Don peay called out...

[BuzzH]

once again. This time in the SLC tribune, in the motherland. Maybe there is hope for the sportsmen of Utah if they throw this bum out. Funny thing is the lack of accountability by the Harvard mouth, Ryan Benson, about the 300K he got last year for lobbying. Seems theres no record of him being a lobbyist in D.C. either...wonder where the money went?

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/55960783-90/300000-anti-contract-game.html.csp

"Utah is not overrun with wolves, but it is overrun with children in classrooms," said Marlene Foard, a 33-year Salt Lake City school teacher dismayed that Utah remains at the bottom among states in per-pupil spending. But Don Peay, the influential anti-wolf advocate seeking the money, says the Utah economy could take a massive hit should wolves, protected in Utah under the Endangered Species Act, gain a foothold.

"It’s destroying jobs, private property and rural economies," said Peay, a founder of Big Game Forever,a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit organization told the Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environmental Quality budget committee, referring to what he claims is unfolding in Idaho since the successful wolf reintroduction in the Yellowstone region. "We want to keep Utah a great place to hunt and fish."

 

[MTbowhunter84]

Light at the end of the tunnel? Probably not, but at least it's getting noticed.

 

[Big Fin]

I wondered how long it would be before this kind of deal hit the news. Glad to see the newspaper in his back yard is questioning the issue.

For the guy who akins the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to socialism, he has two public teats in his mouth - One that is a direct welfare handout in the form of cash for "supposed" lobbying activities, the other in the form of public tags his group gets to raffle and auction to keep their socialist welfare office open.

I would hope the Utah crowd marches on the Capitol over this one. There is hope that the shroud of darkness is slowly being lifted on they way business is conducted in Utah wildlife politics.

Something tells me that that DKP and his friends will not come by the booth and ask for a signed poster when I am down at the SLC Internaitional Sportsmens Exhibition next week.

After hearing a similar pitch from Big Game Forever co-founder Ryan Benson, the Legislature last year appropriated $300,000 to fund wolf-related lobbying, with virtually no oversight of precisely how the money was used or what it accomplished. Big Game Forever submitted the only bid to do this lobbying on July 28, 2012, and won the one-year contract four days later.

That contract throughthe state Division of Wildlife Resources calls for the nonprofit to "work with state and federal agencies to pursue legal and legislative solutions to achieve [the state’s] legal and management authority over wolves to protect wildlife." It specified that Benson was to be paid on completion of the work, but Michael Styler, the head of the Department of Natural Resources, DWR’s parent agency, approved an immediate payout.

 

[utah400elk]

This flies in the face of the Utah sportsmen. He and his group fought to kill the Simpson-Tester rider that allowed hunting. They did everything they could to ensure wolves wouldn't get hunted! I always believed it was a cash cow for him. Now he asks a state for money to lobby Washington to stop the spread of the wolves. Doesn't matter that they are not even real lobbyists (registered) and don't ask what they did with previous money. Peay even had the odasity to call the NAWM socialism. Their spin machine will do damage control and they will spin this to say the good people of Utah actually asked him to PLEASE take $300,000 for all the habitat work he has done and because he is the ONLY guy who has tried to stop th big bad wolf.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

What's really interesting is Benson donated $5,000 and DKP $1,500 to the campaign fund of the Legislator that put the $300,000 line item in the budget last year and got it passed. That sounds like a pretty good return on a $6,500 investment! To top it off now Styler says he doesn't recall the letter telling them to pay Benson the $300,000 in one lump sum up-front payment. Yea, right! How many think he could pass a lie detector test on that one, LOL!!! Just when I thought that maybe we were making some progress on the unaccountability of the $5 per raffle ticket along comes this big boondoggle to all the Utah taxpayers. DKP and Benson have to be a bigger detriment to wildlife conservation, the NAM, and hunting than PETA!

 

[utah400elk]

I also find it funny that every time an SFW gets a lofty position with the wildlife board their supporters state it is all open and honest. They control the Utah Wildlife Resources and get their way. I am not at all shocked to see they were paid early before they were able to show any results. I am willing to bet that the previous president of Utah SFW will be named to the Utah wildlife board any day. Thus insuring this crap continues. I hope the states wherein SFW does not have a strange hold take notice!

 

[fowladdict]

will not come by the booth and ask for a signed poster

Where can one see this poster?

 

[muleguy]

Nothing like a little PR

This reminds me of the movie Gladiator where the emperior is throwing bread to peasants


http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news/4...079-pheasants-released-in-three-counties.html

 

[Ben Long]

Nice piece of reporting by the SLC Tribune. This is bigger than a sportsmen's issue. It's about transparency and accountability with public dollars. There ain't nothing fiscally conservative about what the Utah Legislature is up to.

 

[MNHunter]

Time to do an update/follow-up on the SFW racket don't you think Ben?

 

[jryoung]

Did you guys see this ish?

http://www.cascwild.org/don-peay-the-man-who-would-be-king-baron/

And then there is the whole issue with Arctic Red River Outfitters which appears to be owned in part by Peay but also partially owned by Sportsmen for Habitat with officers in common. And yet on their IRS 990 forms SFH claims no business relations with current or former board members. What? It is all very interesting but I will leave this to some ambitious investigative reporter who has the time and energy to sort out this can-o-worms or a similarly motivated IRS or SEC agent who ought to be asking some questions.

I'm really curious about this piece. I've looked into Arctic Red before and know they are used by guys like Seacat and Jason Hairston from KUIU who supports Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (put brochures into every shipment and is the keynote speaker at the Rendezvous later this month).

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Here ya go:

http://businessprofiles.com/details/arctic-red-river-outfitters-ltd/CA-6734502/don-peay

 

[Eric Albus]

utah400...i hear the reason that Peay, SFW,was against the tester bill is on account of wanting a better bill.... i know this for a fact...... and do not take this as a defense of their position, just a statement of fact....

 

[utah400elk]

I know. I shoud have said they did everything in their power to kill Simpson Tester. To me, Simpson Tester equals wolf hunting. It was their way or nothing. I simply believe a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. They were willing to throw Montana and Idaho under the bus. They then denied they were against the Simpson Tester rider and then tried to take credit for it. Bob Wharf said the true hero of Simpson Tester was Lumis from Wyoming. Lumis, SFW and BGF got Simpson Tester. This all happened on MM and the Wyoming SFW head was pushing the spin

 

[BuzzH]

utah400...i hear the reason that Peay, SFW,was against the tester bill is on account of wanting a better bill.... i know this for a fact...... and do not take this as a defense of their position, just a statement of fact....

Eric,

You need to pay attention...it wasnt for a better bill.

The bill(s) being pushed by SFW/BGF and the don were sure losers.

They werent about getting the wolves delisted, they were about attacking and repealing the ESA. Anyone with half a firing brain cell knew that was a sure loser for everyone. Pretty tough to tackle a nearly 4 decade long Act (passed by republicans), with many successfully defended court cases, and get your way.

All that would have done is tie up the wolf delisting for years...if not for decades, while the States of Montana and Idaho continued to not have State control of wolves. Which, when you follow common sense as to SFW opposing S/T...makes perfect sense. The wolf issue is an emotional, money-making gift from the Gods for SFW. It doesnt take much dot connecting to see that SFW had a huge amount of financial gain to keep wolves listed another 10+ years. Its also makes sense when you have the don quoting himself that if he repeals the ESA, they'll make a bronze of him. Arrogant, ignorant ass is all that douchebag is...and the only thing he cares about is his own personal gain, his inflated ego, and money. He couldnt care less about wildlife, couldnt care less about the average hunter, or the future of the sport... its just a money maker for him...period.

Thats exactly why Lummis, in a last ditch, but failed effort, attempted to support S/T and get Wyoming on the coat-tails of the S/T rider. I will give her enough credit that she ditched WYSFW/SFW/BGFthe don and was smart enough to realize she was on the cusp of really putting the screws to Wyomings citizens and wolf delisting by NOT supporting S/T.

Be sure to renew your MTSFW membership...they could use your "help"...

 

[Mark Richards]

Nothing about the Don surprises me anymore, but what is surprising is that the law hasn't yet caught up to some of the shenanigans going on. And that so many hunters are so gullible to buy what the Don is selling, even after all the articles and the crazy quotes come out.

 

[What Map]

Nice piece of reporting by the SLC Tribune. This is bigger than a sportsmen's issue. It's about transparency and accountability with public dollars.

Well said, Mr. Long. It should fail politically when exposed to the light of day. It is a waste of $300K of tax payer money.

 

[schmalts]

300k of lobby money AFTER the wolves have been delisted. What fools they are in UT if they fall for this crap. Even more of fools is the states public for allowing it to go without a fuss

 

[Ben Long]

This little problem isn't going to end until the voters of Utah realize they are getting fleeced. This isn't really about wolves or 'sportsmen's' issues. It's really about a few well-connected people getting millions in public dollars with zero accountability. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

This little problem isn't going to end until the voters of Utah realize they are getting fleeced. This isn't really about wolves or 'sportsmen's' issues. It's really about a few well-connected people getting millions in public dollars with zero accountability. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

***Truer words were never spoken!!!