Minnesota Bass Federation It ain’t just fishin!

Big Goverment

2005-06-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings , I'm sure most of you a dying to know more about how we get Big Goverment to fund programs for the Outdoors, here is an example of a letter that was sent, to try and get support. Please don't read this post while operating heavy machinery!
This letter was sent by BASS/ESPN Outdoors in support of the provisions especially effecting Wallop-Breaux reauthorization.
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American Fly Fishing Trade Association / American Sportfishing Association / Archery Trade Association / BASS/ESPN Outdoors / Bear Trust International / Boone and Crockett Club / Bowhunting Preservation Alliance / Campfire Club of America / Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation / Conservation Force / Delta Waterfowl Foundation / Ducks Unlimited / Foundation for North American Wild Sheep / International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies / International Game Fish Association / International Hunter Education Association / Izaak Walton League of America / National Shooting Sports Foundation / National Wild Turkey Federation / North American Bear Foundation / North American Grouse Partnership / Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association / Pheasants Forever / Pope and Young Club / Pure Fishing / Quail Unlimited / Quality Deer Management Association / Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation / Ruffed Grouse Society / Safari Club International / Sand County Foundation / Texas Wildlife Association / The Wildlife Society / Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership / US Sportsmen’s Alliance / Whitetails Unlimited / Wildlife Forever / Wildlife Management Institute
June 9, 2005
Dear Conferee,
As America’s leading hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations we would like to congratulate you on the development of transportation legislation that is truly responsive to many of the policy and funding priorities identified by our community. You and your staff are to be commended on the thoughtful way in which the interests of hunters and anglers have been incorporated into transportation legislation produced by your Committees. Though the House of Representatives and the Senate took different approaches to addressing the transportation priorities of our nation’s 38 million hunters and anglers, both the Transportation Equity Act; a Legacy for Users (TEA-LU) and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA) contain provisions critical to the conservation of America’s wildlife and natural resources.
Attached for your review is an outline of the provisions in TEA-LU and SAFETEA that the hunting and fishing community strongly supports and will be working to have included in the final Conference Report. With your assistance TEA-LU and SAFETEA can be melded to dramatically reduce the impact of highway projects on important habitats, improve access to hunting and fishing areas for sportsmen, reduce accidents involving wildlife, limit the spread of invasive species, and provide meaningful habitat mitigation projects.
The nexus between transportation policy and the health of our nation’s natural resources has never been greater and we look forward to working with you and your fellow Conferees to ensure that the Transportation Bill that is ultimately sent to the President reflects this reality. Please feel free to call on our organizations with any questions you may have as the legislative process moves forward.
CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
Funding:
• Refuge Roads – Sec. 1101(a)(8)(D) of current law provides $20 M for refuge road maintenance. The documented funding need for Refuge Roads is $69 M annually. We strongly support provisions contained in SAFETEA( Sec. 1101(9)(D) that increases funding for Refuge Roads to $29.2 M annually and language in TEA-LU (Sec. 1121) that allow funding to be used for the construction of wildlife observation infrastructure.
• Sportfishing and Boating Safety Sec. 9503 (b) (Subparagraph D) of the Internal Revenue Code provides partial funding of critical sportfish and wetland restoration projects and boating safety programs. We strongly support provisions in the revenue title of TEA-LU which achieves the full recovery into the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund (ARTF) of the gasoline excise tax (18.3 cents per gallon) attributable to outboard motors and small engines (Sec. 10002). Currently, only 13.5 cents of this user tax is going into the ARTF (Wallop-Breaux) with the remaining 4.8 cents diverted into the general fund of the US Treasury. This is a user pay – user benefit excise tax where anglers, hunters and boaters are not currently receiving the full benefit of the tax they are paying. Again, we strongly urge the Conferees to correct this inequity to hunters, fishermen and boaters and accept the position included in TEA-LU providing for the full recovery of gas taxes paid by sportsmen
• Recreational Trails Program - Sec. 1101(a)(7) of current law provides $50 M annually for the maintenance and development of thousands of miles of trails used by hunters, hikers and fisherman. We strongly support the increased funding levels for the Recreation Trails Program provided in Sec. 1101 (a)(8) of TEA-LU. By increasing funding to $503 M over six years critical access issues for millions of hunters and fisherman will be addressed – trails are often one of the most important factors when pursuing hunting and fishing opportunities.
• Forest Roads Maintenance – Sec. 1101 (a)(8)(B) of current law does not provide adequate resources for the repair and replacement of culverts and bridges on forest roads to facilitate appropriate fish passage and ensure reasonable flows. We strongly support language in SAFETEA (Sec. 1817) that requires $14 M annually to be used for the improvement of fish passage under forest roads.
• Hunting and Fishing Access – Current law does not provide adequate funding for signage identifying hunting and fishing access. We strongly support provisions in TEA-LU (Sec. 1121) providing $1 M annually for new signage identifying hunting and fishing areas accessible to the public.
CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
Policy Initiatives:
• Highway Safety and Wildlife – We must do more to reduce the growing number of highway accidents involving wildlife – last year alone there were 1.8 million accidents involving motorists and deer. We strongly support the Wildlife Vehicle Collision Reduction language included in TEA-LU (Sec. 1121) and the inclusion of language in SAFETEA making the reduction of vehicle caused wildlife mortality an eligible activity under the Transportation Enhancement Program .
• Wetlands and Habitat Planning / Mitigation - Delivery of important transportation projects can be accelerated while protecting and enhancing wetlands and natural habitat if: 1) long range transportation plans incorporate the best scientific information on wildlife and native plant occurrences; 2) high-quality wetlands and natural habitat are set aside in advance to provide mitigation credits for future transportation projects; and 3) State Fish and Wildlife Agencies are consulted early in the highway planning process to help identify potential problems that might impact important habitats, or that relate to migration corridors of deer, elk and other large animals, and also opportunities for problem resolution, before millions of dollars are invested. We strongly support planning language included in SAFETEA (Secs. 1501, 1502, 1503 and 1505).
• Invasive Species – We must do more to encourage the use of native plant species in highway construction and maintenance projects and provide resources to state highway programs aimed at controlling the spread of invasive plant species through transportation corridors. We strongly support provisions in SAFETEA (Sec. 1601) that make environmental restoration and the control of invasive plant species eligible for funding under both NHS and STP.
• Sportfishing and Boating Safety - Policy changes to help streamline and amend the Aquatic Resource Trust Fund are an integral part of the reauthorization effort and will benefit America’s anglers and boaters. We strongly support the policy changes included in SAFETEA (Secs. 7501 – 7554).
*** Please note that the policy and funding provisions identified are not in order of priority.
American Fly Fishing Trade Association
American Sportfishing Association
Archery Trade Association
BASS/ESPN Outdoors
Bear Trust International
Boone and Crockett Club
Bowhunting Preservation Alliance
Campfire Club of America
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
Conservation Force
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Ducks Unlimited
Foundation for North American Wild Sheep
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
International Game Fish Association
International Hunter Education Association
Izaak Walton League of America
National Shooting Sports Foundation
National Wild Turkey Federation
North American Bear Foundation
North American Grouse Partnership
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
Pheasants Forever
Pope and Young Club
Pure Fishing
Quail Unlimited
Quality Deer Management Association
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Ruffed Grouse Society
Safari Club International
Sand County Foundation
Texas Wildlife Association
The Wildlife Society
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
US Sportsmen’s Alliance
Whitetails Unlimited
Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute

5/31 Upper Mississippi refuge mtg.

2005-06-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

FYI, some of us attended the Upper Mississippi Refuge CCP meeting in Winona last night. The Refuge Manager, Don Hultman, did a short power point presentation that hit on some overview and history and then a few of the Hot-topic issues that have arisen from the CCP. Trapping, Closed duck areas, beach and alcohol use, dogs and how boat traffic disrupts the fall rafting flocks of ducks. No presentations on fishing, tournaments or the “solitude issues" that seem to be driving the access/use problems that we have with the CCP.

One of their main objectives seems to be creating more duck sanctuary areas, spaced more uniformly apart from each other, and then working to create habitat that would provide more food sources, this sounds good for ducks. But it would restrict both Sport and Commercial fishermen, a reasonable solution would be to create some boating lanes through these areas that would allow access. If they would dredge and create these boat lanes, I think fishermen would have fewer issues with some closed and electric trolling motor areas they propose.

During the question and Answer period, I had a chance to ask about why Bass Boats where included in the CCP’s repeated references to Jet skis, Bass boats, Airboats and Hydrofoils. Mr. Hultman first claimed that the plan didn't lump these together, but when I read passages directly from the plan, he had no comment. I also pointed out that most bass boats where using their electric trolling motors in the backwaters areas and seem to get some validation from them about this. One attendee did complain about “tournament fishermen with those 200-250 motors running from spot to spot. And he gave an example of being out on Lake Pepin in heavy fog and having boats running a little to close for comfort, near him.

I also asked about the CCP's call for Tournament permits and I pointed out that we already use State permits, his response was that he saw the CCP moving toward being the coordinating agency between the states, so tournaments would be issued permits on the same pools, at the same time by Border States. This seems reasonable, but in the "D" plan option a reduction of tournaments was called for. He also alluded to tournaments numbering over 250 and rising, he made it sound like a Capitol One commercial, as if we tournament guys where showing up in Viking ships, raiding and plundering the River towns.

I wish I would have had more time to discuss these issues; they seem to be concerned about tournaments obtaining financial gain from refuge resources. And it is slightly true that a tournament organizer might make $10-$12 per boat, but the real financial gain is to the Communities along the River, the restaurants, motels, gas stations, bait stores, outboard motor parts and repair shops. Ironically the big user of the refuge who makes enourmous profits from it is the big barge and shipping companies. Yet I don’t see how they are being asked to contribute to the Refuge in the CCP.

I also would have like to discuss just how the refuge views tournaments, I don’t know if they recognize that we are talking about a very large group of committed anglers, practicing the best conservation they can, using catch and release so as to not to harm the resource, self-imposing very strict rules of boat safety, ethic and sportsmanship on each other. I fear we are being seen as detractors from the Refuge experience, when we in fact may be their best friend.

Upp Miss plan-Anti Tournament

2005-05-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings, don't know if you have heard but the next 15 years of fishing and hunting in the Upper Mississippi Refuge is being decided. They are looking for input and we as TOURNAMENT ANGLERS need to come forward and attend these meetings. Many of the plan options will place major restrictions on tournaments, access and use of the refuge. In the planTOURNAMENT ANGLERS are seen as:

Tournament fishing continues to grow and is posing conflicts with other anglers and small craft users on the Refuge, and can cause habitat damage and fish and wildlife disruption in shallow backwater areas.

Oversight is needed to help coordinate timing and spacing of tournaments with the states

General fishing would continue to be promoted, although the Refuge would begin oversight of fishing tournaments in cooperation with the states and other agencies.

Fishing tournaments would be subject to Refuge permitting requirementswhich could reduce the number of tournaments, improve the quality oftournaments, and reduce impacts to others using the Refuge for recreation. The entire plan can be seen at :http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/uppermiss/

R'? ewe reddy fur da Opener

2005-05-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Are ya ready? Got them new rods and reels all loaded up with new line? 100 new bags of secret power Gulp baits? New patches and hat? If not get goin , time is short.

50 ways to kill your fish

2005-05-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Seems like Bass Tournament mortality can range up to 25% in most situations. While this percentage seems high, it is in fact the average found by looking at recent tournament results. True or False?