Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Salazar announces national increase in hunters, anglers

By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel - Aug. 15, 2012 1:42 p.m.

Reversing a decades-long downturn, the number of hunters and anglers in America increased by about 10% over the last five years, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday in Milwaukee by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

“Seeing more people fishing, hunting, and getting outdoors is great news for America’s economy and conservation heritage,” said Salazar.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation found that hunters nationwide increased by 9% while anglers grew by 11%.

Salazar made the announcement at the Urban Ecology Center's facility near Riverside Park. The Secretary's visit is part of a four-state swing through the Midwest to highlight recent conservation achievements as well as activities related to America's Great Outdoors Initiative, a program started under President Obama.

As part of the trip, Salazar is scheduled to announce the formal creation of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, an 11,500-acre project in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

Salazar called the results of the outdoor recreation survey "outstanding news."

At the request of state fish and wildlife agencies, the Fish and Wildlife Service has conducted the national survey every five years since 1955. It is viewed as one of the nation’s most important wildlife-related recreation databases and the definitive source of information concerning participation and purchases associated with hunting, fishing and other forms of wildlife-related recreation nationwide.

The preliminary report shows nearly 38% of all Americans participated in wildlife-related recreation in 2011, an increase of 2.6 million participants from the previous survey in 2006. They spent $145 billion on related gear, trips and other purchases, such as licenses, tags and land leasing and ownership, representing 1 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicated to connecting people and families with nature,” said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “We look forward to continuing to work with the States, non-governmental organizations, and additional partners to help keep recreational fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching going strong for people across America’s great outdoors."

Among the results announced Wednesday:

- In 2011, 13.7 million people, 6% of the U.S. population 16 years old and older, went hunting. They spent $34 billion on trips, equipment, licenses and other items in 2011, an average of $2,484 per hunter.

Read the report here

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Exposing the Lies: United States Working Dog Foundation Editorial

Exposing the Lies Which USDA/APHIS Have Used to Attack America's Supply of Working Dogs.
by United States Working Dog Foundation. on Sunday, August 5, 2012 at 3:57pm


Happy Sunday. Here's a gift of evidence. From the United States Working Dog Foundation. To everyone who is fed up with the deception, obfuscation, and flat-out lies which have permeated the USDA/APHIS rulemaking process otherwise known as “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Docket No. APHIS-2011-003 Proposed Rule."

Also known by true subject matter experts as this: The RADICAL REVISION of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) relentlessly lobbied for by the animal rights activist group the "Humane" (insert your own joke here) Society of the United States (HSUS). Which has gotten shot down twice in Congress, and once in the courts.

All SMART decisions. But you know HSUS. They just won't take no for an answer. And God knows, they won't let morality, truth, or the system our Founding Fathers constructed get in their way. No way. As a matter of fact, here's what the "Humane" Society of the United States does best.

They take our Bill of Rights. And set it on fire. Burn it to the ground. And keep moving on. Talk about a scorched earth policy.

If you aren't outraged by the "Humane" Society of the United States yet, it's time you wake up. Would you like to know how many places and ways they have torched the Bill of Rights? And the list of legislators who were their accomplices? We'll come back to that.

More at facebook link

Related:
Investigate USDA/APHIS and Stop Proposed Rule to Regulate Pet Sellers

Friday, August 3, 2012

APHIS Rule Update - Sign the NEW petition

SAOVA friends,

We’ve been beating the drum since May to raise awareness and opposition against the APHIS Proposed Rule which will severely impact tens of thousands of dog, cat, and small animal breeders.

A number of ag sites, including Drovers/CattleNetwork news source and the Pork Network, have recently carried the commentary and opposition statement from the Animal Agriculture Alliance. Their statement reads, “The Animal Agriculture Alliance opposes the proposed change to the definition of “pet retail store” as it has the potential to expand burdensome regulations on some farm operations, negatively impact youth agriculture programs, and expand federal inspector access beyond the scope of USDA’s authority on livestock farms.” Read more..

Also this week The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, as part of its Sporting Dog Defense Coalition, posted their intent to submit comments to APHIS concerning the proposed rule. Jeremy Rine explains that the rule matters to sportsmen “because it is part of the BIG animal rights "divide and conquer" strategy. Each effort by these groups is meant to regulate more and more dog owners, not just the "puppy mills" they claim to be after. Their next move could be removing the hunting dog breeder exemption altogether.”

The comment period for the proposed APHIS rule regulating retail sellers ends on August 15.

Sportsmen and hunters please do not sit this one out! After decades of battling the HSUS anti-hunting agenda you should know this animal rights game by heart. HSUS will not rest until sportsmen, houndsmen, animal owners and producers alike are crushed by regulation. Surely you remember the quote from HSUS leader, Wayne Pacelle, “Our opponents say that hunting is a tradition. We say traditions can change.”

Considering how furiously the animal rights lobby is attacking from all sides this year, the quote could just as easily read, “Our opponents say that animal husbandry is a tradition … we say traditions can change.”

THREE ACTION STEPS TO TAKE NOW
Post comments against the rule directly at the federal portal.

Add your organization to the SAOVA Opposition List. Send an email signed by an officer of the organization stating opposition to Susan Wolf: cubhill@earthlink.net. Please include organization's address.

SIGN THE NEW PETITION. Ask Congress to INVESTIGATE APHIS and the process by which it submitted this Proposed Rule to regulate pet sellers — and request this Proposed Rule be withdrawn. APHIS did not fulfill its statutory duty as required by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) to perform an adequate assessment of the impact of the Rule, consult with the appropriate agencies, or provide reliable information to the public for purposes of a public comment period. Petition is at GoPetition.com