Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Lincoln, NE. — While the world endlessly debates gun regulation, the hunters and shooters of the world are aligning around a new way forward. Powderhook is proud to announce it has aligned with the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports and the Wildlife Management Institute to strengthen national efforts to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters and target shooters. The time is now to combat the erosion in participation in hunting and shooting sports.
The national partnership of more than 33 non-profit and conservation groups, firearms and archery industry leaders and state fish and wildlife agencies has been working for the past year to draft a comprehensive action plan that outlines the critically needed strategies and tools to create more hunters and shooting sports participants. Read more
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
Most people who have heard of the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) associate the organization with its rifles. Many travel miles, far and wide, to rummage through the shelves of the North and South Stores – looking for the perfect new addition to their growing collections. But for those searching for more valuable, select items, they can only be found online – and are sold to the highest bidder.
The CMP Auction Site has been an important facet of the company since 2009. Each year, the site features exclusive, high-end items sold solely through the website – not in CMP stores. In 2015, from October to mid-November alone, the site brought in $350-400 thousand dollars in sales revenue – serving as one of the main sources of income for the organization.
The gateway of each item’s journey from warehouse to website is the Auction Room in Anniston, AL. From the warehouse, employees within the Auction Room receive the items that have been deemed worthy of being sold through the site – unique rifles with rare parts or intriguing stories – and are tasked with describing each component through high-resolution photos and a short, detailed description on the site.
“You’ll get rare stuff – stuff you can’t get anywhere else,” said Josh White, one of the CMP employees within the Auction Room. “The pictures we take are what tell the story. You have to look at the pictures to see what you’re getting.” Read more
The Advisor is fitted with original military-type sights and a reproduction of the rare and highly-collectable (original type) low wood walnut stock (a tight fit between the upper hand guard and the forearm). The 12-inch barrel is topped off with an original military-style flash hider. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
It may be a difficult concept for some individuals to understand, but hunters’ dollars have been the driving force behind wildlife conservation long before animals had lawyers. Through license fees, plus hidden excise taxes on firearms and hunting and fishing gear, ample funds have been generated for wildlife management. This year alone, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has distributed $1.1 billion in revenues generated by the hunting and angling industry to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies throughout the nation. The funds support critical fish and wildlife conservation and recreation projects that benefit all Americans.
Enter into the equation the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), which was passed by Congress in 1980. Since then, it has been a cost-recovery resource for veterans, Social Security beneficiaries, and small businesses who find themselves in litigation against the federal government. Any payouts – and, there have been many in the millions of dollars – are taken from funds meant for wildlife conservation generated by outdoors people. As a result, wildlife habitat improvements and management continue to suffer.
When the law was first enacted, federal agencies were required to report annually on EAJA applications and the amount of attorney fees each agency awarded to groups and individuals. However, that reporting requirement ended in 1995 due to the Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset Act. As a result, since 1998 there has been no uniform method of reviewing EAJA and there is no public accountability or transparency in the program.
Over the past 15 years, several thousand cases have been filed by animal-rights groups against the federal government. The result is that millions, if not billions, have been paid out, which in effect, makes us all contributors to radical causes we may not support.
Their strategy is simple: Overwhelm the system and bilk the public in the name of environmentalism or animal protection. As an example, in one petition the Center for Biological Diversity requested that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) review 404 species in the Southeast alone for Endangered Species Act (ESA) consideration. Additionally, WildEarth Guardians filed two petitions listing 1,156 species for protection. Victories are often obtained because of technicalities such as missed deadlines and hardly ever for substantive matters.
And, remember, those of us, who have paid our hard-earned dollars into the system, have had no legal right to know how much of our money has been squandered. However, there remains hope.
This past week, the U.S. House approved unanimously by voice vote the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act (H.R. 3279), a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA) and cosponsored by Reps. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Steve Cohen (D-TN). The bill reinstates requirements that federal agencies track and report the attorney fees they award under the Equal Access to Justice Act.
H.R. 3279 requires the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) to track and report payments made by the federal government under EAJA in order to increase transparency and inform Congress of the impact and effectiveness of the law. The bill requires ACUS to submit an annual report to Congress and establish an online searchable database available to the public. This will allow the public to access information on the amount of attorneys’ fees being paid under EAJA, to whom the taxpayers’ money is being paid, and from which agencies.
In the past, similar efforts to create this semblance of transparency promised by the current administration have stalled, because past U.S. Senate leader, Harry Reid (D-Nevada) blocked its advance by never allowing it to be brought forth for consideration. We can draw our own conclusions as to his rationale, but the results fly in the face of honesty, not to mention the best interests of our wildlife resources.
With Mr. Reid’s departure from the top of the chain of command, the American people now have a chance to follow the money. And, it’s about time!
MOORESTOWN, NJ (Dec. 8, 2015) — SeaLife announced the expansion of its permanently sealed waterproof camera line with the introduction of the new Micro 2.0. Like its predecessor, the Micro HD, the new Micro 2.0 can be used above or below the surface down to 200 feet (60 meters) and is fully sealed, self-contained and maintenance-free without the hassle of O-rings or doors. Read more
