The Middle River Group, LLC

fly fishing, conservation and politics.

Hunting

What’s Wrong with Outdoor Recreation Jobs?

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Tom Wharton of the The Salt Lake Tribune recently asked, “When was the last time a Utah politician has done anything to help the state’s tourism and outdoor recreation industry?”

Fishing on the Green River

Readers know that I am a strong subscriber to the habitat = opportunity = economic activity equation (didn’t know that? click here).  The outdoor recreation economy is a bright light in these troubled economic times not just in Utah but across the country, yet as Wharton aptly notes:

“It almost seems as though the money generated by tourism and outdoor recreation doesn’t matter or that our politicians view the jobs these industries create as not worthy of support. This attitude could have a negative impact on our state economy.”

Wharton points to figures from the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition that show tourism is a $6.23 billion industry in Utah which created 110,000 jobs and reduced, yup you read that correctly, reduced taxes for Utah household by $703.

According to the Outdoor Industry Foundation, outdoor activities like fishing, paddling, camping, hunting, climbing, hiking, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and wildlife viewing contribute a total of $730 billion annually to the economy, supporting 6.5 million jobs (1 of every 20 jobs in the U.S.) and stimulating 8% of all consumer spending.

Outdoor recreation creates sustainable jobs and long term societal benefits for our nation, yet our elected officials seem tone deaf to this economic reality.

Check out Wharton’s column (click here).

 

Hold Them Accountable

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Montanan Tony Bynum see danger in Congress and their attack on our public lands. Bynum expresses his concern about the Wilderness and Roadless Release Act and the points out how the recent demonizing of the Antiquities Act is so much pandering to right wing nit wits and really a diservice to hunters and anglers.

He talks about how the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument is a prime hunting destination this time of year and because of the Antiquities Act it will still be that way 100 years from now.

Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument (courtesy BLM)

Pretty hard to recruit and retain hunters and anglers when we lose venues to irrational demonization of laws that create and protect these prime hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation places. As Bynum puts it,

“Let’s remember what matters most. What legacy shall we leave our children and theirs? Public land, open hunting for the common man is a tradition out west. I wish to leave that legacy to my children and, when this heritage is threatened by bad leadership decisions, we need to hold our leaders’ feet to the fire. It is far better to manage wisely and preserve our intact systems than it is to dismantle and try to rebuild them later.”

When the political carnival barkers start braying about access it is time to ask them if creating more venues might not be a pretty good way to create more access?

Read Bynum’s opinion piece in the Missoulian (click here).

Roadless wolves invoke “access” shibboleth

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I don’t know Ben Long but I like the way he thinks. Over the years I have heard the “access” dodge employed by politicians to justify tearing hell out of the public lands. They like to don the camo cloak and rant and foam about the lack of access. Long writes:

“America’s national forests belong to everyone, and all Americans deserve and rightfully demand access to this national birthright. Such access is like oxygen for hunters and anglers, but beware: Industry barracudas and their pals in Congress are trying to hoodwink sportsmen into supporting bad legislation by promising more lenient access.”

Dig a little deeper and you find the access issue is a little more complicated then the politicians would have you believe. Especially with legislation like the Wilderness and Roadless Release Act. Legislation that is opposed by TRCP, TU, AFFTA, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and RMEF (they originally supported it, but to their credit changed their stance when their members raised hell).

 

Read Long’s piece (click here) on why this legislation is not the “access” panacea the proponents claim.

Sportsmen, Conservation and the Economy

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“Fly Fishing Retailers Hang in the Balance.”

“Dismiss the notion that conservation funding is akin to a charitable donation, and understand that fly fishing manufacturers and dealers are among the most vulnerable if government conservation funding is slashed as planned.”

These warnings open Tim Romano’s report, “Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance Event Underscores Critical Link Between Conservation and Jobs” in Angling Trade. I was there, he is right.

The event, “Taking Aim at Conservation: American Sportsmen at a Crossroads Forum” was part of road trip bringing 35 sportsmen and women from 
seven states to Washington to unveil the Alliance’s policy agenda and educate Congress on policies and programs 
that are important to hunters and anglers in America. As a strong supporter of BMSA I had been asked to participate in a panel discussion during the forum.

The first part was devoted to special guests speakers. We heard remarks for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Udall (D-CO) and U.S. Senator James Risch (R-ID). A common theme from the speakers was the importance of hunting and fishing to the economy. And while that was good to hear there was also an acknowledgement that the fiscal situation and political climate were extremely difficult in Washington.

What I think was a more important part of the forum was a panel discussion about sportsmen and conservation. It was my privilege to share the panel with Kirk Deeter of Field & Stream and Angling Trade fame, Steve Moyer, Trout Unlimited’s VP of Conservation Gary Taylor, Legislative Director for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Montana State Senator Kendal Van Dyk, New Mexico State Representative Nate Gentry and Alliance Co-director Gaspar Perricone.

Each panelist was asked to address questions posed by Alliance Co-founder Tim Mauck. What emerged from the responses was a clear sense that the lack of conservation funding and the attacks on conservation and environmental policies were not only an imminent threat to fish and wildlife but also a threat to the economic contribution made by the outdoor recreation industry.

“It’s time that many Americans, particularly those who draw their livelihoods from the outdoors industry realize that our nation’s “conservation deficit” is just as real and just as much a burden for future generations as any financial budget deficit,” said Deeter.

For those of us who cherish hunting and fishing and especially those of us who work in the outdoor recreation industry the message is clear. Ignore these warnings at your economic peril.

It is time to add your name to the list of folks who are willing to speak out in support of a simple equation; conservation of habitat creates recreational opportunity and that means economic activity and jobs.

 


Sportsmen’s Organizations Oppose Conservation Cuts

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A deliberate move away from America’s long conservation tradition…

Responding to the draconian cuts passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in HR 1, 42 of the country’s leading hunting, fishing and outdoor organizations sent a letter to the U. S. Senate today urging restoration of funding to conservation programs.

The key point for me:

While we fully acknowledge that conservation programs should shoulder a fair and proportional burden of reductions to the Federal budget as required to address the budget deficit, these provisions of HR 1, in our view, represent a deliberate move away from America’s long conservation tradition and, specifically with respect to the interests of the hunting, fishing and outdoor community. We are very disappointed that the House considered these actions without consultation with the hunting, fishing and conservation community, and appeal to you to please give significant and favorable consideration to our perspectives. These vital conservation programs with long-standing track records of success are foundational to fish, wildlife and habitat conservation, good for the economy in creating jobs particularly in rural communities, and critical to providing opportunities for access to and enjoyment of fish and wildlife resources by America’s sportsmen and sportswomen. [emphasis mine]

You can add your voice with this Action Alert from Trout Unlimited

Full letter after the jump.
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A Conservation Nightmare

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We were warned

When Bob Marshal wrote, This will be the year that will test the commitment of the outdoors community, he gave us fair and early warning of the assault on conservation that was coming.

The conservation battles sportsmen fought to protect fish and wildlife habitat in the past may seem like speed bumps to the wall being raised in Washington this year.

Hal Herring took up the battle cry when he wrote Are There Any Politicians Who Really Understand Sportsmen’s Concerns?

What is disturbing is that we seem to have lost any conservative political leaders who understand sportsmen’s concerns, or, in the same vein, who recognize that there can be value in undisturbed land, or waters, or that intact ecosystems, with their healthy game and fish populations, also hold economic value in producing clean water, clean air, grazing, wildlife, flood or invasive weed control, all those elements that may not always add to the bottom line of corporate profit, but are the actual bottom line of life on this planet.

Not long after that Kirk Deeter added his voice in Should Conservation Be a Political Issue?

In my humble opinion, conservation shouldn’t be a political issue. It should be a cultural issue. And in that regard, I think those doing the real heavy lifting to protect wild places for fishing and hunting aren’t so much “green” as they are “camo.”

U.S. House takes an axe to conservation

Yesterday Deeter sounded the alarm loud and strong in his reaction to the US House of Representatives passage of HR1, Proposed Conservation Funding Cuts Could Devastate Fly Fishing Resources.

HR1 is a bill in Congress right now that would slash funding for a number of important conservation programs that impact fly fishing from coast to coast. I don’t care what your political persuasion is…if you’re a fly fisher, this should concern you, because any threat to habitat is a threat to opportunity. And in many cases, once a resource is gone, it’s gone.

He joins calls to action from Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited!

Are you getting the message yet? If not, then you are not paying attention!

[Read more…] about A Conservation Nightmare