Today, despite opposition from every major hunting and conservation organization in Kentucky and the nation, the Senate Agriculture Committee amended Senate Bill 3 and passed it out of committee. It will now be sent to the Senate floor for consideration, where we expect to see many amendments trying to “fix” the bill. As we’ve previously reported, there is no way to “fix” this terrible precedent, one that will have grave consequences for all Kentucky sportsmen and women.
The list of organizations opposed to this agency killing bill includes the Sportsmen’s Alliance, the League of Kentucky Sportsmen, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Delta Waterfowl, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Ruffed Grouse Society, American Sportfishing Association, B.A.S.S Conservation, Safari Club International, Quail Forever, National Deer Association, Trout Unlimited, and the Boone and Crockett Club.
It is not often all these groups come together to oppose legislation, but in this case, all agree that SB 3 must be defeated. By moving the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (DFWR) to the Department of Agriculture, SB 3 gives the Commissioner of Agriculture complete nominating power for the Fish and Wildlife Commission and agriculture interests will simply have too much sway over decision-making.
There is no fix for such legislation. Please use the Take Action button to email your state Senator and Representative and respectfully urge them to vote “No” on SB 3 in any form. It is IMPERATIVE that your state Senator and Representative hear from you urging them not to play politics with the DFWR and the proper management of Kentucky’s wildlife resources.
It is no secret that the Department of Agriculture and the DFWR do not see eye to eye on how to manage wildlife. Agriculture often sees wildlife as a nuisance, and DFWR works towards management. This makes the concept of SB 3, moving fish and wildlife under agriculture, flawed from the onset.
As initially reported, the DFWR manages wildlife using the North American Model of Conservation, which is based on a belief system regarding resources and their proper management and use. This is much different, if not the opposite, from how the farming community views those same resources, let alone how they manage them effectively and for what purpose.
Don’t forget to share this important alert with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen. The Bluegrass State needs all its sportsmen, anglers, and trappers to email their state Senator and Representative urging them to OPPOSE SB 3. They need to know that moving the DFWR is not in the best interest of Kentucky’s wildlife and its sportsmen, anglers, and trappers.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.