Outdoors Groups Rally Around California Fish and Game Commissioner

Dan Richards, president of the California Fish and Game Commission and an avid angler, hunter and friend to sportsmen and women, is being unfairly attacked by extreme environmental and animal rights organizations for taking part in a legal hunt in Idaho. While hunting cougars may not be licensed in California, it is both legal and well-managed in Idaho.

But what is the real issue here? The organizations leading the charge against Richards have a much broader agenda.

Richards has consistently been a voice of reason throughout the flawed Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) initiative, a controversial program that threatens sportfishing in California, and the businesses and 20,000 jobs that depend on it, by unnecessarily closing large areas of the ocean to recreational fishing. If successful in their efforts to remove Richards from the commission, these anti-fishing groups will be one step closer to shutting anglers out of more of California’s best fishing spots.

These anti-fishing and hunting organizations initially pressured Richards to resign from his post as Fish and Game Commissioner. Now that he had rightly refused to yield to this pressure, legislative action is being considered to forcibly remove him from the commission.

All that is needed to remove Richards from the commission is a simple majority vote by California’s state legislature – so your help is needed now!

KeepAmericaFishing™ encourages all California sportsmen and women to send a letter to their state senate and assembly members expressing support for Commissioner Dan Richards and urging legislators to oppose any measure that would remove Richards from the commission. Click here to send your message today http://keepamericafishing.salsalabs.com/o/6394/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4066.