DEC, 2012 "In The Crosshairs"
December 12, 2012
Botswana Indefinitely
Suspends Hunting Activities Starting Jan. 1, 2014:
"As was confirmed by His Excellency the President in his
recent State of the Nation Address, Government has decided to
indefinitely suspend commercial hunting of wildlife in public or
Controlled Hunting Areas as from the 1st of January 2014.
This comes as a realization that the shooting of wild game purely
for sport and trophies is no longer seen to be compatible with
either our national commitment to conserve and preserve local fauna
or the long term growth of the local tourism industry." SCI received
this official statement from Botswana's Embassy in Washington, D.C.
SCI will continue to work with the Botswana government and other
non-government organizations to reverse this policy, and return
Botswana to sustainable-use wildlife management and rural economic
development. To read the full press release, with contact
information for the Botswana Minister of Environment, Wildlife And
Tourism, please visit
http://wp.me/s2C4PF-303
MidwayUSA Recommits To Safari
Club International:
Tucson, Ariz. –- Safari Club International (SCI)
welcomes once again MidwayUSA as one of its premier sponsors of the
world’s greatest convention dedicated to North American and
International hunting, the 41st Annual Safari Club International
Hunters’ Convention. ‘Without organizations like SCI to play an
important role in effective conservation efforts, our children and
grandchildren won’t be able to enjoy hunting and shooting sports,’
said Larry Potterfield, Founder and CEO of MidwayUSA. To read more,
please visit http://bit.ly/UsrXdp
A Busy Ten Days for SCI Litigation Staff: In
the last ten days, SCI attorneys finalized and filed four
significant briefs on behalf of SCI members in four important cases
around the country. In Wisconsin, SCI, in conjunction with the
Wisconsin Bear Hunters, United Sportsmen of Wisconsin and the U.S
Sportsmen’s Alliance, filed their final brief in support of
Wisconsin’s wolf hunting regulations. In Florida, SCI filed a
reply brief in support of the National Park Service’s plan for ORV
use (a precursor to allowing hunting) in the “Addition Lands” of
Big Cypress National Preserve. In Minnesota, SCI filed an
amicus brief, attacking the standing of Center for Biological
Diversity and Howling for Wolves to challenge Minnesota’s wolf hunt
regulations. And, in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, SCI
attorneys filed their final brief challenging the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s ban on the importation of polar bear trophies
from Canada. SCI attorneys are now digging out from the
accumulated documents needed for preparing these briefs and are
celebrating having survived one of the most active two weeks in
SCI’s litigation history.
SCI Foundation Convention Seminars:
The Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) and partners are
working to advance sound, science-based management of wildlife
resources worldwide. SCI Foundation’s Conservation Committee invites
you to attend our wildlife conservation-related seminars at the 2013
Safari Club International Convention featuring North American,
African and Asian species. Learn about new ways international
hunters are contributing to science-based conservation worldwide. To
view a list of SCI Foundation Seminars, please visit
http://bit.ly/12l5k1e
Mont. Shuts Down Wolf Harvest
Near Yellowstone: "Billings,
Mont. -- Montana wildlife commissioners on Monday closed down
the gray wolf season in some areas outside Yellowstone National Park
after several collared animals used for scientific research were
shot in recent weeks. The closures prohibit hunting and trapping for
the predators and include areas north of the park around the town of
Gardiner. But Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission chairman Bob Ream
indicated the closures are not meant to be permanent. He said
commissioners were acting to address the "particular and unique
situation" of collared wolves being shot." (Source:
SaltLakeTribune.com) To read more, please visit
http://bit.ly/TUDvdV
Let It burn? Federal
Agencies Draft National Wildland Fire Strategy:
“Wildfires and weather share a common problem: We all talk about
them, but what can we do about them? The federal government hopes to
answer the wildfire question with a three-year strategy session
that’s wrapping up this month. But there’s no guarantee the
National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy will save an
acre of forest. In fact, it might force the nation to decide how
much it’s willing to let burn. ‘We’ve never done this before, and
we’re still trying to work out the details,’ former forest
supervisor Alan Quan said from his home in Prescott, Ariz.” (Source:
Missoulian.com) To read more about the fire strategy, please visit
http://bit.ly/1237kvL
Negotiators See Glimmers Of
Progress On Farm Bill: “(Reuters) - With a week left to
act, agricultural leaders in Congress are still deadlocked on two
major issues for a new U.S. farm bill, cuts in crop subsidies and
reductions in food stamps, said two of the four key negotiators on
Thursday. But the leaders of the House and Senate agriculture
committees suggested that recent talks had yielded at least some
progress. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged prompt passage of
the new bill. Without reauthorization, U.S. farm policy would revert
to the provisions of the Agricultural Act of 1949, the last
"permanent" farm bill and one crafted for an entirely different U.S.
economy.” (Source: Reuters.com) To read more, please visit
http://reut.rs/X0IM1e
BLM Leading Reclamation
Program To Enhance Restoration Of Sage Grouse Habitat In Wyo.:
“GILLETTE, Wyoming — Still a candidate for protection under the
Endangered Species Act, sage grouse had favorable weather this
summer but remain challenged by energy development in the state. The
species was among 192 species candidates for protection under the
act, according to a report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
released last week. The ‘candidate species’ status of sage grouse
means the service has enough information on the status and the
threats the species faces to propose it as threatened or endangered.
But it hasn't listed it because of the need to address other higher
priority species.” (Source:TheRepublic.com) To read more, please
visit http://bit.ly/UsM0Is
South Africa: Nation Signs
Deal To Save Rhino: “Ha Noi — The governments of South
Africa and Vietnam today signed a landmark agreement that
authorities hope will help quash the alarming scourge of rhino
poaching that has been seen in the North West, Limpopo and
Mpumalanga provinces. The release last month of the official rhino
poaching figures for South Africa had sent shockwaves throughout the
country and had environmentalist questioning whether authorities
were winning the war against the crime. As of this week, a
staggering 607 rhinos were poached in South Africa.” (Source:
AllAfrica.com) To read more, please visit
http://bit.ly/TM9eKY