November / December 2009 Click here for Defending Ohio President’s Message
Sportsmen Win Maine Court Case Protecting Trapping
Bill in Congress Would Prohibit Most Trapping in Wildlife Refuges
Decision Defending Wildlife Management to Be Reviewed
Policy Review to Shortchange Fishing
Mixed Bag as Calif. Ends Legislative Session
U.S. Government to Push for More Regulations on Polar Bears
Animal Rightist Blocks Bow Hunter Harvest
PETA Pushes Celebrity Campaign Against Seal Hunts
Wildlife Control Legislation HSUS Inspired
President's Message
As the year winds down, a number of indicators are pointing to a sense that the recession may be ending. Yet, the effects of the recent plunge are having a lasting impact on state budgets and unemployment rates. It seems that a long recovery is underway that is going to affect all of us in some way, including our outdoor way of life.
Some of us may have to forgo a hunting or fishing trip. Individually, we should be able to manage. Yet, there are other factors that could make it impossible to hunt or fish. A few examples:
- Across the nation, government budget shortfalls are occurring with those still in the game bearing new tax burdens and less discretionary funds for outdoor activities;
- State public land used for hunting may not be adequately managed, with some even closing to the public;
- There may not be enough sportsmen who will have the time to stop increasingly aggressive animal rights activists;
- There may not be enough funds available to increase our emphasis on attracting new families to embrace outdoor traditions.
Even in these tough times, when it comes to protecting and advancing hunting, fishing and trapping, you can rely on the USSA. However, we need your continued support and, as always, we’ll use these resources to keep you in the game. Sportsmen Win Maine Court Case Protecting Trapping
Decision Sets Precedent also Protecting Hunting and Fishing
Sportsmen won a major victory on November 10 as Maine’s Federal District Court blocked an effort by anti’s to misuse the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to stop hunting, fishing, and trapping. In 2008, the Animal Welfare Institute and the Wildlife Alliance of Maine filed a lawsuit against the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife seeking a permanent injunction to stop trapping in the state. The anti’s claimed that Maine’s trapping regulations provided insufficient protection to the Canada lynx, a species listed as threatened under the ESA. They argued that the accidental taking of a single animal was enough to justify the closing of the state’s trapping season. If successful, it would have established a precedent that could block hunting, fishing and trapping should a single protected animal be captured or killed. Throughout the case, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF), along with the Maine Trappers’ Association, Fur Takers of America, National Trappers’ Association, and several individual sportsmen, argued that the anti’s had to show that Maine’s trapping practices were a threat to the entire Canada lynx population. In the decision, Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. denied the injunction sought by the anti’s. Further, he upheld the idea that a season could not be blocked due to individual incidents that did not threaten the entire protected species. “The Court’s decision is a monumental victory for the trappers in Maine,” said Rob Sexton, USSAF vice president for government affairs. “It sets an excellent precedent that will make it harder for the antis to misuse the ESA in their attempts to ban hunting and trapping in other states.” “We knew the evidence was on our side and are thrilled with the outcome,” said Skip Trask, Maine Trappers Association executive director. “The USSAF’s legal assistance was invaluable to the favorable outcome.” “Trappers nationwide should be grateful that the court saw through what the anti’s were trying to do,” said Chick Andres, Fur Takers of America president. Bill in Congress Would Prohibit Most Trapping in Wildlife Refuges
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would ban the use of the most common type of trap used to control predator populations within the National Wildlife Refuge System. House Resolution 3710 would make it illegal to use traps that “kill or capture wildlife by physically restraining any part of the animal” within the Refuge system. This definition includes traps such as Conibear-style traps and foothold traps which are used to control both predator and nuisance populations. Penalties include fines, jail time and forfeiture of traps. “Trapping is universally regarded by the wildlife management community as an invaluable tool to control predators and furbearers,” said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO. “The USSA will be working to kill this bill should it gain any traction.” Decision Defending Wildlife Management to Be Reviewed
Federal Court of Appeals to Hear Case
Last year, a federal court ruled to protect hunting and wildlife management in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Environmentalists appealed the ruling. In late October, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to hear oral arguments. The case, initially brought in 2007 by environmental groups, intended to block wildlife management projects to benefit desert bighorn sheep, mule deer and other species in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. In 2008, Judge Mary H. Murguia of the U.S. District Court for Arizona decided in favor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). This preserved the principle of active wildlife management within national wildlife refuges, even those that have had part of their land designated as “wilderness” under the National Wilderness Act. The plaintiffs, Wilderness Watch and Arizona Wilderness Coalition, had claimed that FWS violated the Wilderness Act by constructing and restoring wildlife watering devices on the Refuge The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund (U.S. SLDF), the litigation arm of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF), moved to defend FWS and several sportsmen groups in the case, arguing that a “Wilderness” designation does not preclude wildlife conservation and active management. Joining the U.S. SLDF were other groups including the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Arizona Deer Association, Arizona Antelope Foundation, Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, National Rifle Association, Safari Club International and the Yuma Valley Rod & Gun Club. “An overturning of last year’s decision would mean restrictions on measures to conserve wildlife within areas designated as ‘Wilderness,” said Rob Sexton, USSAF vice president for government affairs. Policy Review to Shortchange Fishing
Obama Administration Management Plan Could Limit Angling Access
The Obama Administration recently released a management plan for the oceans and Great Lakes that could have a huge negative impact on fishing in coastal areas. The policies outlined in the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force will govern federal ocean and Great Lakes waters. Of concern to many organizations is the absences of any references in the report to the positive impact recreational anglers have on aquatic conservation. Instead, it raises an alarm as to what the framework for zoning in these waters will be when the final report is presented to the president by early December. The framework could result in severe restrictions including the elimination of many popular, historically important recreational fishing areas. Mixed Bag as Calif. Ends Legislative Session
Sporting Dogs Win, Gun Owners Face Challenges
The California legislative session ended with Governor Schwarzenegger signing and vetoing multiple bills. The sporting dog community came out as winners while gun owners face challenges. Among the wins for sporting dog owners was the signing of AB 1423, adding field trials and dog training activities to the list of things that cannot be interfered with, and AB 1442 making it illegal to remove a collar from a hunting dog without the owner’s permission. Other victories included vetoes of AB 241, California’s “puppy mill” bill and of AB 1122 which would have prohibited the sale of dogs on certain public properties. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) and partners such as California Outdoor Heritage Association, California Rifle and Pistol Association, Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America, National Animal Interest Alliance, National Rifle Association and Pet Pac worked to protect the interests of sporting dog owners. Meanwhile, the governor signed AB 962 that requires firearms dealers to keep a registry of all handgun ammunition buyers while banning mail order and Internet sales. The legislation will place an enormous burden on small businesses and, according to some estimates, will cost California nearly $3 million annually in lost sales taxes. “We strongly disagree with the governor’s decisions regarding firearms,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA director of state services. However, we are pleased that he made the right call for the sporting dog community.” U.S. Government to Push for More Regulations on Polar Bears
The Department of the Interior is asking nations to push for regulations on polar bear hunting under an international trade agreement. This could establish a precedent of using fears over global warming to restrict hunting of different species. The Department is asking countries to support a ban on commercial trading of polar bears while seeking restrictions on hunting at the meeting of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is an effort similar to listing polar bears as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Polar bears were the first species to be listed under the ESA because of concerns over global warming. Both efforts are based on long-term projections of what may happen over the course of decades, not verifiable scientific evidence. The USSA maintains that the ESA listing and CITES modifications are political gestures that will not deal with ice shrinkage. Many current polar bear populations are thriving. There is no agreement on future population projections among wildlife managers. If successful, anti-hunting groups will attempt to force other species onto the ESA list using the same arguments. Animal Rightist Blocks Bow Hunter Harvest
The head of a local animal rights organization blocked a Connecticut bow hunter from harvesting a deer he had legally hunted and shot. The incident took place in October when the unnamed bow hunter shot a deer and then tracked it to the property of animal rightist Lynn Gorfinkle. After knocking on the door of the Gorfinkle residence and asking permission to claim the deer, the hunter was told to leave the property without it. Mrs. Gorfinkle is the head of the Animal Rights Alliance in Redding and a staunch opponent of hunting. According to press accounts, Mrs. Gorfinkle said, “If someone’s going to eat that deer, I want it to be natural predators.” The actions of Mrs. Gorfinkle may result in the death of another deer. According to the Communications Director of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, “since the hunter did not recover the deer, he did not need to tag it and it doesn’t count toward his bag limit.” PETA Pushes Celebrity Campaign Against Seal Hunts
PETA is once again gearing up for a campaign aimed at ending seal hunts in Canada. This time the animal rights activists have unveiled a major effort with almost twenty celebrities such as former Baywatch starlet Pamela Anderson, heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne’s daughter, Kelly, and 2008 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole making advertisements against the hunt that will run in numerous magazines and various websites. Wildlife Control Legislation HSUS Inspired
An anti-trapping bill recently introduced in the District of Columbia takes animal protection to new heights of absurdity. Initiated by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the “Animal Protection Act of 2009”, puts severe restrictions on the most common form of wildlife control in cities and calls for the preservation of “family units” of animals. The Act restricts trapping except by licensed wildlife control companies. It outlaws “lethal control” of wild animals except in cases where all non-lethal methods have been exhausted and when the public health is deemed to be at risk. Foot-hold traps, snares and other commonly used traps are specifically prohibited while live traps must be checked every 24 hours. The Act indicates that wildlife control operators should keep “family units” intact and attempt to reunite animals with their “families.”
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