RMEF blasts AZ HB 2072

[Big Fin]

Looks like the folks at RMEF are rallying the Arizona membership to kill HB 2072 and the other backdoor attempts to steal the public resource. Seems AZSFW cannot take their eye off the potential public teat represented by HB 2072, and the other backdoor attempts to give the AZ wildlife to AZSFW.

This email is going to all Arizona members of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.





View attachment RMEF AZSFW.pdf

 

[typicalmuley]

It is good to hear that the RMEF has our backs. I agree that organizations should not take advantage of our wildlife for there own gain. These organizations should help bring sportsmen together and promote equality, opportunity, and responsibility for hunting and conservation. That all hunters young, old, poor, and rich have the same opportunity to enjoy this sport we all love and cherish. Just my two cents.

Enjoy the moment, relive the memories.

 

[AZ402]

That's great and It's been sent to everyone I know!!

 

[Devil Diver Down]

This is great and to me the key verbiage is: 'any similar legislative attempts to take public wildlife from the public' since HB 2072 seems to be dead, but AZSFW seems to be trying to get the measure attached to another bill for easier passage.

 

[azcoueshunter]

SAWWWEEEEETTT!

lets just hope the right people pay attention.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

It would be nice if groups like AZ Deer Association and AZ Bowhunter Association would drop their continued support of AZSFW too.

 

[AZ402]

It would be nice if groups like AZ Deer Association and AZ Bowhunter Association would drop their continued support of AZSFW too.

I thought the ABA did come out against this, I know 95% of their members polled, were opposed to this legislation. The ADA seems to be one in the same with AZSFW. Also the Arizona Antelope Foundation has yet to make a statement.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

It is nice to know that RMEF, which I am a member, has the same stance on this bill that I do.

I do wonder however, if RMEF is getting too deep into political issues and therefore runs the risk of getting distracted from its core purpose of securring habitat for elk. I appreciate RMEF support but I would hate it if this distracted them from their core mission. I have seen this many times with busineses that try to do too much and become disfuntional in their main goal. I certainly hope this does not happen as I believe RMEF has been very successful and important to the future of elk and elk hunting.

 

[theat]

Iam glad to see RMEF step up publicly against this tag grab attempt.

I share the same concerns as mulecreek, but in the last few years I have seen how much politics has weaseled its way into wildlife/habitat management and I dont like it one bit. I think that the leadership at the RMEF has seen this too in particular with the wolf and sfw issues. There is so much money being thrown at this by the other side that I think the only way we can possibly win is if well known respected organizations such as RMEF stand up and fight back.

 

[Big Fin]

I think we all wish that hunting issues were not political. That has changed in the last 15 years, and the hunting/conservation groups have been hesitant to jump in. Now SFW shows up, knowing the big dogs try to stay out of politics, and in the process have left the field wide open for the SFW types.

I see no choice for hunting and conservation groups. The current landscape of how the issues get drug into politics requires them to get better at political games. Yet they must work to compartmentalize the politics to be only when relevant to their mission.

Do we think the SFW types could have gained such political traction if they had followed the traditional role of staying out of politics? Or, if the bigger players had been less reluctant to be step up when the situation warranted? I doubt they could have.

Good points, and always needed to make sure the habitat groups keep their eye on the ball.

 

[jryoung]

Sadly it will only continue to get more political. The threats to public land will only continue to increase and become more of an issue at the national level. There are many non hunting groups that would feel that impact as well and years there could be some interesting alliances in the next 10 to 15 years.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

I thought the ABA did come out against this, I know 95% of their members polled, were opposed to this legislation. The ADA seems to be one in the same with AZSFW. Also the Arizona Antelope Foundation has yet to make a statement.

ABA did come out against HB 2072 but they are still listed as a sponsor of AZSFW. Those are two separate issues, at least in my mind. If I was one of these organizations I'd have been distancing myself from the AZSFW burning wreck as soon as I could. AES came out right away and dumped their sponsorship of AZSFW. The ones late to announce (or not at all yet) are riding the fence to see how things go--they don't want to piss off the group that snares a boatload of tags.

ADA's silence speaks on this whole deal volumes to me. They're snuggling up to AZSFW closer than Dink to Oak on a December snipe hunt IN THE ROCKIES.

 

[Jwill]

Great letter! Good to see a conservation organization acting like a conservation organization.

 

[Big Fin]

ADA's silence speaks on this whole deal volumes to me. They're snuggling up to AZSFW closer than Dink to Oak on a December snipe hunt IN THE ROCKIES.

Don't expect anything from ADA, other than support for AZ SFW.

They weren't very silent today. One of their leaders made it very clear today that he was extremely displeased with the RMEF decision to jump into the fray on HB 2072.

Easy to see who is buttering their bread. If I was a member of ADA, I would be asking for some accountability.

 

[shoots-straight]

I have a feeling that other sportsmens organizations are going to throw their clout at this battle.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Where is Mule Deer Foundation?

 

[AZ402]

Where is Mule Deer Foundation?

That's a good question.

 

[1_pointer]

Mule Deer Foundation
1939 South 4130 West, Ste. H
Salt Lake City, UT 84104

I remember when the move of the headquarters to SLC was announced. It was about the same time they started teaming up with another (in)famous group in UT on an expo. IMO, they are riding for the SFW brand...

 

[azpackhorse]

ADA and azsfw are essentially one in the same, their president, John Koleszar is the front man in the push for this tag-grab bill. Their silence is to be expected.

 

[Lv2hnt]

Pete Cimellaro (AZSFW) and John Koleszar (ADA - Ariz. Deer Assoc.) have been joined at the hip since the start!!!

As a reminder, RMEF was started in 1984 by 4 hunters! Yes, the organization distanced itself from politics for quite a while, emphasizing habitat work on the ground --- that continues. It's really good to see them return more to their hunter roots since Dave Allen has taken the helm ...