Fishing Forum

Greetings,

I apologize for adding another email to your inbox, but I wanted to make sure you are aware of this important statement from the Idaho Fish and Game Commission.

Steve Schmidt
Regional Supervisor
Upper Snake Region
March 11, 2015
Op-Ed: Fish & Game Commission Process Should Be Protected
By Commissioners Fred Trevey (chairman), Mark Doerr (vice-chair), Brad Corkill, Blake Fischer, Lane Clezie, Kenny Anderson and Will Naillon
There appears to be a misperception among some Idaho lawmakers that the Fish and Game Commission has ignored prior legislative directives to raise revenue and improve habitat and access. These directives include allowing hunters to pay an extra fee to improve their drawing odds for controlled hunts (bonus points), making tags available to land owners for private sale, and auctioning big game tags to highest bidders.
We certainly respect the Legislature’s role in setting wildlife policy but the Commission has considered all these issues in recent years and vetted each of them with hunters, anglers, trappers and the general public. In all three cases, a majority made it clear to us they were opposed and we acted accordingly. The Commission continues to explore these and other options and to visit with sportsmen and women about them. However, we have heard and are concerned these directives could become legislative mandates linked to our proposed license revenue bill.
The Commission-supported "Price Lock" revenue legislation – House Bill 32, is being held in a House Committee while some lawmakers are said to be working on their own version with these mandates included. If this new version of the bill emerges, it in our view, overrules the Commission process of using science and input from the public as the basis for implementing wildlife policy.
The 1938 citizens’ initiative that created the Commission established nonpartisan fish and game management. If lawmakers proceed and attempt to bypass the Commission and implement these measures through legislation, they are compromising the spirit of that initiative by overruling extensive sportsmen involvement and thoughtful Commission deliberations.
As Commissioners, here are some common themes we often hear:
 Manage wildlife for the good of all Idahoans, not just a privileged few.
 Keep hunting, fishing & trapping opportunities available and affordable for everyday Idahoans.
 Reward landowners for supporting wildlife habitat or public access without sacrificing state ownership of wildlife.
 Keep politics out of wildlife management.
For 76 years, the Commission, along with sportsmen and women have worked together to create the tremendous wildlife resources and heritage we have in Idaho today. We ask the Legislature to pass the Commission-supported revenue bill without compromising the Commission’s integrity and its management role.
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I think it sounds reasonable. Not everythings perfect with fish and game but in my opinion they do a pretty good job. Can't make all the people happy all the time
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Wow, when I read this in today's Statesman, my blood pressure spiked. Our legislature spends half its time bemoaning the intrusion of the federal gov't in state affairs, and the other half intruding into local gov't. and agency affairs. (Remember last year when a legislator's son got a parking ticket in the area of the Statehouse, and promptly attempted to rewrite Boise's ticket policy.) In most states, if the Legislature tried to privatize hunting and skew it in favor of the extremely wealthy, they would be thrown out on their butts. But, with a one-party system, they seem to be able to fly in the face of public opinion and not suffer any repercussions. Sad. Mike
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Amen
Windriver
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Wow, in almost any other state, I would say that this could never happen, but I would say in Idaho there is sizable chance it could. I hope all outdoorsman voice their opinion on this one.
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First let me say that if you sit back and do nothing while this happens than YOU will be the reason it happened!
Here is some info that I gathered about the possible amendments to House bill 32 that would do a number of negative things to Idaho's sportsman and wildlife. It Is very important that we oppose the amendments of the bill and in a big vocal way or we will lose an immense amount of hunting opportunity in the future. These amendments have support in the house and it's very possible that they will go through so it's important that we fight them.


If you have any thoughts or are wondering why I'm so opposed to these amendments or why you should be please just pm me I'd love to talk to you about how bad this could be. I need to catch up with a few of you anyways.

Here's a link to the Idaho Statesman thoughts on the bill.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/0...game.html?rh=1

Here's the link to the CDA presses thoughts on the bill.

http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/...TNNoMobile

A note about this from the Idaho sportsman's caucus

"Friends,

Last night at the Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus Advisory Council (ISCAC) we learned about some very bad legislation that could be introduced at the Idaho Legislature. As you may already know, HB32, the Department’s original legislation asking for a 15-20% increase on license fees with an associated “Price Lock” proposal (that would be adopted separately by the Commission) is currently being held in the House Resource and Conservation Committee. Idaho Wildlife Federation supports this legislation.

We now have word from the Department that a new fee bill is being crafted and could be introduced sometime next week. This bill would have the fee increase but codify the price lock in the bill language as well as be an omnibus package of all the bad ideas that special interests have been trying to get implemented for years.

It would:

- Direct the Commission to implement a “Bonus Point” system for controlled hunts
- Direct the Commission to implement a “Governor’s Tag” auction tag for controlled hunt areas
- Institute a new Landowner Appreciation Program tag system in the following manner:
Landowners would receive tags depending on the acreage they own. They could market and sell these tags without IDFG seeing any of the proceeds and the tag could be used on the entire controlled hunt area.
- 640-5,000acres - 1 tag per species
-5,000-10,000acres - 2 tags per species
-Over 10,000acres - 3 tags per species

Additionally landowners with 320 acres and above would receive 1 tag per species for EACH of the following (Up to 3 tags per species)
- Providing some level of public access
- Habitat restoration
- Release of depredation claim

And finally, it will propose a major tweak to the way depredation kills are handled. Currently, landowners must get a tag from IDFG to retain a carcass from a depredation kill. This bill would make it so that once depredation is recognized by the Department, landowners can retain animals from depredation kill with no paperwork.

Upon hearing this, ISCAC members voted to ratify the following official statement:


"On March 4, 2015 a quorum of the Idaho Sportsman's Caucus Advisory Council voted unanimously to support the following statement.

The Idaho Sportsman's Caucus Advisory Council understands the House Resources and Conservation Committee is attempting to amend the IDF&G fee increase proposal to support private interests. ISCAC supports the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in its efforts to increase revenue for Idaho's wildlife in the form of House Bill 0032.

We oppose legislative attempts to circumvent the Idaho Fish and Game Commission's authority to manage Idaho's wildlife using science and public input as opposed to legislative whim. We are opposed to efforts to give private landowners the ability to sell hunting tags for public wildlife. We oppose the legislature mandating a "Governor's Auction Tag" and a "Bonus Point" system for controlled hunts. We oppose unregulated depredation kill by landowners.”

Even though IDFG is in desperate need of a fee increase, we as sportsmen and women cannot let the Legislature hold IDFG’s request hostage and implement bad policy. Things will happen fast over the next week to 10 days and we need to be ready to write emails to legislators and show up at committee hearings. We need to approach this with the same enthusiasm as we showed in our defense of public lands. WE NEED TO BE READY TO DEFEND OUR HUNTING AND OUTDOOR HERITAGE!!!!

In the meantime, write the Governor’s office and tell them you do not support the legislature bypassing the Commission that he has appointed. You can do so herehttp://gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html
"

It is very important that we write our representatives in opposition of this bill that they're trying to shotgun through. Please do this as soon as possible. I know this is a real pain. But I cannot say this enough if we don't do something about this it will happen and it will be a disaster for us and our heritage.
Here is the contact info that I have found.

Christy Perry Cperry@house.idaho.gov
Mike Moyle mmoyle@house.idaho.gov
Brent Crane bcrane@house.idaho.gov
John Vander Woude jvanderwoude@house.idaho.gov
John Rusche jrusche@house.idaho.gov
Mat Erpelding merpelding@house.idaho.gov
Donna Pence dpence@house.idaho.gov Gov.
Butch Otter Governor@gov.idaho.gov

And

>House side
>>
>>Scott Bedke; 208-332-1111 sbedke@house.Idaho.gov
>>Dell Raybould; 208-332-1173 draybould@house.Idaho.gov
>>Terry Gestrin; 208-332-1124 tgestrin@house.Idaho.gov
>>Mike Moyle; 3208-332-1120 mmoyle@house.Idaho.gov
>>Marc Gibbs; 208-332-1042 mgibbs@house.Idaho.gov
>>
>>Senate Side
>>
>>Steve Bair; 208-332-1385 sbair@senate.Idaho.gov
>>Bert Brackett; 208-332-1336 bbrackett@senate.Idaho.gov
>>Jeff Siddoway; 208-332-1342 jsiddoway@senate.idaho.gov
>>
>>The Governor’s office should be included
>>on all of this as
>>well.
>>http://gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html

Here is a letter you can customize to make it easier and faster.

Sir,

It has come to my attention that some (unknown to me) entity in the legislature is demanding that F&G implement Land Owner tags, Governor Tags and a Points System for big game draw hunts in exchange for approval of the requested fee increases. See HB 32.

Idaho sportsmen have repeatedly come out strongly against point systems for big game draws and land owner tags that would allow land owners to hunt big game while locking out the general public. It was not too long ago that here in Idaho if a land owner did not allow hunting on his land, he was not allowed to hunt it himself. I realize those days are gone and I am not asking for a return to them. However, I think it would be unfair and a gross miscarriage of long-standing F&G philosophy to just hand over tags to land owners to use/sell as they see fit. There are other more worthwhile ways to reward them for their stewardship of the land and wildlife that does not shut anyone else out.

Additionally, points systems only reward those that feel they deserve special consideration over someone else. That notion is based solely on the idea that just because they participated last year, or the year before, etc., that they should go to the head of the line. Draw hunts have long been a strict lottery and I firmly believe they should remain such. The only fair way to award limited tags is by a method where every applicant has the same odds. No favoritism just for having previously played.

I thank you for your time and consideration and hope that you will end this attempt to coerce F&G to bow to special interest demands that Idaho sportsmen have repeatedly rejected.
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2 of your emails don't work: mmoyle10@msn.com and sbedke14@gmail.com : did my part I emailed the Gov. too, hopefully this does not go through, bad all the way around.....
Matt
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Thanks. I had not gotten a delivery failure notification. I guess I'm just hoping they arrive let alone get read.
It important to title letters with something like "no amendments to hb32" so they don't have to read the letter to know your stance.
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I went ahead and sent mine aswell.

I cant believe that our state would even consider this. The nonpartisanship in our fish and game is what has kept our fishing and hunting head and shoulders above other states. Anyone know how to find out who introduced this bill. Who is pro and who opposes the bill?
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Some has reported hearing Mr moyle saying. - I don't care what sportsmen want, I want this!
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I grabbed this from another forum.


This is minority chairman Donna Pence response to an email. Sounds like they are going to attach this stuff to another bill. Keep the pressure on its not over..


H32 is being held and a new bill written which will attached those things you railed against. It will likely go through the Ways and Means Committee this late in the session. This committee is made up of Minority and Majority Leaders of the House and the committee chairman. The Minority Leadership will be against this move but the vote will be 4-3. When this gets to the floor I see few republicans courageous enough to vote against their leadership.

I will oppose it, but you have done what you need to by writing to your legislators and the body as a whole. Urge other to do the same to keep pressure on them. Thank you for siding with the wildlife of Idaho.

Sincerely,

Donna

Representative Donna Pence

Minority Caucus Chairman

Idaho Legislature
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In my opinion this is a much bigger issue than the proposed changes. this could open a huge door to allow the state to mandate changes to much more. They have been moving this way in the last 2 years with shutting down roads to access in the southern units. The fish and game has to have the ability to look at things without having big brother over there shoulder.
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it wasn't the F&G that shut down the access/roads in the owyhee's it was the damn tree huggers and those ranchers who think they own all the public land down there, they saw it as a way too keep the regular folks out of there and yet they can still drive on the roads in the new wilderness/protected/there own private public lands....
Matt
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From what I hear is the ranchers basicly backed the legislator to close them.
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I have nothing positive too say about that, I get a little stirred up on that subject,
Matt
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I agree Matt.

Also, if the State takes over all the federal land in Idaho, it will all be sold off to the highest bidder. None of us can out bid Simplot, and the large mining and logging companies. We stand to lose all public land access if those in power right now have their way. That is a completely off topic issue, but in many ways related. Further erosion of our rights as sportsmen in Idaho...
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All valid points!

If any of you live in star or known sportsman who do make sure they know what mike Moyle is trying to do to the average Joe sportsman of Idaho. Get this guy out of the house.
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I'm hearing that they are threatening to defund IDF&g if they don't get what they want.

http://magicvalley.com/news/opinion/edit...bf8e8.html
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I don't think that the legislature can defund the IDFG because the IDFG is not funded by state tax dollars. All IDFG funding comes from hunting and fishing license and tag sales.

What the legislature can do and has done is refuse to allow IDFG to increase tag prices. If they do this long enough the IDFG won't be able to function simply due to the stagnant budget not being able to keep up with rising costs of research, management and enforcement.
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Thats a common misconception only about 40 percent of the department's funding comes from licenses and fees.

IDF&g has to have their budget approved by the legislature.
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