This is What We Are Up Against

[andersonjk4]

Jackelope's recent post about the Commission and Hunter4Lifes response about the group Washington Wildlife First sent me down an internet rabbit hole.  Some things I found interesting that may interest others:

Here is the mission statement from Washington Wildlife First

Our Mission
To leverage the power of the law, informed advocacy, and strategic partnerships to reform Washington state’s environmental and wildlife management agencies, and to protect and preserve the state’s fish, wildlife, and wild spaces.

Our Vision
To transform Washington’s management of its fish, wildlife, and natural spaces from a model of consumptive use to an ethic that values science, respects nature, and prioritizes the preservation of natural ecosystems.

Our Values
Persistence. We will persist. We understand that the change we are seeking will be difficult to achieve and will only happen as a result of hard work, dedication, and determination. We persevere through small defeats to achieve larger victories.

Strategic Collaboration. We work with like-minded people and organizations, both within Washington and nationwide, to broaden our impact. As we collaborate, we always maintain focus on our vision, values, and strategic goals.

Leadership. We do not join bandwagons; we lead the parade. We are a unique voice in advocating for Washington agency reform, and we have a responsibility to provide vision and leadership to other people and organizations seeking to achieve the same goals.

The president of this organization is Claire Loebs Davis.  She is a Lawyer and founder of Animal & Earth Advocates.

Quote from her LinkedIn page:
My partner, Ann Prezyna, and I started Animal & Earth Advocates in June 2019 in order to focus exclusively on litigation and other legal projects on behalf of wildlife, the environment, and domestic animals.

Claire Loebs Davis is listed as an endorser of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Lorna Smith's run for Jefferson County Commissioner.  https://lornaforcommissioner.com/endorsements/ (along with many from the Sierra Club and other preservationist groups)

[andersonjk4]

I think risk of litigation is a big factor in a lot of the recent decisions from WDFW and the F&W Commission.  From some conversations last fall with people at WDFW, it was a threat of litigation that forced WDFW to pull many of the hunting related proposals (scopes on muzzleloaders, cameras/rangefinders on bows, etc.).

And from this article https://nwsportsmanmag.com/wdfw-commissioner-explains-no-vote-on-2022-spring-bear-hunt/ from NW Sportsmans Magazine.  It sure seems like the Spring Bear hunt would have been taken to court. 

[andersonjk4]

More

[dreamingbig]

Carefully examining the science!   Pppppffffftttttttt

As a citizen I fully welcome our state paying litigation expenses to fight these fights.  We should not be bullied and black mailed by these threats.


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[logola512c]

None of this is surprising.  Anti-hunters and ultra-environmentalists (have to add the ultra tag because most hunters I know are actually in favor of reasonable environmental strategies) have always (and will always) find their activists that are uber involved and organized, and in some cases well funded.  They are tireless and have strategies.  They have a long term plan.  Hunters, on the other hand, generally aren't.  They are generally reactive and don't have a long term plan other than to just want to hunt.  If history is an indicator, most of the energy and resolve over these recent issues will fade away into isolated complaining and inaction, until the next affront to hunting.  The point is, folks should turn whatever anger and energy they may feel into tangible action.  But I'm not going to hold my breath...   

[Elkaholic daWg]

https://mynorthwest.com/category/the-dori-monson-show/...        Dori Monson Today hour 2 if you are a hunter you should listen to his talk with Tom Nelson of the Outdoor Line regarding our governess's recent appointees to the DFW Commission. It starts at about 22 minutes

[highcountry_hunter]

So is this any different than if RMEF came in and decided they want to come in and reform Washington’s wildlife management?