Chairman Peterson Vows Conservation Priorities Will Be Protected

June 7 , 2007
Special Edition

Chairman Peterson Vows Conservation Priorities Will Be Protected
Addressing the sportsmen’s community at a briefing held by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Collin Peterson (D-MN), thanked the sportsmen’s community for the unified effort in identifying and promoting conservation priorities, and provided encouragement that conservation programs contained in the Farm Bill would be maintained. “We are getting within striking distance of making this work -- I am becoming more optimistic we can get this done,” proclaimed Peterson. “At the end of the day it is my intention to ensure the priorities of the sportsmen’s community are included in the bill.” Peterson was referring to a document prepared by the Association of the Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, titled "Fish, Wildlife and the Farm Bill," which includes the list of priorities put forth by more than 40 hunting and fishing organizations. Tempering his remarks against the backdrop of today’s fiscal environment, Peterson said, “We don't have has much money as we would like to go around and that is causing us to make difficult decisions. The 2002 Farm Bill was written at a time when our nation was coming off of significant budget surpluses, while it is estimated that the 2007 Farm Bill will have $60 billion less in funding in the commodities title alone than the last one.” Chairman Peterson is looking to have the House bill marked up by July 4th recess and is hopeful that the bill will be on the floor by mid-July for a House vote. Showing his true colors of camouflage and blaze orange, Peterson closed by saying it was his hopes that the bill would be passed out of the House and Senate and sent to the President by September, so it would not interfere with his hunting season. His parting advice to the hunting, fishing and conservation groups was to stay united in support of the conservation priorities. "By working as one constituency you are a far greater force to help insure that the bill gets passed on time and with your priorities." “Chairman Peterson’s message to the sportsmen’s community today was on point and provided a realistic and encouraging outlook,” stated Jeff Crane, President of CSF. “With nearly $20 billion at stake for conservation, the Farm Bill is the top policy priority for sportsmen. If the sportsmen’s priorities are included in this Farm Bill, it has the potential to be the great conservation bill of the 21st Century." Also addressing the sportsmen’s organizations were House Caucus Co-Chairs, Congressmen Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Ron Kind (D-WI). Congressman Kind, who has been an ardent supporter of the conservation titles in the Farm Bill, emphasized with the group that as the bill gets ready to come to the floor of the House for a vote that the sportsmen’s community needed to have a targeted campaign and to make a big push of support to ensure passage. In addition to CSF, the briefing was also hosted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and BASF . Both organizations have been working closely with CSF on the Farm Bill reauthorization.

The Sportsman's Link to Congress and State Capitols
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses
110 North Carolina Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003

Stepping off the Floor, Members of Congress Take Shots at Clays Instead of Each Other

Washington, DC – Putting partisan bickering aside, the common sentiment echoed by members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus at the 13th Annual Congressional Shoot-Out was that Republicans and Democrats stand united in support of protecting and promoting the rights to hunt and shoot. The event organized by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation pits the Democrats against their Republican colleagues on the trap, skeet and sporting clays ranges to establish the straightest shooters on Capitol Hill.

“This is a sight few Americans would expect to see, Republicans and Democrats together enjoying a day of recreational shooting,” commented Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. “But when it comes to hunting and fishing, members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus check their party affiliations at the door.”

As the smoke cleared at the end of the day, the Democrats lead by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Vice Chair Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK) won the event for the second time in the last decade. Former Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) triumphed as the 2007 individual Congressional Top Gun with a score of 66 broken clays out of 82, followed closely behind by the Top Gun Democrat Congressman Collin Peterson (D-MN) who broke 62 clays throughout the day and Top Gun Republican Congressman John Kline (R-MN) with 60 busted clays.

Throughout each Congressional session, members of the Caucus work together to promote legislation that protects and improves our hunting, shooting and fishing heritage. The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus are currently focused several issues, including recently introduced conservation tax legislation and the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization.

Democrat Team Shooters
Dan Boren (OK) - Team Captain
Christopher Carney (PA)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
Brad Ellsworth (IN)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Collin Peterson (MN)
Mike Ross (AR)
Bennie Thompson (MS)
Mike Thompson (CA)

Republican Team Shooters
Paul Ryan (WI) - Team Captain
John Carter (TX)
Mike Enzi (WY)
Robin Hayes (NC)
John Kline (MN)
Steve Pearce (NM)
Adam Putnam (FL)
Bill Salli (ID)
Don Young (AK)

The Sportsmen's Voice!!!!

Thank you to:
The Congressional Spotsmen's Foundation
For allowing HuntingLife.com to republish this newsletter for your enjoyment!

May 3, 2007
Volume 5, Issue 9



Refuge Partners Release Report Detailing Budget Problems
The National Wildlife Refuge System stands to lose 20 percent of its workforce and leave more than half of its refuges operating at a loss in the next five years unless Congress increases its budget, according to a report released by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), of which the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation is a member. The report documents how the chronic under-funding of the nation’s refuge system is impacting not only infrastructure maintenance, but also staffing, hours of access and hunting and fishing programs.

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), one of the leaders of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus and Co-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, is asking the Natural Resources Committee to hold a hearing on the refuge system's budget woes. "Refuges virtually touch every congressional district in the nation, so everyone has a purpose for doing a better job of protecting them," Kind said.

Ads Reinforce Connection Between Legislation and Hunting and Fishing
An ad campaign aimed at continued awareness of the connection between legislation and hunting and fishing has been launched by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. The ads feature messages such as, “The future of hunting and fishing is also in politics - on the streets of Washington, D.C.”

Similar ads focused on state legislation have also been developed for the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses. With the 2008 elections looming, it is important for sportsmen to make the connection between the actions of their elected officials and their enjoyment of hunting and fishing. In 2004, sportsmen and women had a likely voter rate of 80% and a majority said they considered it essential that a candidate share their views on hunting and fishing issues. High resolution copies of the ads can be downloaded through the CSF website.



Wildlife Violators Compact Legislation Introduced in Ohio
Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Representative Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) recently introduced HB 153, legislation that would permit the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s Division of Wildlife to enter into the National Wildlife Violators Compact. “Protecting Ohio’s wildlife from poachers and others who would violate the hunting and fishing regulations is crucial if we wish to continue having wildlife in Ohio,” stated Latta.

Currently 26 states are members of the compact which links a state’s database of individuals who have violated that state’s hunting and fishing regulations resulting in a suspended or revoked license to a national database in order to prevent the violators from moving from state to state and committing the same crime.

Michigan Working to Make Hunting/Fishing License Voter Registration Easier
Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs Senators Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau), Bruce Patterson (R-Canton), and Michael Prusi (D-Ishpeming) have introduced a pair of bills, SB 438 & 439, to make registering to vote even easier for sportsmen in the Wolverine State. The legislation would require that resident hunting, fishing or fur harvesters licenses include a voter registration section which would serve as the application to vote if signed.

Tax Credit and Wildlife Cruelty Bills Introduced in New York
New York Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Elizabeth Little (R-Queensbury) has introduced legislation which would allow landowners of 25 or more contiguous acres to receive a 25 percent tax credit on their real estate taxes if they place the land in a forestry stewardship or habitat conservation agreement with the state. The land must be deemed valuable to fish and wildlife habitat, including hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife viewing-related recreation.

The National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses is keeping an eye on legislation introduced in the Empire State that would extend the coverage of the state’s felony animal cruelty law to cover wildlife. The legislation is not currently written to affect lawful hunting or trapping licensed by the Department of Environmental Conservation, but NASC has observed similar legislation in other sportsmen’s caucus states where the written legislation has not been clear on how it might impact hunting.

From Utah to Vermont, Sportsmen’s Caucuses Take to the Range
State legislators around the country have been turning in their ties and jackets for shooting vests, taking a day off from voting to break clays and introduce their colleagues to recreational shooting and hunting. The outreach opportunities have been cited as great ways to remind them of what they are working to protect and promote as members of state sportsmen’s caucuses.

In Utah, National Wild Turkey Federation state president Jon Leonard provided one-on-one mentoring to Utah Caucus Co-Chair Senator Allen Christensen (R-North Ogden) by introducing him to the joys of turkey hunting. In July, the NWTF chapter will assist in organizing an event for the newly formed Utah Sportsmen’s Legislative Caucus.

Members of the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus members gathered for the 15th Annual Dinner and Auction, which was sponsored by a National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses partner, the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “As more and more state legislatures attempt to pass stringent gun-control measures, such as recent proposals in Illinois to ban assault weapons, it is incumbent upon industry to support those state representatives who support us," said NSSF senior vice president and general counsel Lawrence Keane. "Through active participation in sportsmen's caucuses around the country, we help to accomplish this mission."

In Georgia, more than a dozen legislators shot skeet alongside officials with the Governor’s office and partner hunting organizations including the Heritage and Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Georgia Chapter Safari Club International, and Quality Deer Management Association in the Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus shoot. The professional shooting instructors at the Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds had two legislators who had never shot before hitting skeet in no time and left them very excited about going back again.

Approximately 30 members of the Vermont Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus turned out to a shoot hosted by the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs and National Rifle Association, a partner of the NASC. Many of the legislators in attendance had little or no shooting experience, something that volunteer instructors quickly remedied. By the end of the day, all shooters left behind a trap field full of busted clays. Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Steven Adams (R-Hartland) noted, ”It was ironic that the same day lawmakers in neighboring states were debating gun control, legislators in Vermont were practicing muzzle control.”

The leadership of the Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus rounded up more than 50 members of the General Assembly to take part in their annual day at the range and recruited the Missouri Department of Conservation staff to assist legislators with limited shooting experience. The legislators enjoyed their time on the trap, skeet and 5 stand fields before heading back to cast votes that afternoon.

In Florida, nineteen members of the Legislators' Sportsmen’s Caucus gathered to enjoy a low country boil and celebrate hunting, shooting and fishing in the Sunshine State. More than three dozen staffers and Caucus supporters also attended the event, the second dinner hosted by the Caucus this session. Back in March, a dozen members of the Caucus met for a Wild Game Cookout. Caucus Co-chair Rep. Baxter Troutman (R-Winter Haven) stated, “The freshmen members, and even some of the more veteran members of the legislature, are really starting to understand the value of the Sportsmen’s Caucus, and these informal dinners give them a great chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company, while at the same time understand the value of Florida sportsmen’s activities to our economy.”



The Sportsman's Link to Congress and State Capitols
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses
110 North Carolina Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003