Pick up the phone and Call

[regnar]

Help Oppose HB559 before it's too late!

Attention members! NH sportspeople need your help OPPOSING House Bill 559. This piece of legislation's primary sponsor is an animal rights activist from Cornish (Carla Skinder –D) and it seeks to gut the authority of the Fish and Game Commission. These Commissioners are nominated by you, the sportsperson, to direct policy at the Fish & Game Department. The Department is entirely funded through OUR license fees. Additionally, the bill seeks to force an animal rights activist onto the Commission! That's like putting one of us on the board of PETA! It is OUR Department and we need to make certain lawmakers don't destroy what we have built over the last hundred years.

If you can join the fight, groups from across the state plan to march on the statehouse on 2/17/09 for the 10AM hearing. We will meet in front of the statehouse beginning at 9AM.

Please call or email your legislators and ask them for a FIRM COMMITMENT to oppose this bill. Rep. L'Hereux is a very influential member of the House Fish and Game Committee, those of you in Merrimack, please call Mr. L'Hereux and ask for a FIRM COMMITMENT that he will vote to "ITL" (Inexpedient to Legislate) this bad bill.

We believe a major concern is the bill will be placed in committee to be "studied" until hunting season. Then while we enjoy our pursuits the bill will pass without the fight it is sure to get on 2/17. The only way to prevent this is to ITL the bill on 2/17.

If your legislator is on the committee let him/her know you expect an "ITL" vote. Call your legislators that are not on the committee and tell them you expect them to oppose this bill as they will communicate your displeasure to their colleagues on the House F&G Committee.

NH House F&G Committee members

Dennis Abbott (D) Newmarket - Phone [phone](Chair)


Margaret Porter (D) Epping - Phone [phone] (Vice Chair)

Betsy Mc Kinney (R) Londonderry - Phone [phone]


John Henson (D) Exeter - Phone [phone]

Rose Marie Rogers (D) Rochester - Phone [phone]


Robert L' Hereux (R) Merrimack Phone - 424-2539

Joseph Russell (D) Stratham Phone - 775-0197


John Roberts(R) Chocorua Phone - 323-8250

Gary Hooper (R) Weare Phone - 529-7728


Daniel Carr (D) Ashuelot - Phone [phone]

Seth Marshall (D) Nashua – Phone [phone]


Dennis Reed (R) Franklin Phone - 934- 3657

Kenneth Ward (D) Rollinsford – Phone [phone]


Michael Farley (D) Manchester – Phone [phone]

Elizabeth Sanders (R) Danville – Phone [phone]


David Watters (D) Dover – Phone [phone]

Mark Preston (D) Hampton – Phone [phone]


Michael McCarthy (R) Nashua – Phone [phone]

Lyle Bulis (R) Littleton – Phone [phone]




To find your legislator click here.

www.gencourt.state.nh.us/whosmyleg/

[MK-M-GOBL]

I'm not sure if it's really that bad thing Regnar F&G has already proved that it can't not handle it's funds. They want money not only from us sportsmen but now from the state. The state won't just hand over money when their history of management is so shaky. What they (F&G) are good at doing is making sure the top officials pockets are full and they all have a great retirement package. I'm sorry but even though many people think that the F&G Department is doing wonders for the sportsmen of NH, the fact is they are not. Come on, if this state is doing so great with it's wildlife management, why do we have so many hunters taking off for other state like IL, PA, TN and OH looking for better deer hunting?

Now saying that there an one animal rights activist trying to gut the department is crazy. The state can not and will not take away the hunting right of the people. There's way too money involved with hunting, fishing, gas, food, motels, license fees, boat permits and the money from sporting good dealers for the state, that that can not afford to loose it. All their trying to do is get the F&G out of the red numbers that they got themselves into. The greed that is got America in the hole is the same greed that's infected our F&G Department because there's no one to over see how they manage/run things.

Now I don't know how most people feel about getting screwed but I'm tried of it. What they built over the last hundred years is not what it started out to be....for the sportsman. It's turned into too many fish, bird programs & youth programs where people ask for money and they just give away our license dollar. You want to talk "it's the way it's been for years", let look at saltwater fishing. For years it was free to do but not anymore! Now (well soon) we've got to pay a fee to NHF&G in order to go off-shore and fish. How much BS is that? Mark my words people, if F&G had their way more than what they have now, you will paying a fee to drive off any paved road in the state or charge to stop and photograph what little wildlife we have.

F&G is getting real nervous now because the way they have always done things (behind their own closed doors) will so be out in the open for state officials to look at.

Having a state official(s) over see what the F&G is doing could really be a blessing in disguise for us...not to an official at the F&G Department.

[soccerref]

Tom, this will have little direct effect on F&G, this is the F&G commission which helps direct F&G policy. It's appointed/approved by the governor people, who give the F&G direction. For example this is the commission that stopped doe permits due to public input/lack of spine (depending on which side of the debate you where on).

currently commission members have to hold hunting or fishing license. Not sure that is right since F&G is responsible for much more than hunting/fishing, however requiring an animal rights activist is a bad idea.

[MK-M-GOBL]

I did a search of the HB 559 and all I come up with is the topic on forums and how we need to be against it. Does anyone have a link to the actual Bill in question that's not from a forum?

I guess I should have looked for it before I made my post and was able to read it for myself as to what it says

Oh and just so you know, the NH Wildlife Federation are the one to first pick who they want or feel is up for the job. They then run it by sportsmen clubs that are on the same page as the F&G. They then submit it to the Governors office. So yes we do have a say in it but only after who the WF decides on and then through the clubs they wish it put it through. So unless a sportsmen in the state is active in several clubs, then the average sportsmen doesn't vote in the heads of F&G. I call up one of my clubs officials to see if the club ever was asked to voted or approved the WF nominee. I was told they did once in all the years they were a club. Again, this is where they probably ask only clubs with a good tract recorded of doing what ever the F&G ask. I'd really like to see this Bill

[soccerref]

As usual there's theory and reality and the political games that turn one into the other often times make me sick. If things work as you say, and I am sure they to, it's one more strike against the NHWF in my book.

However, if the bill turns out to be as state, that it will REQUIRE the commision to have an animal rights activist on it, then all other issues can be pushed to #2. Requiring one is a bad bad bad idea.

[regnar]

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine

AN ACT relative to the composition and duties of, and appointment to, the fish and game commission.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Fish and Game Commission. Amend RSA 206:1 to read as follows:

206:1 Commission Created; Name of Department. There shall be an agency of the state to be known hereafter as the fish and game department under an executive director, with the advice of a [commission to be known as the] fish and game commission.

2 Appointment of Commission. Amend RSA 206:2 to read as follows:

206:2 Appointment of Commission.

[I.] The commission shall consist of 11 members, each qualified pursuant to RSA 206:2-a, appointed by the governor and council. Whenever an appointment is to be made to the commission, the governor shall cause to be published the name of the nominee in a newspaper of statewide daily circulation. The council may not consent to an appointment under this section sooner than 30 days after the name of the nominee is submitted to the council.

[II. Sporting clubs in each county may form a county sporting club board. Whenever an appointment is to be made to the commission, each board may nominate one to 3 persons and submit such recommendations to the governor for the governor’s consideration. Whenever an appointment is to be made to the commission from the tidewater towns, the advisory committee on marine fisheries may nominate one to 3 persons and submit such recommendations to the governor for the governor’s consideration.

III. For the purposes of this section “sporting clubs” means:

(a) An organization which has specific interests in hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife and habitat conservation and which has been registered with the department of state for at least 2 consecutive years.

(b) An organization which acknowledges in its permanent bylaws, the promotion and protection of hunting, fishing or trapping and which accepts scientific wildlife management methods and tools.]

3 Qualifications; Experience. Amend RSA 206:2-a to read as follows:

206:2-a Qualifications of Commissioners.

I. Each member of the commission shall be a resident of a different county in the state except that one commission member shall be a resident of one of the tidewater towns of Portsmouth, Seabrook, Rye, Hampton, Hampton Falls, North Hampton, Newington, Greenland, Stratham, Exeter, Newfields, Newmarket, Durham, Madbury, Dover, Rollinsford or New Castle, and not more than 6 commissioners shall be members of the same political party.

II. Each member shall also be qualified in the following manner:

(a) Well informed on the subject of fish and wildlife conservation and restoration;

(b) Dedicated to the conservation and protection of the state’s fish and wildlife resources and of an environment conducive to the welfare of the same;

(c) Committed to a fish and game program providing reasonable balance between research, habitat management and law enforcement;

(d) [An active outdoorsman holding a resident fishing, hunting, or trapping license in at least 5 of the 10 years preceding the appointment;

(e)] A personal record free of convictions of violation of fish and game laws and regulations of this state or any other jurisdiction within 5 years, preceding his or her appointment; and

[(f) At least 5 years’ experience in one or a combination of the following fields:

(1) Forestry

(2) Agriculture

(3) Management of wild lands

(4) Soils conservation

(5) Conservation of water resources

(6) Fish and game management or propagation

(7) Conservation engineering

(8) Conservation law

(9) Wildlife education

(10) Active membership in a conservation or sportsmen’s organization in this state.

(g)] (e) In the case of the coastal commission member, a general knowledge of all crustaceans and bivalves in coastal waters and salt water fishing in general.

II-a. At least one member of the commission shall have experience in the areas of wildlife preservation and animal protection.

III. Upon nomination by the governor, each nominee shall forthwith file with the secretary of state an affidavit, duly signed and sworn to, setting forth in detail how he or she complies with the qualifications cited in paragraph II and affirming his or her belief in the aims of subparagraphs (b) and (c) of paragraph II. [His] An appointment shall not be confirmed by the council until such affidavit has been examined by them and such appointee has been found qualified pursuant to this section.

4 Repeal. RSA 206:4-a, relative to duties of the fish and game commission, is repealed.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.






Here is the link

www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2009/HB0559.html

[nastygunz]

Im not impresed with either route...I think NH F&G are in a cozy little niche where they look out for themselves and their pensions and scheme to strip more money from sportsmen for their "projects" and likewise think we dont need any kind of Board loaded with tree hugging anti gun hunting nutcases like that horse licensing whacko Skinder!....as far as never shutting down hunting because of its financial benefits to the state?...theres more then one way to skin a cat...even now rising fees....less open land....the new anti-gun whitehouse....NEVER SAY NEVER....I dont see an easy solution to the situation but I do think neither one of the options above are worth a bucket of spit.

[nastygunz]

How about a referendum so the TRUE voice of NH sportsmen can be heard from the PEOPLE not some damned politicians!...thats what we never hear these days...THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE:
--------------------------------
A referendum (plural referendums or referenda), ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. The referendum or plebiscite is a form of direct democracy ideally favouring the majority.

[Pemi-Man]

One particular issue I've heard through the grapvine is having all ammunition serialized so it can be kept track of in a database. Sure that's a fine and dandy thing since none of us go out on killing sprees around the country, but what it does do is add cost to manufacturing. Nobody has to outlaw anything, it just has to be made prohibitively expensive so nobody buys it...if you make ammunition so expensive to manufacture that it's not worth manufacturing because of low profit margins, then nobody will make it. Of course, I'm sure military and police wouldn't have to worry about higher costs because they wouldn't be required to have serial nummbers on their ammunition. Hevi-Shot is already expensive enough to make me question buying it, keep adding the cost and less people wil buy. like Nasty said, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

[nastygunz]

Perfect example Pemi-Man.

[MK-M-GOBL]

Feb 10, 2009 12:12:01 GMT Pemi-Man said:

One particular issue I've heard through the grapvine is having all ammunition serialized so it can be kept track of in a database. Sure that's a fine and dandy thing since none of us go out on killing sprees around the country, but what it does do is add cost to manufacturing. Nobody has to outlaw anything, it just has to be made prohibitively expensive so nobody buys it...if you make ammunition so expensive to manufacture that it's not worth manufacturing because of low profit margins, then nobody will make it. Of course, I'm sure military and police wouldn't have to worry about higher costs because they wouldn't be required to have serial nummbers on their ammunition. Hevi-Shot is already expensive enough to make me question buying it, keep adding the cost and less people wil buy. like Nasty said, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

That's what I was posting and adding links about before the elections. As far as the ammunition be serialized, I heard about that too. Apparently though, it's been up several times and it keeps getting defeated. I'm sure it's a matter of time they get in right with the way the administration is getting stack.

[nastygunz]

ID LIKE TO KNOW HOW THEY ARE GOING TO SERIALIZE SHOTGUN PELLETS?....")..FIGHT THE POWER !!!