I am NOT usually a I told you so kind of guy. But, while working on a post placing blame on the MUCC and Citizens for Profesional Wildlife Management for the dismal defeat of Proposals 1 and 2 I found this post from back in February. A petition to establish, “The Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act” Is it Really Necessary? If someone approached you and said, “Sign this petition and we will guarantee, WORLD PEACE, A CHICKEN IN EVERY POT AND FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR LIFE”. What would you do? RUN, right? Now comes before you the, “Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management”, offering hunters a “sound good, feel good” petition promising to cure all that ails wildlife management in Michigan, an initiative to enact the “Scientific Fish and Conservation Act”. This initiative, we are told, would ensure that our fish and game resources will be managed using, “Principles of Sound Scientific Management”. Where have we heard that before? Correcto mundo! Proposal “G” of 1996 already promises us that and in addition was passed by nearly 70% of Michigan voting citizens. They promise that the Legislature and the Natural Resources Commission will be solely responsible for determining game species and method of take. Sound familiar? If you have been paying attention to recent developments you would know that on May 8, 2013 at 9:15 AM, Gov. Snyder signed SB 288 into law, and it does exactly that. Also, signed by the Gov. on this date at 9:17 AM was SB 289 which guarantees Michigan citizens the right to hunt and fish. This petition also promises free hunting and fishing licenses for Michigan active duty military personnel. Again, Gov. Snyder signed HB 4668 on Sept. 17, 2013 at 3:40 PM, the new license fee structure which includes this provision. Almost as a joke, they add an appropriation of $1,000,000.00 to fight invasive species in Michigan, specifically Asian carp. That’s like putting .50 cents on a new Cadillac for a down payment. It will take billions to keep Asian carp out of the great lakes. The MDNR does NOT need an appropriation to fight invasive species because if they are ever proven to be in the Great Lakes we will be using hundreds of millions to fight it. It is an attractive sales point to get sympathy from people to sign their petition. Now we must ask the question, why this petition and why now? They are trying to get total control of our wildlife resources in the hands of the NRC, people who have NO accountability to the voters. The groups involved in this petition drive are the same groups that for years have been building relationships of influence with the MDNR and the NRC. They do NOT have the best interest of the resources as their priority but rather what advantage they can gain for their memberships. If this ballot initiative passes they will be in the best position to influence regulations for the minority because of the relationships that they have been cultivating. The majority, you and I, will be left out in the cold because the ballot box will become history. They say it will become more expedient to set regulations and name game animals. This could prove costly to our hunting heritage and traditions. Look how they have currently manipulated the system to implement extremely restrictive but mandatory Antler Point Restrictions on our hunting community. The same hunting community that they have divided so ruthlessly, they now try to humiliate into joining them to save THEIR wolf hunting season. Their arrogance and elitism causes them to disrespect opinions of those who disagree with their selfish agendas. They cry, “You must support our agenda, (petition), because you are a hunter and we MUST STICK TOGETHER TO SAVE HUNTING! Looking over ALL the names of groups and clubs exploiting hunters with this petition, I do not see one group that has stood up for Michigan’s non-affiliated hunters, a group that represents the overwhelming majority of hunters in Michigan. If you add up all the claimed membership in these organizations, they do not represent ten per cent of the hunters in this great State of Michigan. Because I have refused to sign this petition I have been called disloyal as though I am aiding the antis. I do NOT nor have I ever supported the activities of the anti hunters. My character, ethics, and integrity tell me NOT to support something that goes against my better judgment, something that has the potential to harm or diminish someone else’s choices or rights. It amazes me when I look at the time and financial resources these groups are spending on this smoke screen and/or diversion. One must ask WHY? I believe it is an attempt to boost falling membership through the publicity that this petition initiative is creating. Membership that I suspect has fallen in recent months because of the debate over extreme mandatory regulation changes that benefit a minority of our hunting community while at the same time disrupting and in some cases eliminating hunting traditions for majority. The Natural Resources Commission was authorized by “proposal G” in 1996 to become the “watch dog” over our Michigan Department of Natural Resources, to safeguard our natural and/or wildlife resources, for ALL the people of the State of Michigan. Recently, through relationships with “lobbyist”, “special interest”, and “selfish interest” and “single interest” groups, they have abused that responsibility and have become partners with the MDNR and the aforementioned groups and clubs. Instead of a watchdog, they have unwittingly or worse yet knowingly become a lapdog as they are involved by seeking to manipulate resources through extreme regulation changes. This petition seeks to remove any recourse or consequences for this corruption by way of the ballot box. They are trying to solidify the practice of “social science” controlling our wildlife resources. Yes, the official position of the MDNR is that “social science” is a legitimate science and therefore falls under the definition of “sound scientific management” found in “proposal G of 1996.” I believe that the group, Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management, is premature and misdirected at this time. They should be seeking to unite hunters for the fight that may be necessary later this summer and fall. They need to admit that MAR’s has evenly divided our hunting community and to look for look for a way to bring them together for discussions and to try to reach a consensus or compromise. I implore them to stop creating more division and confusion with smokescreens and by creating boogie men, the antis. Yes, they are a force to be reckoned with, but their numbers are few. Save your financial resources to defeat the antis and their referendum at the ballot box in November. This petition is just a publicity stunt. It is effective as a feel good agenda but makes no sense at all. And, by the way, stop trying to “blame and shame” other hunters because the “dove” initiative failed in 2006. It was doomed from the start and this one will be also if you continue your arrogant promotion of this petition. Seventy percent of Michigan’s voting citizens said NO to hunting doves. It was not meant to be. You give the anti’s way too much credit for the defeat of the dove initiative. The anti’s spent $2,334,735 to restore the ban on dove hunting, while Citizens for Wildlife Conservation Committee spent $643,637 to keep dove hunting in Michigan. That’s about four to one. Wolves are not doves. I believe that this will be an easier victory for Michigan hunters. Let the anti’s waste all the money they want. But you should be smarter and not waste funding at this time. Curtis Stone Michigan S.M.A.R.T. Hunters 2-17-14
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 17:14:33 +0000
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