “As an avid outdoorsman and a member of the Caucus, I recognize the importance of ensuring that the public has the fullest opportunity to enjoy and participate in sporting activities.”

Special guests included Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and Chief of Staff to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and NASCAR racing legend and CSF Board Member Richard Childress, as well as many other leaders of the hunting, fishing and conservation community.

“We are extremely proud to work closely with members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Jeff and his staff at CSF, and with sportsmen and women at large on issues that are important to us all,” said Assistant Secretary Strickland.

The 2010 Welcome Reception was hosted by Laser Shot and sponsored by American Farm Bureau Federation, American Trucking Association, Capitol Hill Consulting Group, ETA, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Natural Resource Results, NRA, Oracle, PAC/WEST, and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, and featured the Laser Shot hunting simulator.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today presented the agency’s annual report to the General Assembly, and delivered testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee.

To view a copy of the agency’s annual report, please visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on “Resources” in the menu bar under the banner on the homepage, then select “Reports/Minutes” in the drop-down menu, click on “Annual Legislative Reports” and then click on “2009” in the listing.

Following is Roe’s testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee:

“This has been another productive year for the Game Commission as we faced many challenges and yet were able to continue to improve some of our programs,” Roe said. “We were still not able to do all we would like for the Commonwealth’s wildlife or the hunters and trappers due to the lack of resources to accomplish our objectives.

“As you read through the annual report you will again see that in the program accountability section we built the report on the strategic plan objectives to give you an idea of how we manage towards the goals and objectives of the strategic plan. Our public accountability section again addresses major program areas. The budget accountability is relatively self-explanatory. In the law enforcement accountability section we had five formal complaints compared to seven in 2008 and 10 in 2007. Of the five, one was sustained and was a case of unprofessional demeanor. Overall our wildlife protection efforts were again strong as we increased apprehensions for illegal take of game by 5 percent, hunting over bait by 13 percent, hunting or taking game with a motorized vehicle by 31 percent. Over all we had 19,172 violations detected with 6,948 citations and 12,224 warnings.

“Next, I would like to offer some comment in more detail on some of our programs. First, I would like to address some administrative programs that started last year where automation was a significant reason for the improvement in the process. The Pennsylvania Automated License Sales System commenced this past year and it was an unqualified success. Although there were some agent challenges early in the process, for the most part it was a great success and was very popular with both the agents and the hunters. Additionally within the PALs system, we initiated a harvest reporting system over the internet. We do not know the success of the system at this point or if it has increased the reporting rate, but we did receive many comments on the ease of the system. We did have one complaint from a hunter who was frustrated that the system would not work for him. He stated that he tried to put the antler points in the system and it would not take them. He said he could not report his 18-point buck because he had ten points on one side and we had only single digits to place the number. We have fixed that.

“Another area where we have used automation to increase information flow is the use of E-Bird. This is a program where our ‘citizen scientists’ can provide information on bird counts directly to a data base being run by Cornell University. This allows citizens who have an interest in birding and wildlife watching to directly participate into providing important information for those programs. This greatly assists the Christmas Bird Count and the Backyard Bird Count Programs.

“We now provide both our Hunting Digest and Game News via Nxtbook. This is a system that allows you to view both publications in an automated manner and allows for interaction in many of our pages. As you read the publication on the computer you actually turn the pages. We provide this service free to all libraries and schools. We believe this was particularly good for schools and allows for multiple students to read the Game News at the same time instead of only one person being able to read the hard cover magazine. We also provided this service to all our land cooperators without charge. It is a very unique system that provides broader service at a minimal cost.

“We continue to move forward with our wild pheasant reintroduction program that is a result of a great partnership with Pheasants Forever. We are introducing pheasants again this year to our third wild pheasant restoration area in Somerset County. Additionally, we had another area nominated for a pheasant restoration area in the south east part of the state. Although our pheasant management plan calls for four restoration areas, we believe that with continued success and assistance from Pheasants Forever and local landowners we can exceed that objective.

“Another program that we increased this year is our support for the Wounded Warrior Program. These are armed forces service members who want to hunt after spending time in Walter Reed or Bethesda Hospital. They want to come to Pennsylvania to hunt as a way of returning to normalcy. We provided support to several groups this year across the state and are looking forward to keeping that program going and expanding with the support of many sportsmen’s organizations.

“Last year’s hunting season was pretty good across the board. We do not have the results of the current deer season, but in 2008-09 we had an estimated deer harvest of 335,850. Our bear kill this past year was the second largest ever with 3,499 bear being taken. This past fall’s elk season was an interesting challenge. We had the lowest success rate we ever had during our elk season. We believe this was a result of a healthy mast crop in the area that changed the elk’s feeding patterns from their normal grazing habitat. They appeared to be able to stay in the woods and eat acorns instead of coming out into the gazing areas. It was much more difficult to pattern the elk. With that in mind, we had the same concern coming into the deer season. It appeared because of a large mast crop in many areas it was more difficult to pattern deer this year as they did not have to move very far to get food. They basically could move less than 100 yards and have plenty to eat from their cover areas. We will see how the harvest was this year and see if our concerns were founded.

“Over the past few years we have made a concerted effort to improve the communication about our deer program. As we have for the past three years, we will be offering a series of open houses in each of our regions. All of our deer information and data is available for the public to read and understand on our web site. Additionally we publish the deer chronicle twice a year to keep the public updated on our program and last but certainly not least is our ‘Ask the Biologist’ site where the public can ask our biologists any question they have on their mind.

“As a result of improved habitat in the northern tier, we have had reports of increase in grouse and snowshoe hare populations. The early successional growth has helped to provide adequate cover for these species. Last year, we also introduced a Snow Goose Conservation Hunt that ran from the end of February to the end of March. Hunters can apply for a no fee permit to take snow geese during this period.

“Preliminary approval for changes in next year’s hunting season includes a youth rabbit hunt for our junior license holders. This year there will be a major change to our bobcat program. We will move from a lottery system to a short open season for bobcats. Hunters and trappers with a furtaker license and a five dollar permit will be able to hunt or trap bobcats. We are also initiating a fisher season. Our trappers will be able to trap fisher in a short season in specific wildlife management units.

“On the legislative front, the primary issue continues to be the license increase. It has been 11 years since our last increase. As I always mention, I do not know of any company that is surviving on a revenue stream based on 1999 values. Certainly the rest of state government has not been held to those levels. In fact, if our budget would have been allowed to increase at the same rate as the rest of the state, we would have been able to spend $95.2 million instead of the roughly $68 million we have spent for the past three years. We have had numerous hearings across the state for the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee and all have been positive. I am sure you have heard the expression that we do not deserve an increase. Some may think that a license increase will increase our pay and that not giving an increase is punishment to us. A license increase does not increase the pay of anyone in the Commission. It does not provide any additional funding to individuals. However, without an increase it does limit how well we can do wildlife programs for the public. A license increase is about funding the wildlife resources of the Commonwealth. It is about how you want to resource our efforts to take care of wildlife for the citizens of the Commonwealth.

“In addition to no increase in revenues, we were also hampered to perform our mission by the hiring freeze and other actions. We were not allowed to hire key personnel that we needed to address critical problems. Examples of that was not hiring members of our forest inventory team and delaying the hiring of our one geologist that does our oil, gas and mineral, activities. What was difficult to understand was that our budget was approved and we had monies to hire these important positions. It was very frustrating and the reality is since we have a separate special fund it did not affect the bottom line of the general fund budget at all. We were also not allowed to purchase much needed vehicles last year and so far this year we have not been able to purchase vehicles again even though they are in the budget and approved. This just complicates matters as we are delaying needed infrastructure issues that will come due in the future.

“There is another legislative issue that we would like to see and that is that owners of oil, gas and mineral rights must notify the surface owner of any pending sale or transfer of those rights. This would preclude a lot of confusion on both public and private lands. We have had several instances where owners of subsurface rights on state game lands have sold or moved those rights without us knowing it and we would obviously have liked to have had the opportunity to gain those rights to protect the State Game Lands. The most obvious of these types of subsurface sales occur through county tax sales.

“Since we are rapidly approaching the end of the session, we do not anticipate much legislative activity as I am sure that the general state budget will be the primary focus of the body. However, we do want to thank the committee for their strong support of HB 1859, more commonly known as the poaching bill or increased penalty bill. It is an important piece of legislation that will certainly assist in reducing the illegal take of wildlife. We would also like to thank Representative Cutler for his piece of legislation that improves the understanding of the authority of our Wildlife Conservation Officers and their wildlife protection activities.

“I am sure there will be questions on Marcellus Shale, so I will quickly address the subject. During Fiscal Year 2008, the Game Commission approved three oil/gas leases within the Marcellus Shale development areas of the Commonwealth. These leases totaled 2,693.43 acres and were worth an average upfront payment of $907.38 dollars per acre to the Commission constituting an additional 10 acres of State Game Lands acquisition as well as revenues to the game fund. The average royalty per acre for these leases was 23.08 percent. During Fiscal Year 2008, there were no Marcellus wells drilled on any of these leases but there were four wells planned for drilling in the Fiscal Year 2009. On all other currently active leases on State Game Lands, there were two Marcellus wells commenced and placed into production in Fiscal Year 2008. The Game Commission received a total of $113,336.26 royalty revenues during Fiscal Year 2008 from Marcellus gas production, with the average approximate well production being only 250 mcf/day, rather than the 2,000-3,000 mcf/day production some have assumed would occur. Unfortunately, there have also been two separate environmental degradation incidents which occurred during these wells development causing the need for increased Game Commission coordination, and oversight management scrutiny.

“We believe we have had a very positive year in the Game Commission. There were many things in our strategic plan that we could not accomplish due to resource constraints, but we did continue to get a lot of things done. We have updated our strategic plan and that document will drive our programs and the objectives we want to accomplish for the next five years. We continue to update our species management plans that will assist in our integrated State Game Lands plans. We know what we need to do to improve conditions for wildlife and in turn provide great opportunities for our hunters and trappers. We want to do more. This is not a mater of will but a matter of resources available to get the job done.

“We believe we have had a very positive year in the Game Commission. There were many things in our strategic plan that we could not accomplish due to resource constraints, but we did continue to get a lot of things done. We have updated our strategic plan and that document will drive our programs and the objectives we want to accomplish for the next five years. We continue to update our species management plans that will assist in our integrated State Game Lands plans. We know what we need to do to improve conditions for wildlife and in turn provide great opportunities for our hunters and trappers. We want to do more. This is not a mater of will but a matter of resources available to get the job done.

“We are looking forward to a bright future for the wildlife resources of the Commonwealth and with your assistance we can do more.

“We are looking forward to a bright future for the wildlife resources of the Commonwealth and with your assistance we can do more.

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife

DOVER, Delaware --(AmmoLand.com)- The Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD) presented House Speaker Robert F. Gilligan, D-Sherwood Park, with the Association’s Legislative Award on Jan. 13.

The award is presented annually to a legislator for outstanding service, loyalty and devotion to conservation efforts in the state of Delaware. Representative Gilligan has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1972.

During his 37 years as an elected official he has had an ongoing relationship with the New Castle Conservation District (NCCD). He has worked closely with the District to install conservation practices for constituents. He has been a long-time supporter of and provided funding for collaborative urban and community stormwater management and drainage projects by the NCCD, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), New Castle County and the Department of Transportation.

Representative Gilligan has served as the House representative on the Joint Finance Committee and as Chair of the Bond Bill Committee. He has been a leading advocate of state funding for the state Conservation Cost-Share Program, the Tax Ditch Program and the 21st Century Fund RC&D appropriation. During the past three years he has provided funding in excess of $278,000 for numerous conservation projects in New Castle County.

Throughout his career, he has always made it a priority to promote conservation. Representative Gilligan’s leadership and support have produced countless changes in public policy that have benefited not only his constituents, but Delaware as a whole. Because of the commitment and support of legislators such as Representative Gilligan, Delaware’s three conservation districts can continue their efforts in conjunction with their partners and landowners to conserve Delaware’s precious natural resources.

“As a member of the Board of Supervisors for the New Castle Conservation District, I know firsthand of Speaker Gilligan’s strong support for Conservation Districts and the environment. I was honored to present Representative Gilligan with the DACD Legislative Award on behalf of our Association,” DACD Vice President Paul Morrill Jr. said. “The continued support of legislators is critical to getting conservation work done in Delaware. We are very fortunate to have his support.”

Past recipients of this DACD award include Senators David McBride, Thurman Adams, Jr., Nancy Cook, and Gary Simpson and Representatives Bobby Quillen (deceased) and George Carey.

The DACD is a statewide organization for the supervisors of the State’s three conservation districts. DACD is a voluntary, non-profit alliance which provides a forum for discussion and coordination among the state’s Conservation Districts as they work to ensure the wise use and treatment of our natural resources.

For more information about the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts, please call 302-739-9921.

A hunter with his mule deer, taken from public lands in Montana. Changes to federal leasing practices on these lands would benefit fish, wildlife and our sporting traditions. Photo courtesy David Thorstenson.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- In recent years, sportsmen across America have spoken loudly in urging the Bureau of Land Management to pursue energy development on our federal public lands that is balanced with the needs of fish, wildlife and our outdoor traditions.

Unique hunting and angling destinations such as Utah’s Book Cliffs and Wyoming’s Atlantic Rim demand a new and smarter development approach that will safeguard these areas invaluable sporting opportunities.

Now your hard work is paying off. Sportsmen’s voices are being heard in Washington. The Secretary of the Interior recently has announced changes to the way energy resources will be developed on public lands – changes that could better sustain other land uses such as hunting and fishing.

But hunters and anglers must speak up once again to ensure that these changes benefit America’s sporting community and our outdoor heritage.

Take a moment right now to contact Interior Secretary Ken Salazar – urge him to develop a smarter leasing and development process that guarantees the future of hunting and fishing.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing. Visit: www.trcp.org

Land and Water Conservation Fund

WASHINGTON, DC –-(AmmoLand.com)- Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Max Baucus (D-MT), today introduced legislation to permanently provide $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the federal government’s main program to protect land and provide outdoor recreation opportunities.

The legislation, S. 2747, is supported by a broad coalition of conservation and recreation organizations.

“Even in difficult economic times, open space protection and outdoor recreation are top priorities for Americans. Two out of three American voters continue to offer strong support for public investments in conservation – and that support has held steady despite the economic downturn and in this week’s elections, 64 percent of state and municipal ballot initiatives authorizing land conservation funding passed,” stated Mark Tercek, President and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “Senator Bingaman and Senator Baucus clearly understand this, and are taking that crucial step towards making a dependable investment in the future of this country’s communities.”

The LWCF, created in 1965, has helped protect land at some of America’s most famous and popular places including our country’s iconic national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges and National Landscape Conservation System Lands where millions of Americans recreate; beaches on the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard; as well as cultural and historic places like Civil War battlefields and Native American sites.

The program also includes grants to support state and local parks. Those grants help develop park facilities and recreational amenities – creating jobs and supporting the quality-of-life factors that allow communities to attract employers and a strong work force.

“We get to protect places like La Cienega Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Petroglyph National Monument at the same time that we improve parks, trails, ball fields, and pools – that’s a win for everyone. It’s heartening to see Senator Bingaman taking steps to fully fund this program and enrich our communities,” said New Mexico House Majority Leader Kenny Martinez.

Every year, $900 million goes into the fund from oil and gas leases on federal lands. But Congress has often spent the money for other purposes and only once in the history of the fund has all the money gone for the original intent of the LWCF. This year, the fund saw its greatest allocation in many years at more than $300 million – but that is still only one third of what it is supposed to be.

Because only a fraction of the funds dedicated to the purpose have actually been spent, there is a backlog of more than $30 billion worth of lands that federal agencies would like to protect. In addition, states say they have a huge unmet need for local parks and recreation resources totaling more than $27 billion in eligible projects.

“The irony is that billions of dollars are collected every year from existing offshore oil and gas leasing revenues – the designated revenue stream for LWCF – and yet that money is regularly diverted for other purposes,” stated Will Rogers, President of The Trust for Public Land. “We need to make sure the money is spent for the purposes for which it was originally collected and to ensure that our children and grandchildren have a place to play.”

Federal and state public lands as well local parks and recreation facilities greatly enhance communities’ quality of life, which in turn helps large and small localities to attract new residents and businesses and to generate tourism-related jobs and revenues. Outdoor recreation including hunting, fishing, camping, climbing, hiking, paddling, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, and other activities contributes a total of $730 billion annually to the economy, supporting 6.5 million jobs (1 of every 20 jobs in the U.S.) and stimulates 8 percent of all consumer spending according to the Outdoor Industry Foundation.

“The outdoor industry has long held a goal of ensuring every child in America has access to a trail or park within one mile of their home. Many studies show that this type of commitment to our nation’s recreation infrastructure would easily pay for itself in the resulting reduction in health care costs and the increase in the mental well-being of our children,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of Outdoor Industry Association.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition is an informal partnership of national, state and local conservation and recreation organizations working together to support full and dedicated funding for LWCF.

About:
The Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition members include: Access Fund w American Canoe Association w American Hiking Society w American Whitewater w Appalachian Mountain Club w California State Parks Foundation w City Parks Alliance w Civil War Preservation Trust w Defenders of Wildlife w Eastern Forest Partnership w Highlands Coalition w International Mountain Bicycling Association w Land Trust Alliance w National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers w National Association of State Park Directors w National Parks Conservation Association w National Recreation and Park Association w National Wildlife Federation w National Wildlife Refuge Association w New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation w Northern Forest Alliance w Outdoor Alliance w Outdoor Industry Association w Outdoors America w Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests w Sonoran Institute w Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition w The Conservation Fund w The Nature Conservancy w The Trust for Public Land w The Wilderness Society w Western Rivers Conservancy w Winter Wildlands Alliance

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Maryland --(AmmoLand.com)-Also ending quietly last month was the Maryland Sportsmen’s Association, not quite 10 years old, the result of hunter apathy and sloppy paperwork.

Without the anti-hunting policies of the Parris Glendening administration to fire up the grass roots and with legislation breaking its way, MSA lost a lot of its raison d’etre.

“Nothing bad was happening. There were still little fights, but nothing scary,” said Wendy Donahoo, MSA’s final president.

Even worse, the founding fathers of MSA neglected to incorporate the organization, something that didn’t come to Donahoo’s attention until it was too late. When a group of hunters legally took the name for its club, MSA no longer had an identity.

At its zenith, MSA was the umbrella organization for sportsmen’s clubs statewide, with a membership of more than 5,000.

What did it accomplish?

• It lobbied successfully for the bear hunt, Sunday hunting and increased bag limits.
• It helped bridge differences between archery hunters during the creation of crossbow regulations.
• And in 2000, when budget cuts closed two state campgrounds in Western Maryland just before the start of deer season, MSA volunteers kept them open.

Now, there’s nothing left. And nothing is just what hunters are going to get. As a smart friend of mine said Friday:

“Now is not the time to park the car and walk away. Now is the time to keep the foot on the accelerator.”

The animal rights community already has taken notice.

Here’s my prediction:

• Expect heavy incoming rounds.
• Expect some serious anti-hunting legislation next session.
• Expect lobbyists in bear suits in the halls of Annapolis.
• Expect to lose some hunting opportunities.

And you know what, hunters? You deserve it.

About:
NJOACF Council Members: Reef Rescue * NJ State Federation Sportsmen’s Clubs * Jersey Coast Anglers Association * Trout Unlimited * National Wild Turkey Federation * NJ Beach Buggy Association * Hudson River Fishermen’s Association * United Bow Hunters NJ * New Jersey Council Diving Clubs * NJ Trappers Association * NJ Forestry Association * Society of American Foresters * Quail Unlimited * Ruffed Grouse Society * National Animal Interest Alliance Trust * Greater Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association * NJOA

California Outdoor Heritage Alliance

Sacramento, CA --(AmmoLand.com)-Two other wildlife conservation bills supported by COHA were also recently signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.

AB 94 (Evans) extends the “Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act” for five years and deletes the monetary limit on the award of tax credits pursuant to the Act. The bill maintains important financial incentives offered through the Act for private property owners to voluntarily contribute lands to the State of California, local governments or nonprofits at a reduced cost to the public. Such lands not only have significant wildlife conservation values, but may also provide much-needed recreational opportunities for the public, including hunting and fishing.

SB 448 (Pavley) creates the “California Safe Harbor Agreement Program Act” to encourage private landowners to voluntarily manage their property for the benefit of threatened and endangered species without being subject to additional regulatory restrictions. This is an appropriate legal approach in COHA’s view, since additional take regulations would hinder conservation efforts in many cases by compelling landowners to not participate in habitat protection programs. By ensuring that the program creates a “net conservation benefit” without jeopardizing the continued existence of a particular species, COHA believes the bill will improve land management practices in a landowner-friendly manner.

About:
The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance is a 501(c) 4 non-profit political advocacy organization dedicated solely to the promotion of wildlife and the protection of our hunting heritage. COHA professional staff is active at the California State Legislature, Congress, State Fish and Game Commission, State and Federal resource agencies and all other political arenas where decisions are made which may impact wildlife management, habitat conservation, wildlife program funding, hunting access and opportunity, and your ability to purchase and possess sporting arms and munitions. COHA was created in early 2006 by the California Waterfowl Association. For more information on COHA and its efforts, visit their website at www.outdoorheritage.org

Safari Club Internationa

Washington, D.C. --(AmmoLand.com)- Safari Club International (SCI) and the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsman’s Clubs Inc. (Federation) filed suit yesterday in New Jersey to force action on black bear management.

Despite the best efforts of the state’s Fish and Game Council (Council), New Jersey’s Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has refused to approve a new comprehensive black bear management policy (Black Bear Policy) that includes hunting as a management strategy. Under New Jersey law, without a policy in place, the State cannot hold a black bear hunt. The Commissioner’s inaction has lead to a drastic increase in bear incidents state-wide since the last bear hunt in 2005.

SCI President Larry Rudolph said, “A well regulated hunt is essential for the sound and responsible management of black bear in New Jersey and for the safety of the general public. The goal of our lawsuit is simply to put legal pressure on the Commissioner and the Council to take the necessary action to adopt a Black Bear Policy. Forcing action on a policy will allow the Council — the people entrusted under New Jersey law to manage wildlife — to decide whether a hunt is both the appropriate means of managing the state’s bear population and a valued recreational experience.”

Legal Background:
In 2006, SCI and the Federation went to court to defend the Black Bear Policy that was adopted in 2005 because then-DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson and Governor Jon Corzine abruptly withdrew that policy and cancelled the annual black bear hunt.

In a 2007 decision, the Court questioned the Commissioner’s authority to unilaterally withdraw the Black Bear Policy, but nevertheless invalidated the 2005 Policy, finding that it had not been properly adopted in the first place. The actions of the DEP and the court’s ruling left New Jersey with no approved strategies for reducing the state’s growing bear population. The Court directed the Commissioner and Council to work together to formulate a new black bear management policy, and encouraged SCI and the Federation to return to court should the parties reach an impasse. That impasse has now occurred.

California Outdoor Heritage Alliance

Sacramento, CA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Despite garnering near unanimous support in the State Legislature, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed Senate Bill 589, which would have prevented hunting license tag/stamp monies from being misused for non-game conservation or non-hunting purposes.

The bill was authored by Senator Tom Harman (R-Huntington Beach) and sponsored by the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA), a political advocacy organization representing more than 30 hunting and conservation organizations.

“The issue of tag fees being used inappropriately is not going away and I will continue working to address this problem,” said Senator Harman. “For years sportsman have sat by and watched money – that was supposed to go to species preservation – be used for anything but. Senate Bill 589 would have added much needed transparency and honesty to how the Department of Fish and Game uses our tag money. It is a shame the Governor missed an opportunity to set things right and help protect the rich heritage of outdoor sports in California.”

“Hunters are sick and tired of seeing their tag and stamp fees siphoned off for unrelated purposes. The Governor’s failure to sign this bill, along with his recent efforts to raid $30 million from the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, will only feed the longstanding cynicism within the hunting community that many of their dollars are being wasted” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice President of COHA.

Since the 1980s, a portion of hunting license tag and stamp monies has been redirected away from game species conservation to other unrelated purposes. Loopholes in state law also allow for a significant portion of deer tag monies and all bear tag monies to be used for non-game purposes, while a large percentage of pig tag funds have also been redirected or simply gone unspent.

According to California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) data from 2006, only 62% of deer tag revenue was actually used for deer-related projects, while only 64% of wild pig tag money and 48% of wild sheep auction tag money was expended for related conservation work.

To more fully address these problems over the long-term, SB 589 would have mandated that all user fee revenues (about $9.5 million total) from the sale of bear, elk, wild sheep, antelope, wild pig, deer and upland game bird tags and stamps be used for related conservation activities and public hunting purposes.

In addition, DFG would have been required to consult with non-profit sportsmen’s organizations on all proposed conservation projects funded from the fees, while facilitating the cost-effective assistance of the nonprofits in completing the projects. DFG would have also been required to post a description of each completed project on its website, allowing hunters to see how their monies are used on the ground.

The Governor’s veto message stated that “The creation of more dedicated accounts and reserving more funds for those accounts will only increase the complexity of the Department’s fiscal management…as well as reduce the Department’s flexibility to appropriately administer hunting programs.”

However, rather than creating more accounts and increasing budget complexity, SB 589 would have in reality simplified DFG’s budgeting by consolidating several existing big game species fiscal accounts into one single account. And, contrary to the Governor’s statement, the bill would have actually given DFG greater flexibility to benefit all big game species by allowing big game tag funds to be used interchangeably.

COHA will continue to maintain as a top priority the passing of legislation which prohibits inappropriate redirection of hunter generated game revenues to non-related uses.

“The Governor missed an opportunity to gain back the confidence of the outdoor community by providing much needed transparency and accountability over the state expenditure of hunter generated dollars,” said Bill Gaines, COHA President. “As a result, the hunting community is likely to overwhelmingly oppose any future effort to address budget shortfalls via the raising of existing hunting related fees or the creation of new hunter related revenue streams.”

About:
The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) is a 501(c) 4 non-profit political advocacy organization founded by the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) to protect our hunting heritage and promote wildlife conservation. For more information, visit www.outdoorheritage.org/

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Belmar, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- Here’s proof. The large turnout for the NJOA “Mullica Hill” rally and “Battle of Monmouth” rally, both in 2007, brought attention to two bills designed to ban freshwater fishing and hunting in NJ. The bills were also meant to alter the Fish and Game Council in order to weaken its conservation policy by injecting an animal rights agenda.

The rallies were well attended and are largely responsible for the defeat of the sponsors of the bills; Asm Panter Sen Karcher. Additionally, the bills did not proceed because our legislators realized that the rallies represented a grassroots movement of 650,000 anglers, hunters and conservationists expressing their dissatisfaction with the legislation.

It was a classic example of our political system representing the will of the people.

The success of the rallies helped to stem a ban on hunting on the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers, turned back an attack on bow hunting in Wall Township, paved the way for the creation of New Jersey’s first angling and hunting caucus by State Senator Stephen Sweeney and a federal fishing and hunting caucus created by Congressman John Adler. Ultimately, the rallies were the genesis that led to Governor Corzine signing Sunday Bow Hunting into law.

But we are now at crossroads. There are systemic issues that must be changed immediately if we are to ensure the quality of New Jersey’s outdoor experience.

• We need to eliminate a bear policy that is designed to appease animal rights activists and puts NJ residents in harms way.
• We have to reverse the raiding of funds to departments that provide for our ability to fish and hunt; a pillaging that is crippling productivity.
• We must overturn the neglect of the fish and game councils that determine our fishing and hunting opportunities.
• We have to allow our foresters the chance to practice forestry and prevent the potential of wildfires and restore species of birds and animals that are extirpating before our eyes.
• We must stop the nominations of people with “anti-fishing” sentiments to represent recreational and commercial fishing interests.

All of this is happening NOW.

The above occurrences should be an outrage to all anglers, hunters and conservationists. It is OUR obligation to stop it before it is too late. That moment is now – we are at crossroads.

The R.O.O.R. Rally (Rescue Our Outdoors Rally) has been organized to send a message to Trenton that we will not tolerate the dismantling of our fishing, hunting and conservation policies and freedoms. It is a rally designed to exceed all others. It is YOUR chance to voice YOUR concerns and stop the erosion of YOUR outdoor interests.
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Remember, the Mullica Hill and Battle of Monmouth rallies are proven successes. Join us in raising our voices again in the Rescue Our Outdoor Rally. Those that oppose us want us to remain silent…

R.O.O.R. and be heard!
Saturday, October 24, 2009 * 2:00PM
New Egypt Speedway * Free Admission!
720 Pinehurst Rd, Rt. 539 New Egypt, NJ 08533

Visit our link to learn more about the rally:

http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/where/rescueour/outdoorsrally.html

Visit our link to review the dismantling of our outdoor interests:

http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/chairmans/christie/endorsement.html

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

NJOACF Council Members:
Reef Rescue * NJ State Federation Sportsmen’s Clubs * Jersey Coast Anglers Association * Recreational Fishing Alliance * Trout Unlimited * National Wild Turkey Federation * NJ Beach Buggy Association * Hudson River Fishermen’s Association * United Bow Hunters NJ * New Jersey Council Diving Clubs * NJ Trappers Association * NJ Forestry Association * Society of American Foresters * Quail Unlimited * Ruffed Grouse Society * National Animal Interest Alliance Trust * Greater Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association * NJOA

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn –-(AmmoLand.com)- A letter signed by numerous United States senators to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar raising important questions about actions by the National Park Service (NPS) to ban the use of traditional ammunition in parks that allow hunting has drawn praise from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.

In the letter to Secretary Salazar, 13 senators detailed their concerns about the impact a ban on traditional ammunition would have on hunters, the economy and wildlife populations.

“At this time, the motives behind NPS actions addressing lead issues are very unclear. Especially in these difficult economic times, this action will discourage people from hunting and fishing and decrease revenue into the Pittman-Robertson fund that funds state conservation efforts,” read the letter.

The NPS continues to pursue a ban on traditional ammunition that it announced earlier in the year would apply to park personnel involved with culling sick and wounded animals, and indicated it would consider widening the ban to all hunters. The firearms industry, sportsmen’s groups and multiple conservation organizations criticized the ban in a press release, calling it “arbitrary, over-reactive and not based on science.”

“The move by members of the United States Senate to step in and raise concerns about the NPS making any unilateral actions concerning traditional ammunition is welcomed by conservation and sportsmen’s groups throughout the country and the entire firearms industry,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane. “This process needs to be as transparent as possible and Congress’ involvement will help to ensure that this is the case.”

The NSSF has clearly stated in communications to the NPS that any decision made about federal lands with regard to ammunition products be based on thorough scientific study of wildlife population impacts. Currently, no scientific evidence indicates that wildlife populations are being negatively impacted by hunters utilizing traditional ammunition.

The NSSF has clearly stated in communications to the NPS that any decision made about federal lands with regard to ammunition products be based on thorough scientific study of wildlife population impacts. Currently, no scientific evidence indicates that wildlife populations are being negatively impacted by hunters utilizing traditional ammunition.

In concluding their letter to Secretary Salazar, the senators were very clear as to what they wanted to see:

“We request that NPS cease all actions to prohibit the use of lead products on NPS lands by private citizens and NPS personnel.”

Signatories on the letter include:

• Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Sen. James E. Risch(R-ID)
• Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY)
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker (R-MS)
• Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)
• Sen. Michael B. Enzi (R-WY)
• Sen. Robert F. Bennett(R-UT)
• Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
• Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)
• Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE)
• Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)
• Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Belmar, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)-The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is proud to endorse Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon in their bid for re-election to the New Jersey State Assembly. Asw Casagrande and Asm O’Scanlon have been staunch supporters of conservation initiatives.

Their dedication to environmental stewardship led them to be leading members of the New Jersey Angling and Hunting Conservation Caucus.

Please show your support by contacting all those you know residing in District 12 (see list of towns below) and ensure that they vote for Asw Casagrande and Asm O’Scanlon because they support outdoor issues.

Vote for Asw Casagrande and Asm O’Scanlon for NJ State Assembly!

District #12
Assemblywoman Casagrande
Assemblyman O’Scanlon
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71 West Main St.
Suite 101
Freehold, NJ 07728
(732) 866-1695

32 Monmouth St., 3rd Floor
Red Bank, NJ 07701
(732) 933-1591

Colts Neck Township, East Windsor Township, Englishtown Borough, Fair Haven Borough, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Hightstown Borough, Little Silver Borough, Manalapan Township, Marlboro Township, Millstone Township, Oceanport Borough, Red Bank Borough, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury Township, Tinton Falls Borough

About:
NJOA – New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is the state’s first major political action committee devoted to the task of electing outdoor-minded candidates to public office. NJOA has formed with the support of leaders of major pro-hunting, pro-angling, and pro-trapping organizations. We are not a hunting, fishing, or trapping “club” or “group,” and do not compete with the interests of such organizations. NJOA helps to ensure that strong wildlife and natural resource protection laws are produced by outdoor-minded elected officials. The best way to ensure a “conservation presence” in Trenton is to support the election campaigns of representatives who understand the relationship between a balanced ecology and hunting, fishing, and trapping.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Belmar, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)-The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is proud to endorse Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli and Assemblywoman Celeste M. Riley in their bid for re-election to the New Jersey State Assembly. Asm Burzichelli and Asw Riley have been staunch supporters of conservation initiatives.

Their dedication to environmental stewardship led them to be leading members of the New Jersey Angling and Hunting Conservation Caucus.

In fact, Asm Burzichelli championed Sunday Bow Hunting and was instrumental in the bill being sent to Governor Corzine. Sunday Bow Hunting was signed into law.

Please show your support by contacting all those you know residing in District 3 (see list of towns below) and ensure that they vote for Asm Burzichelli and Asw Riley because they support outdoor issues.

Vote for Asm Burzichelli and Asw Riley for NJ State Assembly!

District #3
Assemblyman Burzichelli
Assemblywoman Riley
935 Kings Highway
Suite 400
West Deptford, NJ 08086

14 East Commerce St.
3rd Floor
Bridgeton, NJ 08302

199 East Broadway
Suite G
Salem, NJ 08079
(856) 251-9801 (West Deptford)
(856) 455-1011 (Bridgeton)
(856) 339-0808 (Salem)

Alloway Township, Bridgeton City, Carneys Point Township, Clayton Borough, Commercial Township, Deerfield Township, Downe Township, East Greenwich Township, Elk Township, Elmer Borough, Elsinboro Township, Fairfield Township, Greenwich Township (Cumberland), Greenwich Township (Gloucester), Harrison Township, Hopewell Township, Lawrence Township, Logan Township, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Mannington Township, Mantua Township, National Park Borough, Oldmans Township, Paulsboro Borough, Penns Grove Borough, Pennsville Township, Pilesgrove Township, Pittsgrove Township, Quinton Township, Salem City, Shiloh Borough, South Harrison Township, Stow Creek Township, Swedesboro Borough, Upper Deerfield Township, Upper Pittsgrove Township, Wenonah Borough, West Deptford Township, Woodstown Borough, Woolwich Township

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is the state’s first major political action committee devoted to the task of electing outdoor-minded candidates to public office.
NJOA has formed with the support of leaders of major pro-hunting, pro-angling, and pro-trapping organizations. We are not a hunting, fishing, or trapping “club” or “group,” and do not compete with the interests of such organizations. NJOA helps to ensure that strong wildlife and natural resource protection laws are produced by outdoor-minded elected officials. The best way to ensure a “conservation presence” in Trenton is to support the election campaigns of representatives who understand the relationship between a balanced ecology and hunting, fishing, and trapping.

New Jersey

Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- Responding to the latest monthly report by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife which shows serious bear-related incidents continue to increase, State Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano today said it’s time the Corzine Administration stopped playing politics with the public’s safety and let wildlife experts decide the best method for handling the issue.

“It’s time Governor Corzine put aside politics and his personal feelings about hunting and look at the bigger picture,” said Oroho. “This is a serious matter of public safety. Adults and children alike in our communities are literally under attack because the bear population is not being adequately controlled. It’s obvious this administration’s alternate bear management policies are not working.”

The three Republican legislators who represent Sussex, Morris, and Hunterdon counties, all advocate for the return of a bear hunt to deal with a consistently dramatic upswing in bear-related complaints and damage incidents. Governor Corzine in October 2006 cancelled the bear hunt for that year and one has not been approved since 2005.

“The prospects for a human tragedy have never been greater, as aggressive bears are chasing children, knocking adults to the ground and breaking into homes and garages,” stated McHose. “Yet Governor Corzine refuses to take off his blinders. Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, he should listen to the wildlife experts, study the scientific data and take appropriate and responsible action.”

According to the state Division of Fish and Wildlife’s report covering the period from June 21 to July 20, there were 29 Category One calls to DEP compared to 27 for the same period last year. Overall, there were 512 calls for the period this year compared to 407 calls in 2008, a 26 percent increase. ‘Category I’ complaints involve a serious risk to public safety or property damage in excess of $500.

For the year, there were 138 reported Category One calls, up from 121 for 2008, including a July 3 incident in Montague where a bear chased two girls into their house from their yard and then began scratching on the door once the girls were inside. Overall, calls to DEP about bear complaints have risen 22 percent with 1,726 calls received this year to date compared to 1,413 calls last year.

The report also noted that on June 29 a bear walked in off the road into a yard in Vernon where a party was being held and came within five feet of a three-year-old child. Two days earlier, a man reported being knocked to the ground by a bear that was after his sandwich.

“It’s clear Governor Corzine’s current bear management policies are an abject failure,” said Chiusano. “But instead of implementing a reasonable and science-based policy to deal with the escalating bear crisis, it’s also apparent he is allowing animal rights and anti-hunting groups to dictate public policy to the detriment of public safety.

“We’ve been fortunate so far, but we are definitely skating on thin ice,” he continued. “I fear it’s only a matter of time before tragedy strikes. The governor needs to take this matter seriously and put it in the hands of wildlife experts where it belongs.”

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com) -A group of New Jersey legislators seized upon a new report showing an increasing number of bear related incidents to push the Administration of Governor John Corzine to reevaluate its current management policy.

An August 13 press release from Senator Steven Oroho (R- Franklin Burrough) and Assemblypersons Alison Littell McHose (R- Franklin) and Gary Chiusano (R- Frankford Township) highlighted the most recent monthly report issued by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) which indicates bear related incidents continue to increase. In the release, the legislators urged Gov. Corzine to change its bear management policies.

“It’s time Governor Corzine put aside politics and his personal feelings about hunting and look at the bigger picture,” stated Sen. Oroho. “This is a serious matter of public safety. Adults and children alike in our communities are literally under attack because the bear population is not being adequately controlled. It’s obvious this administration’s alternate bear management policies are not working.”

According to the DFW report, there were 512 complaints for the period this year compared to 407 calls in 2008. This represents a 26 percent increase in complaints. Additionally, of those 512 complaints, 138 were ‘Category I’ complaints involving public safety risks or damage to property of more than $500.

The effort is similar to a call put out at the end of 2008 which also called on Gov. Corzine to modify the state bear management plan.

The three legislators side with biologists and other professionals who support the return of bear hunting in order to address resident concerns.

Gov. Corzine’s head of the Department of Environmental Protection, Lisa Jackson, who now serves as the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama Administration, put a stop to bear hunting in New Jersey in 2006. Since then, bear incidents have been consistently on the rise.

“For years, there has been a steadfast refusal to look at numbers produced by the professionals in the DFW,” stated Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO. “The bear hunt is the only scientifically legitimate form of management that works. It’s time that Gov. Corzine and his Administration reassess current policy and brings the hunt back.”

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) work nationwide, representing over 1.5 million sportsmen through member clubs and individual constituents. The organizations provide legislative, legal defense and public education services to defend and advance sportsmen’s rights in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 states.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- With President Obama’s signing of the $7 billion short-term extension of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act on Friday, Aug. 7, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership calls for an increase in conservation-related policies and funding as Congress moves toward crafting a new Highway Bill in the coming months.

The TRCP specifically urges the inclusion of conservation measures in the next Highway bill related to storm water runoff and promotion of sportsmen’s access to public lands. Congress is expected to debate new legislation in September as the current $286 billion bill is set to expire at the end of that month.

Earlier this year, the TRCP helped initiate the Transportation Conservation Coalition to proactively educate and engage with key policymakers as the Highway Bill takes shape. Made up of 54 sportsmen’s, conservation and other outdoor organizations, the coalition sent a letter outlining these recommendations to committee leaders in Congress.

“Whether a new Highway Bill occurs this fall or at a future date, now is the perfect time for Congressional leaders to consider ways to strengthen the conservation components of this broad-reaching legislation,” said Geoff Mullins, TRCP policy initiatives manager. “The last bill saw some key conservation gains in transportation policy, but there is so much more that can be done to protect crucial fish and wildlife habitat and promote sportsmen’s recreational use of public lands.”

The sportsmen’s group highlights two key components to a wildlife-friendly highway bill:

Storm Water Management: Highways are a major source of storm water runoff and ultimately a leading cause of water quality impairment in lakes, rivers and estuaries across the nation, including the Chesapeake Bay. The TRCP believes that all new and reconstructed highway projects should be required to assess and mitigate for storm water impacts, especially as they relate to sustainable fish and wildlife habitats.

Public Lands Access:
Federal public lands and waters are an important destination for American hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Nearly half of all hunters conduct a portion of their hunting activity on these areas. Inadequate access to public lands is cited as a primary reason that hunters stop participating in this traditional sport. People who fish, canoe and kayak also would benefit from improved access to our nation’s rivers and streams. The TRCP believes funding and policy changes should be directed to the Recreational Trails Program and other areas within the U.S. DOT to improve public hunting and fishing access to these areas.

“The Highway bill has a tremendous impact on the quality of our hunting and fishing habitats,” continued Mullins. “Through proper planning and making science-based decisions, the policies set in this legislation can go a long way to conserving our fish, wildlife and the habitats on which they rely.”

Read the Transportation Conservation Coalition’s letter outlining their recommendations for the Highway Bill.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

Ohio Department Natural Resources

Ohio - -(AmmoLand.com)- To help restore the number of trained forestry professionals in a state that heavily relies on the forest industry, Ohio Gov.

Ted Strickland and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Sean Logan will announce the Ohio Woodlands Job Corps (OWJC).

OWJC, which is funded through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), will create a corps of workers with the skills and experience to find employment in the forest management and forest products industries, increase the ranks of trained wildlands firefighters, expand funding for sustainable forest management and improve the health of Ohio forests.

Who: Gov. Ted Strickland
ODNR Director Sean Logan
ODNR Division of Forestry Chief Dave Lytle

What: Gov. Strickland and Director Logan will announce the formation of the Ohio Woodlands Job Corps (OWJC).

When: Thursday, July 30, 2009 10:45 a.m.

Where: The Ohio State Fairgrounds, ODNR Natural Resources Park, Buckeye Grove (adjacent to the Pavilion and Smokey).

About:
OWJC partners include ODNR Division of Forestry, The Ohio State University, Hocking College, the Ohio Forestry Association, USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Theodore Roosevelt in front of a redwood in Big Tree Grove, Santa Cruz, Calif. (photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Washington, DC - -(AmmoLand.com)- Eight years ago today, a group of avid hunters, anglers and conservationists launched the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. With the mission of guaranteeing all Americans quality places to hunt and fish and using Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation legacy as inspiration, these visionaries set out to create a coalition of organizations to inject sportsmen’s voices more effectively into natural resources policymaking.

Help the TRCP continue its record of success by celebrating our birthday with a personal donation. In times of economic hardship, people turn to hunting and fishing as a simple and affordable way to enjoy time with their families. Now more than ever, we are reminded of why we are so lucky, as Americans, to have affordable access to quality hunting and fishing. During these tough economic times, the TRCP needs your help to ensure the future of America’s sporting traditions.

With your help, the TRCP and our 24 partner organizations are successfully influencing our nation’s decision-makers to include conservation provisions for fish, wildlife and their habitats in federal policies and legislation. Our efforts have resulted in fish and wildlife funding being included in climate change legislation under consideration in Congress. We’ve advanced clean water policy that will help sustain the critical habitat and sporting opportunities provided by America’s wetlands. And we’ve presented to Congress and the new administration principles for ensuring balanced energy development on our public lands and waters.

TRCP membership is free, and your participation in our grassroots efforts plays a huge part in the TRCP’s success in addressing the concerns of hunters and anglers in the policymaking process.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not what we have that will make us a great nation; it is the way in which we use it.”

The TRCP looks forward to another successful year of work ensuring that our nation continues to responsibly use our natural resources and conserve our fish, wildlife and habitats so future generations of hunters and anglers can enjoy them.

Support the TRCP birthday today, and do your part to ensure that all Americans continue to have quality places to hunt and fish.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Belmar, NJ - -(AmmoLand.com)- The focus of this week’s NJOA E Action Alerts have been on broadening our awareness of the pervasive and continuing attempts by national and local animal extremist to eliminate our freedoms to fish, hunt, trap and live a lifestyle of our choosing. Some of us may think that these are initiatives are on the fringes and that they will never impact us – but they already have and they continue to make headway. We’re also exposing the inseparable link between animal extremism and vegetarianism.

Hopefully we’ve been a source of education for NJOA readership. Perhaps it has shed some light on why our state is allowing the bear population to proliferate at the expense of the health and safety of NJ citizenry. Perhaps it will make sense of why legislation was created to end freshwater fishing and hunting a few years ago. Perhaps it will highlight how 650,000 outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen of NJ can be viewed with ignorance regarding their massive contributions to the state’s economy, job creation and ecological stewardship.

Activism is not just for zealots. Unfortunately, we all need to be activists if we are to keep the things we cherish and our values viable. The NJOA is doing all we can to make each of you “armchair activists” by making it easy to contact your legislators from your computer (our website Legislative Center) and keeping you well informed about conservation issues in NJ.

I’ll end this week’s animal extremism focus with a few more examples of the ties between animal extremism and vegetarianism. Below is a link to a NJ college campus and their activism in undermining our freedoms, values and lifestyles. I’ve also included two additional initiatives in New Jersey for your review.

Please, be an armchair activist. Tell a friend about the NJOA Legislative Action Center. Have them sign up for the NJOA E Action Alert – it’s free.  http://capwiz.com/njoutdooralliance/taf/

The College of New Jersey

http://www.tcnj.edu/~arnj/faq/faq.html

Q: Being a vegetarian is a personal choice, so why should it be forced on anybody else?
A: Few people would argue that beating your dog or lighting a cat’s tail on fire are personal choices, yet what happens to animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses is every bit as gruesome and every bit as cruel. Eating meat supports these abuses. Saying that abusing animals and killing them for their flesh are private matters is the same as saying that beating our children is a personal choice. Just as child abuse involves victims who have no choice, eating meat, dairy products, and eggs also involves victims who have no choice. Just as you can choose to beat your child, you can choose to eat meat. If you do, you’re hurting someone who is powerless to stop you. This should not be your “personal choice.” No one has the right to hurt others under the auspices of “personal freedom.”

Animal Concerns.org

http://www.animalconcerns.org/resource.html?catid=11&itemid=200209150948520.979647

Our mission is to advocate for animal-rights and to help reduce animal suffering through education and non-violent action. We also advocate conversion to a vegetarian/vegan diet to help reduce animal suffering, improve human health and to lessen damage to the environment.

Job openings at New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance

http://onlovinganimals.blogspot.com/2009/01/animal-welfare-jobs-new-jersey-animal.html

Veg Outreach Program Coordinator : Educate the public about the use of animals raised for food and the human health benefits of a plant-based diet. REQUIRED: excellent understanding of the issues, public speaking and good communication skills, computer literate, vegan. Wonderful opportunity for a compassionate person who cares about the plight of animals. Full time position, from our Englishtown office.

About:
NJOA – New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is the state’s first major political action committee devoted to the task of electing outdoor-minded candidates to public office.
NJOA has formed with the support of leaders of major pro-hunting, pro-angling, and pro-trapping organizations. We are not a hunting, fishing, or trapping “club” or “group,” and do not compete with the interests of such organizations. NJOA helps to ensure that strong wildlife and natural resource protection laws are produced by outdoor-minded elected officials. The best way to ensure a “conservation presence” in Trenton is to support the election campaigns of representatives who understand the relationship between a balanced ecology and hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Ducks Unlimited

BISMARCK, N.D. – -(AmmoLand.com)- Ducks Unlimited commends House and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairmen Collin Peterson and Tom Harkin for their leadership to remove incentives from farm policy that encourage destruction of native grasslands. DU says this is a positive step to ensure grass remains on the landscape not only for waterfowl but also for ranching and combating global climate change.

“Changes to the federal crop insurance programs that incentivize grassland conversion are overdue,” said Scott McLeod, DU government affairs representative on agriculture policy. “A prudent crop insurance program will not only help decrease the loss of native grassland, but also save tax payer money by not insuring lands where unwise cropping decisions are made.”

In a letter from Rep. Peterson and Sen. Harkin to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack they noted that “native grassland loss is exacerbated by the crop insurance system.” They also urged that “federal crop insurance must not shield the producer from losses if the land is simply unsuited to crop production.”

The Chairmen encouraged Secretary Vilsack to eliminate unsound crop insurance policies that do not adequately reflect the risks of planting crops to newly broken land.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that over 502,000 acres of native grassland in the Dakotas and Montana were converted to crop from 2002 to 2007. A subsequent report from U.S. Government Accountability Office concluded that farm program payments significantly influenced landowners’ decisions to convert native grass to crop.

“The continued work of the two chairmen is a testament to the importance of native grasslands and the need to revise the federal crop insurance system to better reflect the risks associated with planting a crop on land without a cropping history,” McLeod said.

About:
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands − nature’s most productive ecosystem − and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today praised the House of Representatives, including House Game and Fisheries Committee Chairman Edward G. Staback (D-Lackawanna), for the near unanimous approval of House Bill 1859, which would increase penalties and fines for poaching. The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Staback, and is similar to House Bill 97, passed the House on July 21 by a vote of 196-3.

“Increasing penalties for serious violations is one of the operational objectives within the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Strategic Plan, and we welcome the House’s approval of this measure,” Roe said. “This bill recognizes poaching for the crime that it is; the stealing of natural resources from all Pennsylvanians.

“There is widespread public support for this legislation as indicated by surveys that showed 96 percent of Pennsylvania’s citizens feel that wildlife protection is a vitally important function.”

Roe said that the causes of poaching vary, but the myth that most poachers are committing their offenses to provide food for their families is, in reality, almost never the case.

“Most often, poaching today is committed by criminals driving $30,000 vehicles, using expensive night-vision technology, illegal silencers and firearms,” Roe said. “They poach wildlife for greed, notoriety, money and out of an obsessive behavior to collect antlers at any cost. A disturbing and increasingly common cause is killing simply for thrill with no intention of making use of any part of the animal.

“Enactment of this bill will mark the first comprehensive piece of legislation to increase Game and Wildlife Code Penalties since 1987, and we believe it will significantly enhance wildlife protection in the Commonwealth.”

Roe noted that the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration before being sent to Gov. Edward G. Rendell for his action.

Sportsmen Press USDA to Slow Colorado Roadless Rule-Making

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON – -(AmmoLand.com)- In a letter sent today to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a broad consortium of sportsmen’s groups urged USDA intervention in the finalization of a state-based rule for roadless area management in Colorado to conserve valuable fish and wildlife habitat and uphold hunting and fishing opportunities.

The draft Colorado roadless rule, which will determine the management of 4.4 million acres of roadless backcountry, has been widely criticized due to exceptions and loopholes that could jeopardize some of the state’s most valuable public lands. Organized sportsmen have been meeting with representatives from the state and U.S. Forest Service throughout the development of the Colorado roadless rule and have expressed significant concerns about the ability of the proposed rule to conserve Colorado’s best remaining fish and wildlife habitat.

“By deferring completion of the Colorado rule,” the letter reads, “we can take time to further address and attempt to fix the proposed rule’s many problems. This process should include continued negotiations with sportsmen, conservationists and the state Division of Wildlife to ensure that Colorado roadless areas are afforded the same level of protections as those provided by a national roadless rule.”

“As Colorado hunters and anglers know from boots-on-the-ground experience, roadless areas provide important habitat for our state’s fish and wildlife populations,” said David Petersen, state field director for Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project. “These areas are critical to both the health of watersheds and a range of big-game species. With private-lands sportsman access rapidly diminishing, our public-lands backcountry has become the last bastion of the North American Model of Game Management, offering equitable access to high-quality hunting and fishing for all.”

Overall, roadless area conservation is overwhelmingly supported by Coloradans, with the vast majority of public comments on the state rule-making process requesting the strongest possible conservation measures in the Colorado rule.

“The public has spoken loudly and decisively in favor of backcountry conservation,” said David Lien, co-chair of Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Correspondingly, our federal government must assure the long-term conservation of our valuable national forest backcountry through a Colorado roadless rule that lives up to the expectations of the public and the requests of the state Division of Wildlife.”

More than 58 million acres of roadless areas are encompassed within America’s national forests and grasslands, but a series of conflicting court decisions have left management of these areas unsettled for years. Hunters and anglers supported the recent move by Secretary Vilsack to issue a “timeout” on most development in roadless areas. The secretary’s directive requires high-level review of proposed backcountry development until permanent rules for these areas’ management can be resolved.

“Secretary Vilsack can play a crucial leadership role in the Colorado roadless rule-making process by ensuring that our state’s backcountry is conserved,” said Forrest Orswell, Colorado field representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “In this case, the secretary’s involvement is not only the responsible course of action; it is the right thing to do. The sportsmen’s community is willing to help move this important process forward and stands ready to assist in finalizing this far-reaching management document.”

Read the sportsmen’s letter to Secretary Vilsack.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH - -(AmmoLand.com)- Companion bills, introduced yesterday in Congress, protect the rights of sportsmen to hunt on federal land while also recognizing hunting’s importance to all conservation.

The Hunting Heritage Protection Act, is made up of Senate bill 1348, sponsored by Senator Saxby Chambliss (R- GA) and H.R. 3046, sponsored by Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT).

Both pieces of legislation require that federal land be managed in a way that supports, promotes, and enhances access for hunting and mandates that an annual report be submitted to Congress detailing any limitations that are imposed on hunting federal lands. It also will require a written notification be given to Congress prior to any agency action that limits hunting on large parcels of federal land consisting of 5,000 or more acres.

“Sportsmen across America owe Senator Chambliss, Representative Rehberg, and other member of Congress many thanks for the steps they are taking to preserve our hunting rights,” stated USSA President and CEO Bud Pidgeon. “In a time where access to suitable hunting land is becoming increasingly difficult, this legislation goes a long way towards curtailing that trend and guaranteeing current or increased hunting opportunities are available today and tomorrow.”

Sportsmen should contact their Congressional elected officials and ask them to support the Hunting Heritage Protection Act. Inform them that hunters and other sportsmen and sportswomen are great stewards of federal lands and should have full access to those lands whenever and wherever possible. To find your Congressional officials, go to the Legislative Action Center.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- Sportsmen today voiced their support of a closely contested U.S. House of Representatives vote aimed at combating global climate change that includes funding for federal and state management practices that would sustain fish and wildlife populations.

The American Clean Energy and Security bill is intended to limit the effects of climate change by imposing a cap on greenhouse gas emissions while investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The bill also creates the Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund, which helps federal and state agencies safeguard fish and wildlife and charges the U.S. Department of Agriculture with implementing agriculture and forestry carbon offset projects, including conservation programs.

Members of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Climate Change Working Group, comprised of representatives of leading sportsmen’s and conservation groups, praised the inclusion in the bill of funding for fish and wildlife adaptation strategies, which would minimize the effects of climate change on important fish and game species. At the same time, the sportsmen emphasized that additional funds must be designated and incentives set to sustain and expand habitat on farms, ranches and forest lands.

“American sportsmen have a critical reason for supporting this legislation,” said Steve Williams, president of the Wildlife Management Institute and co-chair of the TRCP working group. “The bill’s establishment of the Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund would help safeguard and restore fish and wildlife, habitats, ecosystems and ecological processes that are threatened by climate change. We look forward to making sure that, as this process moves forward, a dedicated funding source for fish and wildlife continues to be part of it.”

“Sportsmen support the House passage of this important legislation and appreciate the U.S. Department of Agriculture being given oversight of agriculture and forestry carbon dioxide offset projects, including conservation programs,” said Dave Nomsen, vice president of government affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and working group co-chair. “Our nation must build upon gains in soil, water and wildlife conservation and strengthen programs that provide carbon sequestration and habitat enhancement. America’s farmers, ranchers and forestland owners have the potential to make great contributions to solving the climate issue, and the USDA should take charge of delivering these climate-based programs to private landowners.”

The AFL-CIO, 21 of whose unions are partners of the TRCP, also voiced its approval of strategies to address climate change as presented in the legislation.

“The AFL-CIO supports climate change legislation that will create new economic opportunities and preserve existing jobs while achieving the important objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our dependence on foreign energy,” the group stated yesterday in a letter to House members. “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, though not perfect, represents an important first step toward achieving these goals.”

“This legislation lays a potentially strong and broad foundation for natural resources adaptation programs,” said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper, “and it should help assure not only the abundance and vitality of our fish and wildlife resources but also a continued high quality of life for sportsmen and all Americans – a quality that is furnished by healthy, functioning ecosystems.

“American sportsmen, who have a uniquely intimate connection to our natural resources, are sentinels raising an alarm on climate change,” concluded Cooper. “We understand the need to designate resources to fish and wildlife professionals to safeguard critters and their habitat – and we appreciate that voluntary incentives must be established for private landowners to keep and expand high-quality habitat on their private working lands. We stand ready to support forthcoming Congressional efforts to achieve these objectives, and we offer our assistance in formulating a plan that identifies conservation practices to attain these important goals.”

Accelerating climate change is acknowledged by the sportsmen’s community as a serious threat to America’s hunting and fishing opportunities. Eight of the TRCP’s partner groups recently released “Season’s End,” a report detailing the predicted impacts of climate change on fish and game and its implications on hunting and fishing. A sequel is scheduled for release in 2009.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions
of hunting and fishing.