Protest WDFW Wolf Plan in Olympia

[pianoman9701]

It appears the plan is to show up in April after the Senate has confirmed these Commissioners and the legislature has gone home. We're frickin doomed......................

If you guys read some of my original posts, my intention was more to have a large demonstration of the Governor to attract attention to this issue in an attempt to make residents of this state take notice of 1. what the WDFW has done, and 2. that they have a choice of who to vote for in the fall for governor.

The last gubernatorial election was decided by 130 votes. The governor has power over the commission and ultimately by his/her appointment, over the WDFW leadership and policies. Unless you think that we need to push for certain legislation that will correct this situation, I don't see where it makes a difference when the legislature's in session. This would have to do more with the governor and with the stir we create with the voting public.

The other suggestion that has come up twice now is to have many smaller demonstrations around the state at either the WDFW offices, or other high profile locations on a certain date. And, there may be other options, as well.

As I've said before, the original mass demonstration idea is only my idea. Whatever we decide as a group will be what eventually happens. The first thing to do is join WFW and let me know you want in on the Wolf Protest Committee. Then we can hash the details out. Thanks,
Pman

[bearpaw]

It appears the plan is to show up in April after the Senate has confirmed these Commissioners and the legislature has gone home. We're frickin doomed......................

The 2 new commissioners are both sportsmen, so I don't see a big problem with them. As far as the protest is concerned, if you have a suggestion of how to put something like this together faster and will contribute your time, please join WFW and the group. Otherwise, it's going to take a lot of time and planning to put a large event like this together. Stating that "we're frikking doomed" really won't do much to help. There needs to be more. Thanks,
Pman

Pman, I think blackdog is exactly right, he knows what he's talking about, it will do us no good to protest after this CNW member is confirmed on the commission. You need to read the dirt Cedarpants dug up on Kuhne, then you will see the light, see posts #20, #27, #32:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,88257.15.html

We may be most effective to try and prevent his confirmation.

[blackdog]

Early March, alot of confirmations occur then. I apologize PM for my sense of humor, I'm in a position to help and will be, its just some frustration that I don't have enough allies where I work.

[jackmaster]

i think we should do it during the week when somethn big is going on at the capitol, that way more politicians will see where we stand, i know everyone has to work and so do i, but are huntn rights are worth a day away from work, look at it this way, if we keep losin are huntn rights or let these wolves destroy everything we hunt for, then your gonna be spending alot more time at work cause there wont be any reason to take time off cause there wont be anything left to hunt, and i dont know about you guys but being at work isnt all that fun, we just do it to pay for what we love to do...  .. i am good for any day at anytime, i joined wfw yesterday, so put me to work, if you need signatures send me the paper work if you need me to pass out flyers then i can do that to, what ever needs doing i am in, and i got plenty of friends and family that hunt that arent members on here that i will be bringing with me around 20 extra guys and gals that arent members, and i am sure everyone else on here knows about that many as well....... strength is in numbers!!!!

[pianoman9701]

It appears the plan is to show up in April after the Senate has confirmed these Commissioners and the legislature has gone home. We're frickin doomed......................

The 2 new commissioners are both sportsmen, so I don't see a big problem with them. As far as the protest is concerned, if you have a suggestion of how to put something like this together faster and will contribute your time, please join WFW and the group. Otherwise, it's going to take a lot of time and planning to put a large event like this together. Stating that "we're frikking doomed" really won't do much to help. There needs to be more. Thanks,
Pman

Pman, I think blackdog is exactly right, he knows what he's talking about, it will do us no good to protest after this CNW member is confirmed on the commission. You need to read the dirt Cedarpants dug up on Kuhne, then you will see the light, see posts #20, #27, #32:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,88257.15.html

We may be most effective to try and prevent his confirmation.

So, we're now talking about two different issues - derailing the confirmation of Jay Kehne, a member of Conservation NW that supports the Wolf Plan, and the demonstration. I'm not sure that they shouldn't be handled by two different groups.

[CedarPants]

It appears the plan is to show up in April after the Senate has confirmed these Commissioners and the legislature has gone home. We're frickin doomed......................

The 2 new commissioners are both sportsmen, so I don't see a big problem with them. As far as the protest is concerned, if you have a suggestion of how to put something like this together faster and will contribute your time, please join WFW and the group. Otherwise, it's going to take a lot of time and planning to put a large event like this together. Stating that "we're frikking doomed" really won't do much to help. There needs to be more. Thanks,
Pman

Pman, I think blackdog is exactly right, he knows what he's talking about, it will do us no good to protest after this CNW member is confirmed on the commission. You need to read the dirt Cedarpants dug up on Kuhne, then you will see the light, see posts #20, #27, #32:  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,88257.15.html

We may be most effective to try and prevent his confirmation.

So, we're now talking about two different issues - derailing the confirmation of Jay Kehne, a member of Conservation NW that supports the Wolf Plan, and the demonstration. I'm not sure that they shouldn't be handled by two different groups.

I think he was just pointing out that your "they are both sportsmen so I don't see a problem" comment wasn't really spot on.

I agree though, 2 separate topics.  Both equally important

[CedarPants]

You know I am in as long as its not during Turkey season ... Seriously we need to get with it .....

BOW no offense, but this is why we fall apart as a group.  We always seem to want to take action about these issues, unless it interferes with our hunting schedule. 

I will happily sacrifice my hunting time this turkey season if need be to make this happen.

[blackdog]

Not just Kehne, but all Commissioners that WFW wants removed.

[jackmaster]

not to step on toes but this cant turn into a bitch session , maybe pianno can attach a poll to this thread with a couple of major issues and have evryone vote on them which ever one wins the WE ALL go with that, we cannot get #$%@ measuring contest, lets pick somethn and run with it, like i said before i am game for anything, its time that we ALL get together and go for it, we need this to happen and not go by the wayside

[pianoman9701]

After reading Bearpaw's post and Cedar's information from his thread to do with confirmation of Kehne to the commission, and after going to the Conservation NW's website to find out what a pro-wolf organization they are, it is my opinion that we should move up the date of the demonstration to sometime in February or early March and demonstrate the legislature to derail this confirmation and, as Blackdog's last post suggested, request from them the removal of other animal rights-inclined and wolf loving commissioners.

The official announcement from the WDFW about these appointments would lead us to believe that both of these guys are regular guys and hunters, and now, it is apparent to me that the WDFW and the governor are purposely deceiving us so as to have more pro-wolf commissioners confirmed with the blessing of the hunting community. This is not only inexcusable, but may well be illegal.

I propose that we look at a much earlier date for the demonstration to achieve this additional goal. Please give your thoughts. Also, please join WFW quickly so we can move this thread to a private forum and start planning without giving our opponents too much ammo. All of you who are so vocally in favor of demonstrating, put your words into action right away, please. Thanks,
Pman

[CedarPants]

After reading Bearpaw's post and Cedar's information from his thread to do with confirmation of Kehne to the commission, and after going to the Conservation NW's website to find out what a pro-wolf organization they are, it is my opinion that we should move up the date of the demonstration to sometime in February or early March and demonstrate the legislature to derail this confirmation and, as Blackdog's last post suggested, request from them the removal of other animal rights-inclined and wolf loving commissioners.

The official announcement from the WDFW about these appointments would lead us to believe that both of these guys are regular guys and hunters, and now, it is apparent to me that the WDFW and the governor are purposely deceiving us so as to have more pro-wolf commissioners confirmed with the blessing of the hunting community. This is not only inexcusable, but may well be illegal.

I propose that we look at a much earlier date for the demonstration to achieve this additional goal. Please give your thoughts. Also, please join WFW quickly so we can move this thread to a private forum and start planning without giving our opponents too much ammo. All of you who are so vocally in favor of demonstrating, put your words into action right away, please. Thanks,
Pman

Totally agree.

[buckfvr]

The first shots fired should come from us in the form of letters to the Senators involved in the confirmation process, giving them the available information on the bad guys.  This should happen now.

[pianoman9701]

Write to your state legislators. Find them here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/default.aspx

[bearpaw]

I am thinking move it up 1 month to March 1st. This is a week day, maybe March 3rd would get a better turnout, are legislators in town on Saturday?
There's no sense doing this if everyone is not in Olympia. Seems to me we want to do this just before any confirmations begin.

Write to your state legislators. Find them here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder/default.aspx

We need to press Representative Shoesler on this and try to get the whole Republican caucus to oppose Kehne's confirmation. We need to identify which Democrats (there are several who are sportsmen friendly) and press them to oppose Kehne's confirmation.

I think the NRA gives good grades to the following Democrats: Hobbs, Hatfield, Hargrove, and Sheldon. If we can get these democrats and the whole Republican caucus to oppose Kehne's confirmation, we may be able to prevent his confirmation.

[pianoman9701]

My letter to both my state representatives and senator.

Dear Senator Benton,
 
Please carefully consider voting against the appointment of Jay Kehne to our WDFW Wildlife Commission.The bulletin that the WDFW sent out yesterday about the appointees is deceptive and is intended to lull hunters into thinking that the WDFW has finally found people who support hunters and sportsmen across Washington state. Kehne does not. His views on animal rights are extreme and he will not represent the people who spend the money on licenses to pay the bills of the WDFW, our hunters and fishermen. He works for an organization which does NOT support hunting and responsible game Management, Conservation NW. This is not someone who should be allowed to write policy for Fish & Wildlife.
 
We hunters have responsibly conserved and made possible the recoveries of our wildlife since the early 1900s through our license dollars and our millions of volunteered hours of conservation work. No other groups have done anywhere near the amount of conservation work as hunters have, none. Our wildlife is successful and abundant almost completely due to hunters efforts. Accepting people who do not support hunting into the wildlife commission is a slap in the face to the people who've done the real work for our wildlife in our state.
 
The WDFW's wolf plan will do irreparable harm to our state's wildlife, especially the endangered woodland caribou, elk, and deer. We know this from the experiences of MT, WY, and ID. In adopting the new wolf plan, our WDFW has completely ignored the disastrous effects of over-introducing wolves in those states. Those states have less aggressive plans than the one our WDFW just adopted , much lower human population and population densities, and some of their herds are now down by 80%. Idaho isn't even coming close to culling the number of wolves it needs to stabilize their population and either has Montana. Their wolf reintroduction programs started 16 years ago. ID's revenues related to license purchases and hunting-related economy are down more than $20 million this year alone. Guide services and related business in MT are going out of business at an alarming rate and ranchers and taking huge losses. We need to learn from their mistakes and it appears the WDFW refuses to do so. This plan, if it stands, will harm wildlife populations, business (including our ranchers), and tourism in this state.
 
Senator Benton, this is not the time to jeopardize WDFW budget money from hunting licenses by turning the wildlife commission into an anti-hunting organization. Please vote against Kehne's appointment, replace other anti-hunters on the commission, and send a message to hunters across the state that you acknowledge their contributions and feel that the wildlife commission of the WDFW is not the place to forward a political, anti-hunting agenda. Thank you for your consideration of my request. I request the courtesy of a reply. Thank you.
 
 
Most Sincerely,
 
John W
Vancouver, WA