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COHA-Sponsored SB 1058 Would Protect Big Game Tag & Upland Game Stamp Revenue

Sacramento, CA --(AmmoLand.com)- Senator Tom Harman (R-Orange) has introduced SB 1058, COHA-sponsored state legislation which would prevent big game tag and upland bird stamp monies from being misused for non-game or non-hunting purposes.

A similar COHA-sponsored bill, SB 589, was vetoed by the Governor last year.

SB 1058 would mandate that all deer, elk, wild pig, antelope, bighorn sheep and bear tag revenues and upland game bird stamp monies be used to benefit those particular species, their habitats, and the users that generate them. It would also provide much-needed opportunity for sportsman’s groups to review and provide comment on proposed expenditures of the funds.

Beginning in the 1980s, a portion of hunting license tag/stamp monies were redirected away from game species conservation to other purposes. Loopholes in state law also currently 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 remained unspent or have been redirected in recent years.

According to data from 2006, only 62% of deer tag revenue was actually used for deer-related projects. Similarly, only 64% of wild pig tag money and 48% of wild sheep auction tag money was used for related conservation work.

SB 1058 also consolidates various existing big game species fiscal accounts into a single account, which improves efficiencies in the use of the monies and gives the Department of Fish and Game greater flexibility to benefit all big game species.

A separate provision of SB 1058 elevates hunting and fishing above other recreational uses when the Fish and Game Commission determines which uses are appropriate for DFG’s Wildlife Management Areas.

“California sportsmen and women expect their license dollars to go to the wildlife management and conservation programs they were intended for,” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) director of state services. “These funds should not be spent to fix roads or patch holes in the state budget.”

SB 1058 will be heard in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee in early April. Please contact members of the Committee and urge their strong support of this much needed measure. For Legislator contact information and a sample support letter, click here.

To view Senator Harman’s press release announcing the reintroduction of the legislation, click here.

Tags: California, California Outdoor Heritage Alliance, COHA, Duck Stamps, Game Permits, Game Tags, Pro Hunting Bills

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Duck Stamps a Great Investment in Public Wetlands

Washington, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- Seventy-five years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked J.N. “Ding” Darling to serve as Chief of the National Biological Survey, the precursor to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. History sometimes provides the right person at the right time and Darling would prove a perfect fit.

America’s wetlands were drying up or being drained and waterfowl population numbers plummeted below 27 million nationwide, a record low. Alarmed waterfowl hunters and other conservationists knew there was no time to waste.

Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist, hunter, passionate wildlife conservationist, and visionary, Darling unhesitatingly put his considerable influence and stature to good use, taking on the important challenge of convincing Congress to pass legislation designed to help protect waterfowl habitat. In 1934, thanks to his unstinting efforts and strong support from waterfowl hunters, Congress passed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act and, on March 16, 1934, President Roosevelt signed it into law.

As Biological Survey Chief, Darling created one of America’s most successful conservation programs, the Federal Duck Stamp Program. Ever the artist, he illustrated his vision for the new Duck Stamp, drawing a pair of mallards landing in a wetland. This picture graced the very first Federal Duck Stamp.

On August 14, 1934, Darling bought the first stamp from the U.S. Postmaster General, paying $1.00. First year sales raised $635,000 for wetland conservation; since then thanks to collectors, hunters and conservationists, Duck Stamp sales have raised $700 million which has been used to buy 5 million acres of wetlands for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Besides conserving wetlands, Darling’s Duck Stamp Program has given this country another gift—one of the world’s foremost waterfowl art competitions. Until 1949, waterfowl artists were invited to submit entries. A committee of waterfowl experts privately judged the entries and selected the winning design. In 1949, for the first time, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held a public contest, opening up the competition. In October 2007, the Federal Duck Stamp Contest was held in Darling’s beloved Sanibel, Florida, and a distinguished jury panel selected the design for the 75th Federal Duck Stamp, a pair of pintail ducks by Minnesota artist Joseph Hautman.

That brings us to the point of this article. The Federal Duck Stamp Program is still a great way to support wetlands preservation and you can easily buy “Duck Stamps” online at the USPS Store. Take a look at the Duck Stamps here. Even if you will never go water fowling these are all great collectors items and beautiful works of art. Proceeds from the sale of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (the Federal Duck Stamp) fund the acquisition of wetlands and wildlife habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since its inception in 1934, the Federal Duck Stamp Program has generated over $700 million for the preservation of more than five million acres of American wetlands.

Tags: Conservation News, Conservation Projects, Duck Stamps, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wetlands

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