[BCNnet] More National Wildlife Refuges opened to hunting and fishing

Wed, 1 Sep 2004 22:22:24 EDT

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I picked this up on wisbirdn, Wisconsin's IBET.

Regards
Bob Fisher

Bush opening more lands to hunting and fishing
By John Heilprin
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said yesterday it will give people
who hunt and fish new access to hundreds of thousands of acres of lands
and streams within 17 national wildlife refuges and wetlands.
The decision as the Republican National Convention was opening in New
York was announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Asked if it
might help President Bush's re-election efforts, the agency's director,
Steve Williams said, "This is just another example of the president's
commitment to sportsmen.
"By law, Congress directed the service to consider and provide
opportunities for hunting and fishing where it's compatible on the
refuges. We take that quite seriously," Williams added.
Both Bush and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry have cast
themselves as sportsmen in campaigning for votes among hunters and
conservationists. Groups that promote hunting and fishing rights or
habitat for fish and game - such as the Boone and Crockett Club, Ducks
Unlimited and the National Rifle Association - claim millions of
members.
Hunting and fishing have long been allowed in the 95-million-acre refuge
system, which includes 544 national wildlife refuges and thousands of
small wetlands and other specially managed areas.
Currently, more than 300 wildlife refuges and about 3,000 small wetlands
are open to hunting, and more than 260 wildlife refuges are open to
fishing.
Yesterday's decision opens an additional 243,500 acres as of tomorrow,
wildlife officials said.
Federal officials opened four more national wildlife refuges to hunting
and fishing: Mountain Long Leaf in Alabama, 3,300 acres; Cypress Creek
in Illinois, 100 acres; Red River in Louisiana, 2,700 acres; and
Waccamaw in South Carolina, 10,500 acres.
Also opened were six more wetlands management districts: Devils Lake in
North Dakota, 56,000 acres; and in South Dakota: Huron, 11,000 acres;
Lake Andrews, 20,000 acres; Madison, 38,500 acres; Sand Lake, 45,000
acres; and Waubay, 4,400 acres.
Seven refuges where officials added to the land and marshes available
for hunting are Savannah in Georgia and South Carolina, 2,000 acres; Big
Oaks in Indiana, 10,000 acres; Big Branch Marsh in Louisiana, 6,000
acres; Crescent Lake in Nebraska, 5,000 acres; Cross Creek and Tennessee
in Tennessee, 24,000 acres; and Trinity in Texas, 5,000 acres.
Officials said the agency was not adding money to the budget to help
with managing the additional activity in the newly opened areas.
Betsy Loyless, a vice president and lobbyist for the League of
Conservation Voters, called the decision a blatant attempt to sway
voters.
"I do think politics are at play," she said. "The areas they've chosen
play to the base. What this means in terms of conservation is
questionable."
Her group supports more limited hunting and fishing at the refuges,
Loyless said, adding that the administration's decision and other
wetlands policies put millions of acres at risk of being developed.
"This is like a putting a hole in the bucket and then saying you're
going to fill it with a little water, or a little wetlands," Loyless
said.

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">I picked this up on wisbirdn, Wisco=
nsin's IBET.<BR>
<BR>
Regards<BR>
Bob Fisher<BR>
<BR>
Bush opening more lands to hunting and fishing<BR>
By John Heilprin<BR>
The Associated Press<BR>
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said yesterday it will give people<BR>
who hunt and fish new access to hundreds of thousands of acres of lands<BR>
and streams within 17 national wildlife refuges and wetlands.<BR>
The decision as the Republican National Convention was opening in New<BR>
York was announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Asked if it<BR>
might help President Bush's re-election efforts, the agency's director,<BR>
Steve Williams said, "This is just another example of the president's<BR>
commitment to sportsmen.<BR>
"By law, Congress directed the service to consider and provide<BR>
opportunities for hunting and fishing where it's compatible on the<BR>
refuges. We take that quite seriously," Williams added.<BR>
Both Bush and Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry have cast<BR>
themselves as sportsmen in campaigning for votes among hunters and<BR>
conservationists. Groups that promote hunting and fishing rights or<BR>
habitat for fish and game - such as the Boone and Crockett Club, Ducks<BR>
Unlimited and the National Rifle Association - claim millions of<BR>
members.<BR>
Hunting and fishing have long been allowed in the 95-million-acre refuge<BR>
system, which includes 544 national wildlife refuges and thousands of<BR>
small wetlands and other specially managed areas.<BR>
Currently, more than 300 wildlife refuges and about 3,000 small wetlands<BR>
are open to hunting, and more than 260 wildlife refuges are open to<BR>
fishing.<BR>
Yesterday's decision opens an additional 243,500 acres as of tomorrow,<BR>
wildlife officials said.<BR>
Federal officials opened four more national wildlife refuges to hunting<BR>
and fishing: Mountain Long Leaf in Alabama, 3,300 acres; Cypress Creek<BR>
in Illinois, 100 acres; Red River in Louisiana, 2,700 acres; and<BR>
Waccamaw in South Carolina, 10,500 acres.<BR>
Also opened were six more wetlands management districts: Devils Lake in<BR>
North Dakota, 56,000 acres; and in South Dakota: Huron, 11,000 acres;<BR>
Lake Andrews, 20,000 acres; Madison, 38,500 acres; Sand Lake, 45,000<BR>
acres; and Waubay, 4,400 acres.<BR>
Seven refuges where officials added to the land and marshes available<BR>
for hunting are Savannah in Georgia and South Carolina, 2,000 acres; Big<BR>
Oaks in Indiana, 10,000 acres; Big Branch Marsh in Louisiana, 6,000<BR>
acres; Crescent Lake in Nebraska, 5,000 acres; Cross Creek and Tennessee<BR>
in Tennessee, 24,000 acres; and Trinity in Texas, 5,000 acres.<BR>
Officials said the agency was not adding money to the budget to help<BR>
with managing the additional activity in the newly opened areas.<BR>
Betsy Loyless, a vice president and lobbyist for the League of<BR>
Conservation Voters, called the decision a blatant attempt to sway<BR>
voters.<BR>
"I do think politics are at play," she said. "The areas they've chosen<BR>
play to the base. What this means in terms of conservation is<BR>
questionable."<BR>
Her group supports more limited hunting and fishing at the refuges,<BR>
Loyless said, adding that the administration's decision and other<BR>
wetlands policies put millions of acres at risk of being developed.<BR>
"This is like a putting a hole in the bucket and then saying you're<BR>
going to fill it with a little water, or a little wetlands," Loyless<BR>
said.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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