Safari Club International (SCI) is pleased to recognize Representative Paul Ryan (Wisc.) as the 2013 SCI Federal Legislator of the Year. The award will be presented during the evening banquet on Jan. 25, 2013 at the world’s greatest convention dedicated to North American and international hunting, the 41st Annual Safari Club International Hunters’ Convention.

“No other legislator is more deserving of this award after the 2012 election cycle than Congressman Paul Ryan,” said SCI President John Whipple. “Being an avid hunter, Congressman Ryan was a champion to our cause, and put the preservation of hunting heritage in the national spotlight during his 2012 vice-presidential campaign. Be it in a business suit or full field attire, voters across the country saw the indelible image of him, with his bow at full draw; showing indisputable evidence of his commitment to being the voice for sportsmen and women both on the campaign trail and in the 112th Congress. SCI is proud to honor Representative Ryan as the 2013 SCI Federal Legislator of the Year.”

“It is an honor to be recognized by Safari Club International and its members as the 2013 Federal Legislator of the Year. I’m grateful to win this award and even more excited to be able to pass on to my children the hunting traditions and values that SCI stands for,” Ryan said. “The values of sportsmen and women have been a focus throughout my career and I will continue to support the hunting traditions and rights we cherish.”

Aside from his legislative work in Congress and with Safari Club International, Ryan is a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), having previously served as co-chairman for CSC in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011.

Read and join the discussion on Safari Club International Recognizes Congressman Paul Ryan as the 2013 Federal Legislator of the Year at OutdoorHub.com.

A presentation during the January meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission outlined a process that could produce recommendations by early summer for a potential wolf season. Public Act 520 of 2012 (Senate Bill 1350) designated wolves as a game species in Michigan when it was signed into law in December.

“We commend the DNR for acting swiftly to outline a transparent and scientific process for moving forward with a wolf season,” said Erin McDonough, Executive Director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs.

The update, which was requested by new NRC Chairman J.R. Richardson, was given by Adam Bump of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. In his presentation, Bump covered the history of wolves in Michigan and the forthcoming process for determining how a public hunting and trapping opportunity could be structured.

After being extirpated in Michigan, wolves were granted state protection in 1965 and designated an Endangered Species in 1973. They began returning to the Upper Peninsula from Wisconsin and Canada in the 1980s. Wolves were delisted from the Endangered Species List and management returned to the state early in 2012, after more than tripling the original recovery population goal of 200. A Wolf Management Plan was created in 2008 by representatives from diverse stakeholder groups, which recognized public hunting as an acceptable management method, particularly where population density was linked to wolf-human conflict, such as livestock or pet depredation.

According to the presentation, there has been a correlation between wolf density and livestock depredation events in the Upper Peninsula, warranting consideration of a possible wolf season. Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason stated that the Wolf Management Plan would be closely followed. The presentation outlined some recommended next steps that may be instructive in forecasting when any wolf season might be implemented.

This month, the DNR will begin a wolf abundance survey and meet with tribal biologists per the 1836 Consent Decree. Tribal consultation will continue throughout the process. In February, there will be a Wolf Forum meeting, followed by public engagement through a series of meetings in March. Another Wolf Forum meeting will be held in April, as well as completion of the abundance survey and a summary of depredation and human/wolf conflicts. A recommended wolf season structure could be proposed in May or June.

MUCC supported passage of the Wolf Bill, having adopted a policy resolution at its 2011 Annual Convention to support the creation of a wolf hunting and/or trapping season.

Read and join the discussion on Michigan Natural Resources Commission Hears Wolf Status Update at OutdoorHub.com.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will hold its scheduled meeting tomorrow (Friday, Jan. 11), at the Game and Fish Department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17). The public is invited to attend the Friday meeting in Phoenix, as well as the Saturday afternoon (Jan. 12) “Meet the Commission” event in Carefree (more information below).

The Friday, Jan. 11 meeting begins at 8 a.m. Items on the agenda include:

• Briefing on state and federal legislation.  
• Overview of the department’s process for establishing research priorities to address programmatic management information needs. 
• Review of a draft commission policy establishing the commission’s position regarding access to and across public lands held by the Forest Service and BLM.  
• Presentation on the pilot Big Boquillas Ranch Access Project and Agreement, and an update on the landowner compact that will be incorporated into the program.  
• Briefing on the purposes and uses of Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act to facilitate establishment, recovery and management of repatriated populations of listed species. 
• Notice of Final Rulemaking and Economic Impact Statement amending rules within Article 1 and Article 3, addressing the taking and handling of wildlife.
• Notice of Exempt Rulemaking amending rules within Article 8, addressing wildlife areas and commission property.
• Notice of Final Rulemaking and Economic Impact Statement amending Article 7 rules addressing Heritage Grants and Article 9 rules addressing Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund Grants.
• Hearings on license revocations for violations of Game and Fish codes and civil assessments for the illegal taking and/or possession of wildlife (time certain at 2 p.m.). 
• Election of the commission chair and vice-chair for 2013 and election of positions and appointments to standing committees. 

The public can view the meeting either by: (1) attending in person in Phoenix, (2) via live streaming video at Game and Fish regional offices (except for the Yuma regional office, which is temporarily unavailable due to construction), or (3) online at www.azgfd.gov/commissioncam. Members of the public may submit Speaker Cards (Blue Cards) if they wish to speak to the commission at the Phoenix meeting or from the regional Game and Fish offices. Public comment is not available for those viewing the webcast online.

For a copy of the meeting agenda, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission and click on the “commission agenda” link.

On Saturday, Jan. 12, the public is encouraged to attend the “Meet the Commission” event beginning at 4 p.m., at the Carefree Resort and Conference Center (Cholla 1 Room), 37220 Mule Train Road in Carefree, Ariz.. This is the public’s chance to meet the members of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and will last approximately one hour. The event opens with the director’s welcome and commissioner introductions, followed by open discussion and questions/answers with members of the commission. The event will conclude with the ceremonial presentation of the gavel to the commission chair. The “Meet the Commission” event will not be webcast.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is the policy-setting board overseeing the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It is composed 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. 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.

For more information on the commission, visit www.azgfd.gov/commission.

Read and join the discussion on Arizona Game and Fish Commission Meets January 11 at OutdoorHub.com.

DATE:      Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013

TIME:        10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

PLACE:     Fort Peck Fish Hatchery

• 10:00 – 10:15                      Introductions; New Member Induction; Review of Agenda; Call for Public Comments – Steve Dalbey, Acting Region 6 Supervisor
• 10:15 – 10:30                      Region 6 Staff Openings, Vacancy Savings & Hiring Timelines for Supervisor, Glasgow Administrative Assistant, Non-Game Biologist & Plentywood-Area Biologist Positions

– Steve Dalbey & Mark Sullivan, Wildlife Program Manager

• 10:30 – 10:40                      Update on Statewide Fisheries Management Plan – Steve Dalbey
• 10:40 – 11:00                      Fort Peck Reservoir Operations: 2013 Water Level & Flow Predictions & Potential Impacts to Fisheries

– Heath Headley, Fort Peck Biologist & Steve Dalbey

• 11:00 – 11:30                      Review of 2012 Hunting Seasons & Season-Setting Processes; Updates on Milk River Ranch & Spring Coulee Land Acquisitions & Buffalo Coulee Conservation Easement – Mark Sullivan
• 11:30 – 11:45                      Legislative Issues & Overview of Pending Bills

– Ron Selden, Information & Education Program Manager

• 11:45 – 12:00              Pat Gunderson, Former Region 6 Supervisor, Current Glasgow Field Office Manager, Bureau of Land Management
• 12:00 – 1:15                 Lunch Provided for CAC Members and Staff
• 1:15 – 1:30                   Program Updates – Discussion of FWP Manager Reports
• 1:30 – 2:45                  CAC Roundtable
• 2:45 – 3:00                 Set Next Meeting; Allocate Per Diem; Adjourn

Read and join the discussion on Agenda for Montana’s Region 6 Citizens Advisory Council at OutdoorHub.com.

SB 1350 Promotes Sound Science for Wolf Management

The Michigan House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1350 on Wednesday, which designates wolves a game species in Michigan. The bill authorizes the Natural Resources Commission to create a wolf hunting season and establishes an advisory board to examine wolf management options. The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature.

“This bill confirms our state’s commitment to the scientific management of our natural resources and to the North American model of conservation, which has successfully employed hunting to manage wildlife for more than a century,” said Erin McDonough, Executive Director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs. “This bill would not have passed without the strong support of MUCC members and partners, who made phone calls and sent e-mails to their legislators to ensure its passage.

After SB 1350 becomes law, the advisory board it creates will convene to review management options before the NRC can establish a wolf hunting season. Under Proposal G of 1996, the NRC is required to use sound science in making wildlife management decisions, including whether to establish hunting seasons.

The state acquired management authority for its wolf population from the Federal government in 2011 based upon its Wolf Management Plan, which listed hunting as an acceptable management tool. Michigan wolves were delisted from the Endangered Species Act after more than tripling the original population goals established for delisting.

Read and join the discussion on MUCC Praises Michigan Legislature for Passing Wolf Bill at OutdoorHub.com.

The opening date for hunting and trapping would be moved back in certain parks with a high volume of late fall visitors and horseback riders, and areas around high winter use trail systems in some parks would be included in closed areas, under revisions the Department of Natural Resources State Parks Program is proposing to its original plan to accommodate broader hunting opportunities and open trapping on state park properties.

The changes are being made after review of more than 2,000 written and oral comments the parks program received on their initial proposal to implement the part of a new law the legislature approved earlier this year — Act 168, known as the Sporting Heritage Bill – that expands hunting and trapping in state parks.

Act 168, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013, allows the DNR to prohibit hunting and trapping within 100 yards of a designated use area such as a campground, picnic area, or beach. A determination to prohibit hunting and trapping in any other areas of a state park, a portion of a state park, or during certain time periods must be approved by a majority of the Natural Resources Board.

The parks program will present the revised implementation plan to the State Natural Resources Board at its meeting Dec. 11 in Madison. Board members held five listening sessions around the state in late October and early November to gather feedback on the department’s preliminary plan to implement the law. In addition, the DNR accepted written and electronic comments on the draft plan through Nov. 23.

In total, the department received 2,033 comments including written and oral comments provided at the listening sessions and those sent directly via email and letters. There were 157 oral comments presented at the five listening sessions.

“Many of the comments were directed at reducing hunting and trapping in specific state parks, and we reviewed each of those circumstances and made appropriate adjustments to the implementation plan where warranted,” said Dan Schuller, Director of Wisconsin State Parks.

Changes made to the department proposal in the revised implementation plan for Act 168 include:

• A total of 20 state park maps were changed after the listening sessions. These maps were amended to reflect changes in the allowable hunting/trapping areas.
• A total of 14 State Ice Age Trail Area maps were updated. Most were minor updates closing very small areas cut off by the Ice Age Trail buffer from the rest of the property.
• Certain highly used trail systems at Blue Mound, Council Grounds, Hartman Creek and Newport state parks are now being recommended for closure due to density of other park users during general hunting seasons.
• Hunting and trapping opening dates were recommended to be moved back to Nov. 15 on portions of Hartman Creek and Lake Wissota state parks due to heavy late season use by equestrians. The other properties with partial Nov. 15 openings would be Council Grounds, High Cliff, Peninsula, and Wildcat Mountain state parks, and the Elroy-Sparta State Trail.

The Natural Resources Board will also be taking testimony and written comments on this issue the Dec. 11. The board has extended the deadlineto register to testify to 4 p.m. Monday Dec. 10. The meeting will be in Room G09 of the State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. and the Act 168 implementation plan is the third item on the Tuesday agenda.

All of the proposed hunting and trapping maps for state parks properties are available by searching the DNR website for “parks” and then clicking on the link for hunting in state parks 2013.

The draft Act 168 Implementation Plan is available by searching for “NRB” on the DNR website and then clicking on the button for “view agendas,” and then the link for the December 11-12, 2012 NRB meeting” and the link for “Request adoption of plan for management of hunting, fishing, and trapping in Wisconsin State Parks [PDF].”

Read and join the discussion on Revised Wisconsin State Parks Hunting and Trapping Plan to be Presented to Natural Resources Board at OutdoorHub.com.

Sportsmen frustrated at bill’s failure to advance in Congress, urge Senate to reach agreement before lame duck session ends

The Senate’s inability to advance the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 (S. 3525), a wide-ranging package of legislative provisions that facilitates public access for hunting and angling, habitat conservation and robustly funded natural resource management, is drawing criticism from the bill’s proponents. A broad spectrum of sportsmen’s and conservation groups, including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, supports the legislation, and the TRCP today urged the Senate to chart a course for its passage before the lame duck session ends.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to Senator Reid, for his leadership in trying to find a path forward for this bill, and to Senator Tester, who introduced it in the Senate last summer and has championed it since,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh.

“We remain enormously frustrated, however, by the Senate’s failure to advance the Sportsmen’s Act, despite its popularity among citizens as well as widespread support within the Senate,” added Vaughn Collins, TRCP director of government affairs, “and we frankly are still in shock over last Monday’s procedural vote, which went down 50 to 44, despite needing only 60 votes to pass.”

This bipartisan bill has on two occasions received close to unanimous Senate votes – 84 and 92 – supporting its passage.

“The Sportsmen’s Act is one of the most significant pieces of legislation this generation for hunters and anglers, for conservation and for responsive natural resource management,” Fosburgh stated. “Sportsmen have joined in supporting this bill since its introduction, and we now unite in urging Congress to expedite its passage into law before the end of the lame duck session.”

S. 3525 integrates more than 20 bills, including the Making Public Lands Public Access Act, the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act and the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act. It also would reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

Read and join the discussion on Sportsmen’s Act Stalls in Congress at OutdoorHub.com.

An online petition is asking the White House to label the National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) and other sportsmen’s organizations “domestic terrorist groups.”

The petition, created on November 20 on the White House’s petitions portal We the People, accuses the “anti-predatory animal organizations” of “decimating predators to the brink of extinction.” Specifically, the petition states:

Groups like Lobo Watch, Big Game Forever, Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, NRA, Safari Club, etc., are a menace in our midst. Not only do many of them want our native predators like bears, wolves, wild cats, and the like decimated to the brink of extinction, but some of them have the nerve to harass, threaten, and downright intimidate anyone who dares to oppose them, even the government. And they’ve got some powerful people in their corner, too. They throw their mammoth monetary weight around, and think they can buy their way into power in America and put down anyone who’s got a backbone and might provide resistance. It’s time to put these groups in their place and strike them down. Time to protect our carnivorous wildlife from those who seek to decimate them!

The petition has been called “loony” and “ridiculous” by the organizations it seeks to defame.

“It’s a stupid petition. Plain and simple. But, it does give hunters insight into the mindset of the anti-hunting extremists and the extent that are willing to go to in their determined effort to dismantle our hunting heritage,” says J.R. Robbins, managing editor of NRAhuntersrights.org. “There is in fact no single group that has done more for wildlife in this country than hunters. We pay for wildlife conservation through the licenses, permits, and stamps we buy. If hunting were banned, as these radicals want, where would the funding come from for habitat work? Land acquistion? Predator and disease control? Research? Wildlife management is a science in which hunters and fishermen pay a key role–and pay to do so.”

“The NRA has always actively supported science-based wildlife management using regulated hunting,” added Darren LaSorte, manager of hunting policy for the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action). “Loony threats from radical anti-hunting organizations will not change this. The fact of the matter is that America’s sportsmen are most responsible for the restoration of countless species, including predators. [...] It will be interesting to see if the petition is amended to include every state and federal wildlife agency in the country since they all promote the management of predator populations through regulated hunting and trapping.”

Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) expressed their disappointment with the petition as well.

“Our hope is that the American public sees past these absurd attacks, and recognizes that wildlife management is based on science,” said Melissa Simpson, SCI Foundation Director of Science Based Conservation. “Hunters are the lifeblood of conservation funding in the U.S.A, and around the world. [...] SCI Foundation has spent millions of dollars in North America conducting predator-prey dynamics research, which is being used across the continent to determine appropriate harvest methodology; all based in defined science.”

No single animal rights group has been identified to be behind the petition. At the time of publication, 518 people have signed, but the petition needs 25,000 signatures by December 20 to even be considered by the White House.

Read and join the discussion on Online Petition Wants NRA, RMEF and SCI Declared “Domestic Terrorist Groups” at OutdoorHub.com.

State legislative and other sportsmen’s leaders from across the nation gathered last week at the 9th Annual National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit to discuss an agenda to address sportsmen’s issues in state capitals across the country.

The three-day Summit, held at the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was hosted by the South Carolina Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. The Summit gathers together state sportsmen and women legislators in the United States and provides them with a unique forum to exchange ideas on pro-sportsmen legislation, and other related issues.

The theme for this year’s meeting,”The American System of Conservation Funding:Celebrating 75 Years of Success, and Ensuring It’s Future,” honors the 75th Anniversary of the incredibly successful Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) programs, funded through the purchases made by hunters, recreational shooters, anglers, and boaters and trappers – a “user-pays, public-benefits approach.”

Panel discussions and presentations this year included: the history of the WSFR programs and ensuring future success, history of trapping in the United States, federal and state policy issues dealing with recreational fishing and current challenges facing recreational shooting.

“The agenda of this year’s meeting provided an opportunity for the bipartisan members to take these policy initiatives back to their colleagues in the various state legislatures in order to continue the future success of NASC,” said Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF).

Additionally, the annual meeting is where elections are held for Executive Council Members. The Executive Council is the advisory body of the NASC and is comprised of legislators from state sportsmen’s caucuses from across the nation. Senator Robin Webb of Kentucky was elected Executive Council President, replacing Representative Mike Pitts of South Carolina, who was term limited after serving as President from 2008 to 2012. Representative Mark Neuman of Alaska was appointed as Vice President and Representative Brandon Phelps of Illinois was reappointed as Secretary. Other members of the 2013 Executive Council are Senator Bill Heath of Georgia, Representative Sal Esquivel of Oregon, Representative Candy Ezzell of New Mexico, Representative Herb Frierson of Mississippi, Representative Marc Gergely of Pennsylvania, Representative Craig Miner of Connecticut and Representative Brian White of South Carolina. Alternates for the 2013 Executive Council are Delegate Wendell Beitzel of Maryland and Representative Tim Moffitt of North Carolina.

Outgoing Executive Council President Representative Mike Pitts touted the success of NASC during his tenure as President of the Executive Council. Representative Pitts stated, “From a political standpoint, serving as the NASC President has been the highlight of my career. Helping the organization grow and watching the staff develop, gives me a tremendous satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment. The greatest aspect has been the tremendous personal relationships that I have built with legislator-outdoorsmen and women, members of the outdoor industry, and most especially, the NASC staff.”

The NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit was made possible due to the generous support of our sponsors. In particular, CSF would like to thank Safari Club International for being the Title Sponsor of this event. Likewise, CSF would like to thank the South Carolina Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, who served as host sponsors, and ATK, the Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Richard Childress Racing and Shimano, who served as Co-Hosts. Other supporters of this year’s event included the American Knife and Tool Institute, the American Silencer Association, the American Sportfishing Association, America’s Natural Gas Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, B.A.S.S., LLC, Bridgestone America’s, Inc., Buck Knives, Central Florida Shoot-Out, Daimler, Dallas Safari Club, ExxonMobil Corporation, Knife Rights, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, National Rifle Association, National Trappers Association, Reynolds American, Inc, and Yamaha Motor Corporation.

Read and join the discussion on State Sportsman Leaders Support Pro-sportsmen Agenda at Annual Summit at OutdoorHub.com.

In the “My Turn” opinion piece published on November 12, 2012, Kieran Suckling of the Center for Biological Diversity, Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club and Kim Crumbo of the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council summarized their stance on the California condor reintroduction project in Arizona with the final statement: “no animal in Arizona should die from preventable lead poisoning.”

The issue is, of course, not whether animals should die from lead poisoning, but rather, the real issue is what the best approach is to address the problem of lead poisoning.

The environmental litigation groups headed by Suckling, Bahr, and Crumbo have taken the approach of suing in federal court to order the U. S. Forest Service to ban lead ammunition for hunting in the Kaibab National Forest.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department favors a different approach.

Repatriation of condors in Arizona faced intense local opposition. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gained support by developing agreements with local parties, under provisions of the Endangered Species Act. These agreements were memorialized through rules published in the Code of Federal Regulations. These rules constituted promises to local groups in exchange for their support. Some of those promises have since become the center of intense controversy. In the case of the condor, the Service promised not to seek the regulation of lead in ammunition.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been consistent in its belief that agencies must live up to those legally-binding promises. Failure to do so risks the loss of local support, which in our experience, can make or break critical endangered species programs.

Every in-the-field success in condor repatriation to date has been accomplished through partnership with fellow conservationists…on the ground, not in a courtroom.

The Southwest Condor Working Group, which includes Arizona Game and Fish, The Peregrine Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 24 other partners, has devoted countless hours and well over one million dollars annually to fieldwork and outreach programs to make condor reintroduction successful. Today, 80-90 percent of Arizona hunters use non-lead ammo or physically remove big game gut piles from the field to reduce the amount of lead available to condors. Today, 77 condors fly free in Arizona-Utah where once there were none because of this group’s efforts. Now Utah is emulating the very successful Arizona program to address the condor’s increasing use of its lands. 

The mandatory ban approach to the lead problem, conversely, not only has the potential to damage the valuable partnerships we deem necessary to successful conservation, it may even fail to produce the intended benefit. California banned lead ammunition in condor habitat, but a 2012 study suggests the ban has not yet proven effective in reducing lead exposure in condors.

The Southwest Condor Working Group is devoted to keeping condors in the wild in Arizona.  Free-ranging condors exist entirely because of this group’s dedication. 

I was initially taken aback by the authors’ vitriolic characterization of the Arizona Game and Fish Department as an agency that shoots, traps and kills threatened and endangered species. In spite of the dramatic condor photo accompanying the opinion piece, virtually no public outcry or response occurred. Either the public saw through the diatribe or the public has grown so jaded, as a result of the name calling and never-ending environmental litigation, that their passion for wildlife is waning. For those of us who love wildlife and wild places and the sight of a condor majestically soaring above vermillion cliffs, that would be the ultimate tragedy.

Read and join the discussion on Cooperative Conservation, Not Ban, is Best Approach to Condor-lead Issue in Arizona at OutdoorHub.com.