Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act

Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act

In August 2014 we passed the critically important Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (SFWCA) confirming our Legislators and outdoors savvy Michiganders still support management of our natural resources using principles of sound science instead of the ballot box and emotion.

The anti-hunting, anti-fishing radical animal rights group Humane Society of the United States (H$U$), disguised as a Michigan group called keep wolves protected, used the public’s misconceptions about hunting as a management tool to almost undo our entire scientific wildlife management system with the foundation of the Natural Resources Commission, founded in 1922 to keep emotion out of fish and wildlife management.

H$U$ is making a habit out of attacking hunting and fishing in Michigan. This latest excuse to attack us – using our wolf hunt as cover – has helped them raise millions of dollars from anti-hunters and animal lovers who think they’re actually helping pets – only 1% of the money H$U$ raises actually goes to pet shelters according to their 2013 tax return.

The danger of this latest attack on the future of Michigan hunting and fishing can not be overstated. H$U$ has more than enough money to buy multiple referendum petition drives and run bigger publicity campaigns to mislead voters about what they are voting for as they almost did with bears in 1995-96, as they successfully did with doves and as they did this time with wolves.

H$U$ will use the majority vote on the two referendums last November 4th as justification to put more pressure on our politicians, raise more money to promote their radical animal rights agenda and continue pouring it into attacking hunting and fishing here and elsewhere like their attack on the Maine bear hunt and fishing rights in California.

The Scientific Fish and Wildlife Management Act citizen’s initiative petition drive is all that now stand between the real stewards of our natural resources – hunters and anglers – and radical animal rights who want to end all hunting and fishing. We did this so H$U$ couldn’t just referendum our pastime out of existence without regards to the fact they would also be ending almost all funding for natural resources management and literally leaving fish and wildlife hanging without a safety net our stewardship provides.

We were successful this time thanks to a large number of volunteers from many outdoors organizations! We passed the SFWCA to ensure the Natural Resources Commission keeps their authority to keep emotion out of fish and wildlife management where it does not belong. We need to keep and support the SFWCA to keep sound science, not emotion and the ballot box, making the right decisions good for the management of our Michigan natural resources.

Tags: citizens initiative, featured, management tools, nrc, petition, scientific management, sfwca