Heads Up. Humane Society slanders our conservation efforts

[Mojo]

We donated, at one time, items to our local Humane Society (now it's Oakland County animal shelter that gets our stuff and volunteer time) and to my surprise, this appeared in my wife's inbox..... Needless to say I'm stunned at the low ball, twisted tactics groups take..... If you didn't know better, they sound like the right side to be on ! Arrrgh:



Make the Call for Wolves

Dear sheri,
A dangerous initiative misleadingly called the "Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act" has just passed the Michigan Senate and is moving on to the House. If passed, the act would nullify the two voter referendums on the ballot to protect wolves from trophy hunting and to protect Michigan voters' right to have a say on important wildlife issues.

This is just another blatant attempt of the hunting and trapping lobby and their allies in the legislature in trying to silence voters on the issue of wolves. We need you to join Keep Michigan Wolves Protected in speaking out against this abuse of power today!

Please make a brief, polite phone call to Rep. Gail Haines (517) 373-0615, Rep. Klint Kesto (517) 373-1799 or Rep. Eileen Kowall (517) 373-2616 and urge opposition to this dangerous initiative. You can say: "I'm a constituent, and I would like you to please vote against the "Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act" and let the voters decide the issue at the ballot box in November.

After you call, don't forget to send a follow-up message.

Wayne Pacelle, President & CEO

P.S. If you can, please also attend a rally at the Capitol at 11 a.m. on August 27 to stand up Michigan voters' rights!


Twisted!

[Mojo]

Good news, is there are the phone numbers everyone needs to call to support our Bill. Please pass to all your friends and family.

[Kal-Kevin]

I wounder if we re-post this letter on face book and get everyone we know to call we can thank the Oakland County animal shelter for helping us get it pass our way? What do you think Dan should we call them along with our Reps?

[motocross269]

I thought this already passed the Senate and is just waiting on the Governors signature...I think it is a done deal....

[motocross269]

I thought this already passed the Senate . Maybe it is waiting on approval from the house....I think it is a done deal....It passed the Senate on August 13th...

[djkimmel]

No! Not a done deal. A major part of the effort of the radical animal rights groups is to confuse people on every aspect of this issue. Our Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act bill still needs to pass the full House to become law. The House is expected, hoped, to take the bill up for vote on August 27 - why the anti's are having a 'rally' that day.

This is NOT about wolves as most of us know - this is about two more steps in the anti-hunter / anti-fishing groups attempts to eradicate ALL hunting and fishing. The vote in November everyone thinks is about 'wolves' is really to stop the wolf hunt AND take authority to manage fish and wildlife away from the Natural Resources Commission working with groups like ours and the MDNR.

This means the NRC would no longer have the authority to issue a new Fisheries Order for a new bass season, or any other fisheries order. This means the out-of-state radical animal rights groups could then use their millions they raise from people who think they're helping fluffy animals to pay for more petition drives and influence the Legislature or voters into taking away more hunting and trapping, and more fishing rights.

That is what they are all about regardless of what they claim, and they continually stoop to any tactic to win - meaning stopping ALL hunting and ALL fishing. I will be posting information today where I need all of your help - in just a few minutes you can make a huge difference, and send the radical animal rights packing back to where they come from (not Michigan)!

[djkimmel]

Some important distinctions - the Humane Society for the United States (HSUS) is a separate entity based in Washington DC that exists to eradicate hunting and fishing, stop animal cruelty and raise lots of money to stop animal research, hunting and fishing. They are probably the biggest and best funded radical animal rights group. They are constantly attacking hunting and fishing in Michigan.

HSUS is NOT affiliated with the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) or vice versa. The Michigan Humane Society is the oldest and largest pets/animal welfare organization in Michigan. They started in 1877. They generally have not gotten involved in hunting or fishing issues, and generally are not an anti-hunting organization. They did, however, oppose SB 288 last year - the bill that passed as Public Act 21 that clarified 1996 Proposal G's intent to give the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) authority to designate game species (and issue Fisheries Orders such as the new bass season).

I am waiting for a call back from their policy person to see where they stand right now on the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act right now, if any. Their PR person told me they want Michiganders to be able to vote on these types of things such as the 'wolf hunt.' (My personal comment: Can you imagine what it would be like if every single change in fishing and hunting management required a November vote?!?)

All of the regional humane societies in Michigan - the ones that run the animal shelters and similar - such as the Capital Area Humane Society, the Oakland animal shelter, West Michigan Humane Society, etc. are separate entities. To my knowledge NONE of them are affiliated with each other OR HSUS.

What I want to be clear on is you base your local support on what your local humane society says and does NOT on what HSUS - an organization that solely exists to eradicate animal research, hunting, trapping, fishing, etc. - does. They are all separate entities with separate policies and purposes.

[djkimmel]

The email Mojo's wife received is from the HSUS from Washington DC not any Michigan-based animal shelter/humane society. Wayne Pacelle is their leader and he has been in Michigan a lot lately. I have also seen another lady from HSUS speak at NRC meetings about all the 'science' they have and how the NRC and MDNR are ignoring their 'science'... blah blah blah

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected is the local mouthpiece that is acting using Michigan citizen sympathizers up front to blur the connection to the big influx of out-of-state money and personnel being provided by HSUS. This way people will think other Michiganders are paying all the money to hire petition signature gatherers, and bombard our Michigan Legislators with phone calls and email - mostly from out-of-state persons.

Keep Michigan Wolves Protected lists several Michigan-based humane societies, shelters, the Detroit Audubon Society, the Detroit Zoological Society and others as on their side BUT before I assume any of this is true I would personally confirm with each group because these radical animal rights, anti-hunting / anti-fishing people are not known for spreading much truth. They definitely spread some stuff... but it would fall more under 'fertilizer' than truth.

[Mojo]

Please make a brief, polite phone call to Rep. Gail Haines (517) 373-0615, Rep. Klint Kesto (517) 373-1799 or Rep. Eileen Kowall (517) 373-2616 and urge support to this initiative.

You can say: "I'm a constituent, and I would like you to please vote in favor of the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act because I believe the NRC is the correct division to manage Michigan's Fish and Wildlife, I believe that providing active military members with free hunting and fishing while active is appropriate, and I believe that setting aside $1 Million dollars to allow emergency actions against invasive species (such as Asian Carp). That fact that this agency has nursed the Michigan wolf population from 3 to over 700 demonstrates they clearly use good sound management principles, and I believe that outside groups (not even affiliated with the Michigan Humane Society but have a similar name), have no right to come in our state, use blatant false claims to confuse voters into removing my hunting and fishing rights. Please vote yes on Aug 27th for the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act to continue the use of sound science to manage our wildlife".

You all can post this on facebook tonight and urge everyone including yourself to call your Representative !!

[djkimmel]

That's a pretty good nail you hit on the head Mojo!

WE need ALL of you to call these persons AND especially your own elected state representative!

Go here: http://www.house.mi.gov/mhrpublic/ and use Find a Representative if you don't already know who your elected person in the state House is. You can look on your voter registration card. If you're not a Michigan resident but you fish here you can still call the leaders of the House and tell them you support scientific fish and wildlife management. The anti's are using paid phone help from out-of-state to call our Legislators.

Call the office AND write a follow up email Friday - Monday at the latest. They have ONLY 1 day to announce the bill and vote, and that is next Wednesday August 27. If the House passes our Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act the Governor does not even have to sign it - IT IS LAW! And we give the radical animal rights, anti-hunting, anti-fishing groups something to think about every time they think they're going to come to Michigan to raise money and take aware our rights!!

We HAVE to get this law passed to get our new bass season!! It is that simple. If we fail between now and next Wednesday, this whole issue of the wolf hunt and scientific management of game and fish goes to the regular ballot in November and since everyone thinks this is ONLY about the wolf hunt, and the anti's have millions to spend to keep confusing and misleading people, we will probably lose that vote.

The Natural Resources Commission loses all authority to regulate fish and game, to issue fisheries orders (NO NEW BASS SEASON) and active military lose their free fishing and hunting licenses! All because this group from Washington DC wants to stop YOU and ME from all hunting and all fishing. They can afford to keep doing more petition drives to steal more hunting and fishing rights from us if we don't win this one!

Even if somehow the public realizes what they are really voting for - to repeal everything since Proposal G in 1996 - IT WILL BE TOO LATE AFTER THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER FOR OUR 2015 BASS SEASON. We will have to wait until 2017 AND we will be dealing with more money and attacks by the radical anti's.

So call your Michigan House member FRIDAY August 22 or Monday August 25. Tell whatever staff you get something like what Mojo did a great job typing above! At minimum tell them you expect them to continue to support Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act - scientific management of fish and game by the Natural Resources Commission. The people have 'voted.' They voted in 1996 on Proposal G - 63% Yes. Many of these same House members also supported this exact same bill last year in Public Act 21. The only difference this time is the added $1 million appropriation for an emergency aquatic invasive species fund - everything else in our SFWCA was passed by a majority of these same elected officials last May.

This is not about 'letting the people vote.' This is about out-of-state deep pocket radical anti-hunting, anti-fishing groups trying to destroy Michigan's natural resource economy and your and my favorite activity because they don't want ANYONE hunting OR fishing. That is ALL this is about and ALL it will ever be about for these radical animal rights people.

This is CRITICAL especially if you live in ANY of the following districts (NOTE - Jase Bolger is the Speaker of the House so anyone contacting him whether you live in his district or not will be helping out to make sure he supports acting on the SFWCA):

Representative Jase Bolger: 63rd District
or (517)373-1787

Klint Kesto: 39th District
or (517) 373-1799

Mike Callton: 87th District
or (517) 373-5670

Kevin Cotter: 99th District
or (517) 373-5754

Hugh Crawford: 38th District
or (517) 373-0827

Jeff Farrington: 30th District
or (517) 373-7768

Anthony Forlini: 24th District
or (517) 373-5746

Kurt Heise: 20th District
or (517) 373-5941

Ken Kurtz: 58th District
or (517) 373-1794

Matt Lori: 59th District
or (517) 373-5771.    

Tom McMillin: 45th District
or (517) 373-1773

Margaret O'Brien: 61st District
or (517) 373-1774

Earl Poleski: 64th District
or (517) 373-5694

Pat Somerville: 23rd District
or (517) 373-575

Eileen Kowall:  44th District
or (517) 373-2616

Gail Haines: 43rd District
or (517) 373-0615

Pete Lund: 36th District
or (517) 373-0843

Terry Brown: 84th District
or (517) 373-0476

Tom Cochran: 67th District
or (517) 373-0587

Fred Durhal: 5th District
or (517) 373-0844

Pam Faris: 48th District
or (517) 373-7557

Tim Greimel: 29th District
or (517) 373-0475

Jeff Irwin: 53rd House District
or (517) 373-2577

Stacey Erwin Oakes: 95th District
or (517) 373-0152

Harvey Santana: 9th District
or (517) 373-6990

Charles Smiley: 50th District
or (517) 373-3906

Thomas Stallworth: 7th District
or (517) 373-2276

Woodrow Stanley: 34th District
or (517) 373-8808

Adam Zemke: 55th District
or (517) 373-1792

Andy Schor: 68th District
or 517-373-0826

[Mojo]

Here is what I wrote:

"We HAVE to get this law passed !! Otherwise the Natural Resources Commission loses all authority to regulate fish and game, active military lose their free fishing and hunting licenses! 

Let me explain:  The people have 'voted.' They voted in 1996 on Proposal G - 63% Yes. Many of these same House members also supported this exact same bill last year in Public Act 21. The only difference this time is the added $1 million appropriation for an emergency aquatic invasive species fund - everything else in the SFWCA was passed by a majority of the House and Senate last May.

This is not about 'letting the people vote.' This is about out-of-state deep pocket radical anti-hunting, anti-fishing groups trying to destroy Michigan's natural resource Billion dollar economy and your and my favorite activity because they don't want ANYONE hunting OR fishing. They can afford to keep doing more petition drives to steal more hunting and fishing rights from us if we don't win this one! Please do not let them do this !

The gray wolf population has been brought back rather nicely from 3 to over 700 in Michigan. The MDNR and NRC managed them, ELK, MOOSE, LYNX, COYOTE and COUGAR populations to coexist with Michigan residents. They learned (from the coyote debacle) that if you don't step in and do very limited hunts (to prevent population explosions) then a species with no natural predators will quickly expand into dangerous territory for them, and for children. Wolves are different. They will kill babies, children, dogs, and livestock if they aren't managed properly. To me, if the wolf population explodes, we have BIG problem, and the right way to manage them is just the way the NRC proposes: Limited and controlled hunts. Its more natural that way.

In conclusion, the MDNR and NRC DO use science and conservation practices and they do a VERY good job. I've hunted and fished for 40 years, and the natural resources have ALWAYS been abundant. Voting NO means they no longer are the managing body !!!! Why would you change that ?? Outside groups do not know what's good for us, but if you vote NO, the door opens widely for exactly that. Please vote YES August 27th for the scientific fish and wildlife management act.


Your thoughts always welcome, do not hesitate to call me back on my cell phone. I would love to speak with you on this important topic, as your constituent, you as my representative".

  Michael   Schoemann
  TCRP  Chemical  Lead
   
   Ms1566@chrysler.com

   (248) 512 – 6416  Desk
   (248) 613 – 6595    Cell
   (722) - 1243      Tie Line

[djkimmel]

Great job Mojo! Thank you so much!! You are doing this for yourself and everyone else who enjoys Pure Michigan!

[Mojo]

Not so Fast - I just got off the phone with my representative, his staff claim the out of state phone calls to residents in YOUR county have been VERY effective. Your neighbors, friends and family ARE calling them to stop wolf hunting !

darn it. My rep stated he will, in all likelihood, vote NO for the scientific fish and wildlife management act. (Republican Rep. Klint Kesto, dist 39, Commerce, West Bloomfield, Waterford). I need everyone to contact their friends and family to call in and support. He said the calls do help.

THERE IS NO VICTORY, IT IS NOT A LOCK. Everyone, contact your rep, and post in 5 different blogs urging support. You until Monday.

[djkimmel]

You are correct. The HSUS has recently changed tactics to walk neighborhoods and call residents so it is residents calling our elected officials. It's the same end result effort - an out-of-state anti-hunting, anti-fishing radical animal rights group is doing whatever it takes, spending their millions to take away our hunting and fishing rights.

They will stoop to anything and misleading people into thinking that we are trying to take away their right to vote (they already have multiple times) and that this is just to stop the wolf hunt, not a major step in taking authority away from the NRC/MDNR so they can attack hunting and fishing easier with their money.

It is NEVER a lock when these people are involved with all the money they are able to raise from people who think they're helping animals when all they are doing is helping take away you and my ability to hunt and fish. And we are the people who pay the budget to manage the natural resources through our licenses, not them!

This goes way beyond the bass season. This goes all the way to making it easy for the anti's to pay for petition drives every year to put issues on the ballot that many people will not understand, making it easier to take away parts of our sport. Please remember these are some of the people who have also targeted bass tournaments in the past.

[djkimmel]

A suggestion Mojo (and everyone else) because you can call again and add to your message - voting against the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (SFCWA) does a LOT more than 'stop the wolf hunt.'

* It makes it much easier for the out-of-state radical animal rights groups to spend their large sums of money to take away hunting and fishing rights in the future - which is their one and only true goal in this whole matter - to take away ALL hunting and fishing.

* It removes all authority for fish and game management from the Natural Resources Commission and MDNR. The NRC IS a public process! NRC Commissioners and the MDNR ARE accountable - to the Legislature AND the Governor AND the citizens of Michigan. It has worked very well for decades.

* It would mean all future fish and game management decisions have to go to a popular vote or before the Legislature. Can you imagine every single change that is made now through working public processes having to go to a state vote or full legislative action?

* Voting against the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act is a vote FOR radical animal rights, anti-hunting and anti-fishing no matter how you cut it - review their primary purpose above. They won't stop with wolves, especially if they remove authority from the NRC and can now run paid petition drives for every attack they make.

* Fishing and hunting is a major part of Michigan's economy with almost $5 Billion per year going towards jobs and Michigan citizens. Fishing alone provides over 45,000 jobs statewide. Does ANY state Rep. want to vote AGAINST that? A vote against SFWCA says they support anti-hunting, anti-fishing groups, not the Michigan Natural Resource economy and the jobs of those tens of thousands of citizens based on hunting, fishing and the outdoors.

* A vote against the SFWCA is a vote AGAINST active duty military getting free hunting and free fishing licenses. Does that sound like a patriotic move?

A vote against the SFWCA is a vote against ALL of the above and more.

Please be polite and respectful but make it clear that all of this is major quality of life and important issues to you personally and it does effect your vote. It is a shame good people think they are doing good by 'protecting' some wolves but what they are really doing is furthering the radical goals of anti-hunting and anti-fishing groups. A vote against the SFWCA is a vote against hunting and fishing in total NOT a vote against wolf hunting.

BTW, Representative Kesto voted YES last year on this exact same language minus only the invasive species appropriation. I don't think it is out of line to call back and remind his office of that. There is nothing significantly different this year from last. We are fighting to keep the HSUS (Washington DC-based) and sympathetic or misunderstanding persons from taking away our favorite recreation a piece at a time.

If you want to see how your state rep voted on this exact same bill last year (Senate Bill 288 - passed 72 yes to 38 no - and enrolled as Public Act 21 of 2013) go to this link for House Journal 41 (PDF doc) and search for "Senate Bill No. 288, entitled" to see the votes by Representative just below. http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2013-HJ-05-02-041 is the link to either an MS Excel sheet or the PDF version of the Journal documenting this vote.

[djkimmel]

Please remember we still need phone calls and email to your Michigan State Representatives TODAY to urge them to vote YES this Wednesday for the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act!

[djkimmel]

SFWCA Rally downtown Lansing at 11am tomorrow (Wednesday August 27, 2014) at the State Capital! We are going to make sure our state Representatives know we support scientific fish and wildlife management!

[motocross269]

I just got an email that it passed the House today...

[t-bone]

yep - me too...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 27, 2014

Contact: Drew YoungeDyke, Grassroots & Public Relations | 734-272-2584 | dyoungedyke@mucc.org

House Passes Pro-Hunting Citizen Initiative into Law

Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act now law, renders anti-hunting referendums moot

LANSING, MI – The Michigan House of Representatives passed the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act today with a bipartisan vote of 65-43 . The citizen initiative, which passed the Senate on August 13 and was supported by the signatures of almost 300,000 registered voters, allows the Natural Resources Commission to name game species and issue fisheries orders using sound science, creates a $1 million rapid response fund to prevent Asian carp, and provides free hunting and fishing licenses for active military members.

"We are very thankful to the legislators who voted for sound science, the voters who signed the petition, the organizations who supported it, and the tireless volunteers who collected the signatures of almost 300,000 registered Michigan voters," said Dan Eichinger, executive director for Michigan United Conservation Clubs. "This is an important step to protecting the rights to hunt, fish and trap in Michigan from radical animal rights organizations."

The initiative also renders moot two referendums sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a Washington, D.C.-based anti-hunting organization, which sought to repeal two bills that would allow a regulated hunting season for wolves in certain areas of the Upper Peninsula where they have killed pets, dogs and livestock. Because the initiative contains an appropriation, it is not subject to a third referendum by HSUS or its front group, Keep Michigan Wolves Protected.

"We thought it was important to listen to the will of the 300,000 registered voters who brought this initiative to us," said Representative Jon Bumbstead (R-Newago). "This is about more than wolves. It's about protecting the rights of our constituents to hunt and fish by managing our fish and wildlife with sound science."

Passage of the citizen initiative settles the wolf hunt controversy, which has moved back and forth over the past two years, providing the certainty that Department of Natural Resources biologists need to move forward with wolf management.

Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management is a coalition of conservation, hunting, fishing and trapping groups and individuals including the Michigan chapters of Safari Club International, the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association, the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, the Upper Peninsula Sportsmen's Alliance, U.P. Whitetails, Inc., the U.P. Bear Houndsmen, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited and the United States Sportsmen's Alliance. The act has also received the endorsement of the National Wildlife Federation, the Michigan Salmon and Steelhead Fishermen's Association, the Lake St. Clair Walleye Association, the Lake St. Clair chapter of Muskies, Inc., and numerous local conservation groups throughout Michigan.

[Mojo]

HURRRRRRRRRAAAAAAYYY !!! Dan Kimmel - IT WORKS !!!  The broken system actually cannot be bought if citizens get involved !!!

Thank you Dan Kimmel  ... Today I'm proud to be a GLB member, and your friend.

Where can we get a full listing to see who voted yes and who voted no. Considering this issue is very important to me, it is also very telling of my representative.... where can I see this full vote ?

Mike