Vote for Conservation Nov. 2
(Illustration by Sara Holle, PF Graphic Designer)
A favorite saying around Pheasants Forever is that the U.S. President can, with one stroke of his mighty pen, put millions of acres of habitat on the landscape, more than all the conservation groups can do in a lifetime.
That said, it is important that all hunter-conservationists participate in the November 2 election. Here’s some thoughts to keep in mind as you consider the candidates and enter that voting booth to cast your all-important ballot:
Agriculture/Farm Bill
The 2012 Farm Bill will be debated in 2011. Shrinking budgets will require members of Congress to look hard at cost-cutting measures. Ask the candidates this:
- Will you object to funding cuts to Farm Bill conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program?
- Do you feel the Conservation Reserve Program should be expanded, maintained at current levels or reduced?
- What will you do to protect other valuable Farm Bill conservation programs, such as the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program?
- What else will you do to secure these Farm Bill programs, which are invaluable to hunters and anglers across the country?
Access
Hunting and fishing opportunities are becoming more difficult for sportsmen to find and access as private lands are closed to the public. What is your position on programs that encourage private landowners to voluntarily provide public access for recreational opportunities?
- Will you support legislation that provides continuing or additional funds to help state and federal managers to improve hunting and fishing opportunities on private land and increase access to public land?
- What will you do to advance this legislation?
A new, voluntary sportsmen’s access program called Open Fields that encourages private landowners to allow hunting and fishing on their lands was included in the last Farm Bill.
- Will you support the continuation and expansion of this program in the next Farm Bill?
Wetlands
More than 80,000 acres of the nation’s wetlands that provide valuable habitat to fish and wildlife are lost to development every year. As a result of two recent Supreme Court decisions, many wetlands and small streams have lost legal protection from development.
- Will you support legislation that restores protections for small streams and wetlands to the same level as before the 2001 and 2006 court cases?
- What will you do to advance this legislation?
(Thanks to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, of which PF is a member, for this overview.)
Tags: election 2010
3 Responses to “Vote for Conservation Nov. 2”
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Maybe you should post pro hunting conservation candidates for states across the nation. The trick of course is figuring out the real story amongst all the political garbage.
For the past five years, I have been interested in this hunt but I had heard that it is somewhat crazy during the opening weekend with hunters shooting birds on the ground… I am also curious as to the remaining amount of birds during the rest of the season. Question: Once you pay, do you get assigned a field for the whole season or can you try other fields? if any of you JHO members vouch for it, then I will definitely check it out.
Hey Tony, good idea, but as a 501 c(3) not-for-profit, PF must remain non-partisan regards specific candidates. One thing, however, is a candidate’s past voting record is a pretty good (hard to obfuscate) indication of how they’ll vote on conservation and hunting in the future.