Saving Hunting, Fishing, & Trapping

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  This is probably one of the most worthwhile articles I have
ever written.  Not only has it taken me a long time to make it
understandable, it is the culmination of many months of trying to find
support, without success, for what it recommends.  Federal and State
bureaucrats despise what it contains.  Conservation and sportsman
organizations turn away from it.  Animal rights and environmental
organizations curl up and rattle when it is suggested.  Politicians scurry
away from it like bugs in a tenement kitchen when you turn on the lights.
The only one that can make any of this happen is YOU.

Please read this over and let me know if something is unclear to you and
then, if you agree, give a copy to every friend acquaintance and group you
know.  Speak of it to others and try to generate support for what will work.
I apologize that the website that I have used for the past few years is once
more down and may not return so unless I can find some public spot to post
this, we must rely on each other to spread the word.

It is the wrong time to do this (Federal elections nine months away) but
there is never a good time truth be told.  Maybe, if the recommendations are
clear enough and terse enough, Federal politicians seeking votes can be
finagled into committing to do all or some of the four things in the
following article when elected.

Thank you for your time and any and all help.  Jim Beers



PART I. - THE THREAT TO HUNTING, FISHING, AND TRAPPING

Put as succinctly as possible, the threat to hunting, fishing, and trapping
is hostility to these pursuits from a small but active part of the
population organized into well-financed organizations.  These organizations
are scattered throughout not only the United States but also all the other
"western" or "First World" nations as well.  They represent mainly affluent,
urban factions that are personally unaffected in any way by the
anti-everything-rural (hunting, fishing, trapping, ranching, logging, etc.)
and anti-gun agendas that they unflinchingly impose on others.

These organizations have been both ruthless and successful in influencing
and staffing not only the US Federal bureaucracy and lobbying US politicians
for power and funding, they have also controlled the explosive growth of
United Nations control of plants and animals and the UN bureaucracy that
fuels that growth.  These organizations and their surrogates have spawned a
perpetual monsoon of ballot initiatives, laws, treaties, conventions,
regulations, land restrictions, property takings, permits, and closures
based on every sort of bizarre claim from "Invasive Species" and "Native"
definitions to imaginary "ecosystem benefits" and the "need" for X, Y, & Z
to remain protected forever.

Ultimately, all of these things constrict and slowly eliminate hunting,
fishing, and trapping by eliminating tools (guns and traps and lead for
instance); species (rainbow and brown trout, pheasants, Great Lakes salmon,
etc.); managed populations (elk, moose, bighorn sheep, sage grouse, etc.);
area use and access, both public and private, where fishing, hunting, and
trapping take place; and indoctrinating the public and the young in
particular with a steady stream of lies and half-truths that go unrefuted.

State authority over plants and animals within each state has steadily been
ceded to Federal bureaucrats and their sponsors for over 35 years as state
agencies have come to rely more heavily on Federal funding, the promise of
increased future Federal funding, and the strings that the anti-animal-use
lobbyists dictate.  While nothing in what follows can be said to address the
major flaws in such Federal Acts as Endangered Species or Wilderness or
Animal Welfare et al, or the State-level problem of say an Illinois with a
politically overpowering Chicago or a Massachusetts with a similar Boston,
the following four steps aim to begin helping hunters, fishermen, and
trappers (and really ranchers, loggers, dog owners, and rural folks in
general) by following the wisdom of Our Founding Fathers, the Declaration of
Independence, and the Constitution.

The following FOUR STEPS are intended to:

1.)    Re-establish the authority of State fish and wildlife agencies under
State governments over the natural resource use and management activities in
their State.

2.)    Cut the influence of Federal bureaucracies over State fish and
wildlife agencies.

3.)    Eliminate the lure of future Federal funding sources for State fish
and wildlife agencies.

4.)    Re-make State fish and wildlife agencies into advocates for
communities, interests, and residents of their State as opposed
representatives of national and international agendas of groups hostile to
local communities.

5.)    Begin redefining down the authority, jurisdiction, and role of
Federal bureaucracies vis-à-vis State authorities in matters such as the
management of plants, animals, and land and the control of the activities of
individual citizens except in matters of defense and interstate commerce.

6.)    Ensure that the management of plants and animals within each State is
done in accord with the desires and welfare of the residents of that State
as was intended by our Founding Fathers and the Constitution that served us
so well for 200 years.

PART II - THE FOUR STEPS

STEP 1. Minimize the Trust Fund of unspent fish and wildlife excise taxes
and import duties.

Background:  Because State fish and wildlife agencies cannot spend all the
Federally-collected excise taxes and import duties as they become available
to them, that is the Wildlife Restoration and Sport Fish Restoration funds
hereinafter referred to as P-R and D-J, there is a constant 2 to 4 year
backlog of unspent funds of +/- $2 Billion dollars (approximately $½ Billion
in P-R funds and $1.5 Billion in D-J funds).  The reason for this backlog is
twofold, project approval delays by Federal bureaucrats and the need for the
State to provide 25% of the cost of each approved project from State hunting
and fishing license money.

Although the law requires the funds in the Trust Fund be invested, the
investment practices of Federal overseer's have been all but non-existent.
Since none of the investment returns accrue to Federal overseers, their
interest in such interest is nil.  State agencies remain silent because of
the promise of Billions of Federal dollars in the future from Congress for
Non-Game species "to be managed like P-R & D-J".  Similarly, Federal
"steering" of State project "approval" supports all manner of
Federal/international/animal rights' agendas.

Recommendation:  Amend the P-R & D-J Acts with simple word insertions to
grant a 2-year moratorium on the 25% matching requirement for all Funds that
A.) are unspent in the Trust Fund, i.e. the $2 Billion, and B.) become
available to the State fish and wildlife agencies from P-R & D-J during this
2-year period.  Although some States would benefit more than others
regarding unspent funds in the Trust Fund, all would benefit equally from
the suspended match requirement for funds that become available over the 2
year period.

This would free up the license money otherwise needed by the States to match
the $2Billion in the Trust Fund or make $1/2 Billion more available in the
fifty States immediately for priority uses and to begin reconfiguring each
agency along the lines of State priorities as opposed current or future
Federal bureaucratic priorities.

Using an estimate of $750 Million of excise taxes and import duties coming
available each year to the States or $1.5 Billion during the recommended 2
year period, another $350 to $400 Million would become available (State
license money that would otherwise be used for a match for the $1.5 Billion)
to the States for fish and wildlife activities over the 2 year period.
Honest and thorough audits (to be covered in STEP II) would preclude
diversion of State license money to illegal or non-fish and wildlife
management purposes.

Additional wording should be added to each Act stating that future funds may
NOT accumulate unspent in the Trust Fund for more than one-year.  If they
do, they are added back into the funds available to all States the following
year.  This assures available funding is spent efficaciously and this can be
done by each State using the financial benefits from the first half of this
recommendation ($850 to $900 Million) to establish a planning process and
staff duties to assure the swift and efficient use of future available
funding.

STEP 2.  Reduce the amount of funding withheld for Federal "administration".

Background:  Today, $16 Million from P-R & D-J and 134 Federal positions
"administer" the excise taxes and import duties (+/- $ 750 Million per year)
disbursed to the States annually from the sale and importation of hunting
and fishing equipment, guns, and ammunition.  While the Federal bureaucrats
use the funds and personnel for all manner of Federal purposes such as
employees not wanted elsewhere in the agency; -     deposited funds are
poorly invested,

-         audits are NOT conducted every 5 years as required by law,

-         illegally employed Federal non-auditors are given scarce funding
to conduct audits that are not accurate, open, honestly reported or indeed
even defined as audits,

-         State use of funding is becoming more lax as accountability wanes,

-         Federal "administrative" funds are used for Washington building
rents and furnishings in inordinate amounts,

-         and a labor-intensive/agenda-driven grant approval process is
maintained.

Recommendation: Amend the P-R & D-J Acts to reduce the amount reserved for
"administration of the Act" from $16 Million to $ 3 Million per year and the
Federal employees authorized to administer the Acts from 134 to 12.

One Million per year is enough to hire A REAL contract auditor to audit 10
States per year or 50 States every five years as required by law.  Two
Million per year is more than enough for 12 competent employees to disburse
the funds, manage a contract auditor, tinker with regulations, and work with
competent State fish and wildlife agencies.  In fact, I wouldn't be
surprised that given the lack of influence and time for Federal mischief
such a group might figure out how fishing tackle sales and imports keep
going up while duties and taxes paid to D-J stay stagnant or decrease or why
the way gun manufacturers figure their taxes might affect the revenues to
P-R.

STEP 3. Eliminate the $3 Million per year going to the International
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the national lobby groups for
State fish and wildlife agencies in Washington, DC.

Background:  Three Million per year from P-R & D-J began going to this
Association right after the late-1990's scandal where the US Fish and
Wildlife Service was discovered to have STOLEN $45 to $60 Million from P-R &
D-J over a 2 year period.  In my opinion it was hush money so that the
States never asked for the money stolen from hunters and fishermen by
Federal bureaucrats (to do nefarious things that even Congress had refused
to fund) to be repaid.  And it worked, the score at that point was: Federal
bureaucrats & Washington lobbyists 100 - State fish and wildlife agencies &
hunters and fishermen 0.

The funds are described as necessary for "interstate" or "national"
projects.  In fact they have become an insidious major source of salaries
and play money for a greatly expanded staff for the State's Washington DC
lobby group (how could that ever be "bad"?).  The Association has
subsequently evolved from a guardian of States Rights and wildlife
management to a quiescent Federal "partner" in everything from wolf
introductions to new Federal Invasive Species authority. "Interstate"
projects should be funded by the States affected and if that is precluded by
State laws or cannot gain priority in those States, then it is not important
enough for those States to pursue and so be it.  "National" projects should
be funded by the Federal Congress, if such projects cannot make the cut
within Federal agencies (where they compete with other things FOR the
Federal agency) or if Congressional Committees don't introduce them then
like their "interstate" cousins they should fall by the wayside with all the
other "nice to do" proposals.

Recommendation:  Amend P-R & D-J to eliminate the $3 Million reserved to the
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

The benefit to all 50 States of $16 Million per year ($3 Million here and
$13 Million per year from STEP 2) with fewer "strings" would do much for
hunting, fishing, and trapping.  For instance, implementing STEPS 2 and 3
alone would have boosted annual funds available to say Alabama in 2003 from
$675,000 to $740,000 for a $65,000 increase.

STEP 4.  Eliminate the $80 Million per year going from D-J to the State of
Louisiana for "wetland restoration".

Background: Since 1988 when the law was amended to divert a portion of the
Federal gasoline taxes (estimated to be used by boats) to D-J funding, $80
Million per year has been earmarked over and above all other uses for
Louisiana.  The real reason is that the Senate Sponsor of the Bill was
Senator John Breaux of Louisiana.  To date over $1 ¼ Billion has gone to
Louisiana and never been audited.  I was recently told that the funds are
merely divided between Louisiana counties and used as operating money.  On
paper, the only use I can find is that it has gone to feasibility studies.

Recommendation:  Amend the D-J Act to eliminate the Louisiana earmark of $80
Million and like the elimination of the $3 Million per year in Step 4, allow
those funds to be folded into the funds awarded each year to all the States.

SUMMARY

The four recommended steps are meant to be interlocking.  It might be
tempting to say you like step 1 but reject the others or some such
combination. However, consider that they form a whole that is needed to
counterbalance the threats to hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Consider that these recommendations make the following NEW money available
to State fish and wildlife agencies:

STEP 1 - $ 900 Million over the first 2 years.

STEP 2 - $ 13 Million every year.

STEP 3 - $ 3 Million every year.

STEP 4 - $ 80 Million every year.

Totals -  $ 1 Billion 90 Million during the first 2 years and $ 96 Million
per year for as far as the eye can see.

The proposed STEPS or amendments make all this money available to State fish
and wildlife agencies WITHOUT COSTING ANYONE A CENT!  It is all State money
as always intended by the P-R & D-J Acts and the people (hunters, fishermen,
gun manufacturers, fishing tackle manufacturers, and trappers) that
sponsored and support these very successful "user pays" programs.

Additionally, and perhaps of even greater benefit than the "new" money in
the long-run, we could expect to see the following benefits:

-         Reduced Federal control of State programs by reducing project
steering activities.

-         Restoration of State Rights lobbying in Washington on behalf of
State authorities and use-oriented fish and wildlife management since they
will no longer depend on the Federal government for much of their growth and
operation.

-         Diminishment of the Federal/State vision of some sort of Federal
funding for "Non-Game" from Congress, through the Federal bureaucracy, "just
like P-R & D-J" since the Federal withholding would be limited to what is
necessary to assure compliance with regulations.

-         Diminishment of animal rights/environmental influence through
Federal regulators over hunting, fishing, and trapping.

-         Reduced UN influence through Federal "strings" over everything
from ginseng to wetlands.

-         The reappearance of State fish and wildlife bureaucrats that see
themselves as employees of State governments, representatives of State
concerns, and actual warriors for State interests under attack by Federal
bureaucrats, international organizations, and the UN.

-         Honest and action-oriented audits of State programs since the
incentive for Federal/State Non-Game funding for Federal bureaucrats (oodles
of new "administrative" play money) disappears and thus the need to cover up
current problems goes away.

-         A belated but still welcome repayment of the money stolen from
hunters, fishermen, and trappers 10 years ago by Federal bureaucrats and
ignored by State bureaucrats.

I am often asked where we can get the money to fight for our rights.  These
four steps answer that question partially.  If these Federal law amendments
could be passed (and the only reasons why not are hidden agendas, politics,
and personal interests of those in power) the work begins at the State level
to provide positive State political oversight of State bureaucracies and the
flow of new money should help get their attention.

It isn't everything but it is a start.

Make copies of this.  Spread copies around.  Start asking Federal
representatives about it now or before the upcoming elections or after they
get back in office but ask them to introduce this.

Keep an eye on those who tell you it's impossible or that it's not "worth"
it.  Ask yourself about your paying dues to hunting, fishing, or trapping
organizations that ignore this or simply tell you "Beers is an '@#*^"*'".
Ask yourself about State employees that demean this or ignore it no matter
what you thought of them in the past.  These 4 Steps can tell you a lot as
well as do a lot for all of us and the things we hold dear.

Jim Beers
20 February 2006

If you found this worthwhile, please share it with others.  Thanks.

This article and other recent articles by Jim Beers can be found at

http://www.allianceforamerica.org/bb/viewforum.php?f=91

Jim Beers is available for consulting or to speak.  Contact:
JimBeers7@earthlink.net