There are two efforts underway right now that highlight the need for hunters & anglers to be politically active, involved and willing to put down some time, money and effort. Both of these states were SFW strongholds. One is the mothership.
In Wyoming, sportsmen's organizations have banded together to fight the creeping sickness of privitization and de-funding of the Game & Fish. It should be a model of how other groups work together. There are folks on this board who are involved in the effort and are spending considerable time & effort fighting for everyone's opportunity & the North American Model.
They had 2 bills this session. One a 10% increase across the board for licenses. The other would create the authority for the Game & Fish Commission to seek general fund money for healthcare benefits & funding for Grizzly Bear management. The legislature killed the license fee increase by simply not voting to introduce it. Bill introduction during a budget session requires 2/3 vote. The other bill made it and just passed the Senate on a 17-13 vote. Close. Here's a good story on how the final vote went down:
http://wypols.com/2014/02/19/bebout-nicholas-lead-attack-on-game-fish-funding/
In Utah, where Don Peay called sportsmen whiners & sore losers for wanting their right to access rivers & streams, the Utah Stream Access Coalition is working overtime, and doing it right, in an effort to take back the access issue from SFW, et al. They have overcome tremendous odds and have worked tirelessly and deftly navigated a lot of the ins and outs of the political process.
http://www.standard.net/stories/201...blic-waterways-private-land-should-be-limited
The point is this, we can all argue over what group is the best to belong to, we can argue over how licenses are allocated and we can argue over any of the tiny little details we like to wrapped around the axle of, especially in winter. But it takes some real dedication and willingness to get belittled, derided and called all sorts of names by those who hate what you are doing. There are people in every state who fight for what we all love.
It's just kinda nice to have good news to report.
In Wyoming, sportsmen's organizations have banded together to fight the creeping sickness of privitization and de-funding of the Game & Fish. It should be a model of how other groups work together. There are folks on this board who are involved in the effort and are spending considerable time & effort fighting for everyone's opportunity & the North American Model.
They had 2 bills this session. One a 10% increase across the board for licenses. The other would create the authority for the Game & Fish Commission to seek general fund money for healthcare benefits & funding for Grizzly Bear management. The legislature killed the license fee increase by simply not voting to introduce it. Bill introduction during a budget session requires 2/3 vote. The other bill made it and just passed the Senate on a 17-13 vote. Close. Here's a good story on how the final vote went down:
http://wypols.com/2014/02/19/bebout-nicholas-lead-attack-on-game-fish-funding/
In Utah, where Don Peay called sportsmen whiners & sore losers for wanting their right to access rivers & streams, the Utah Stream Access Coalition is working overtime, and doing it right, in an effort to take back the access issue from SFW, et al. They have overcome tremendous odds and have worked tirelessly and deftly navigated a lot of the ins and outs of the political process.
http://www.standard.net/stories/201...blic-waterways-private-land-should-be-limited
The point is this, we can all argue over what group is the best to belong to, we can argue over how licenses are allocated and we can argue over any of the tiny little details we like to wrapped around the axle of, especially in winter. But it takes some real dedication and willingness to get belittled, derided and called all sorts of names by those who hate what you are doing. There are people in every state who fight for what we all love.
It's just kinda nice to have good news to report.
