Solution to AZSFWC and Wildlife Improvement

There is really such a simple solution to funding wildlife projects.

The real problem is organizations like ADA, AES, et al have good worthwhile projects but not sufficient ability to raise the necessary funds. Its hard enough to plan the work, do the coordination and actually get the work done. The skills necessary for work project management are not the same skills needed to raise millions of dollars. Through these organizations we know what needs to be done and how to do it, just not how to pay for it.

I've suggested this solution before, but I will bring it forth again. I think sportsmen should pay for a mandatory habitat stamp with each hunting license. G&F would be responsible for collecting the money that goes into a special habitat fund. The organizations can develop their habitat improvement plans and budgets and apply for grants from the fund. Guys like Chris Denham can get the funding for the projects dear to them and the habitat stamp fund has all the oversight and transparency required by a government agency. Some of the projects might not be boots on the ground type projects, but draft legislation type projects or legal representation type projects.

A $25 habitat stamp would generate over $3 million dollars a year. Much more than the net proceeds from an SFW expo. Of course, Don Peay wouldn't get paid and Allen Hamberlin wouldn't be able to cut to the front of the tag line, but some people will just have to make sacrifices for the benefit of wildlife.

The fund raising problem as I see it is a result of hunters refusing to open their wallets. That is not a judgement on hunters, just an observation. I know I tend to be leery of donating to wildlife organizations because I really don't know their true agenda and where my dollars will be spent. The scenario I described above would reduce my fears. I'm sure there are some that buy hunting licenses that just don't want to give of their money to help wildlife. A mandatory habitat stamp will pry the money from their wallets.

I'm sure there are a lot of sportsmen that would do more for wildlife if they knew there were funds available to them. There must be more guys like KRP and the Scott brothers that have the ability to do projects on the ground but don't have ready access to the necessary funds. We might even get Billy the Kid to come to AZ, take off his XXL asshat, and do a little manual labor to help us out.

What do you guys think? We could kill SFW and take care of wildlife in one fell swoop. I think its worth going to the commission to get their support. Please shoot a hole in my suggestion if you can find one.

Sound like a good idea, but I dont think you'll find a Asshat big enough for Billy the Kid. LOL Also It might shut up the Dons (both of them) about not having enough money.

This is along the lines of how I think the process should work as well. A fund is held and administered by F&G, a fund that can only be used for its intended purpose. Each conservation organization that has a project that they would like to be funded should have to turn in a detailed plan and budget to be approved and receive funds. The project should than be funded on a documented cost basis. Nevada already has a similar process for the Heritage fund.

I think you should also have a Minnow Stamp just for Billy?

We do a habitat stamp in Colo. It is not perfect our Legislature put some unneeded things
In there, but overall it benefits our wildlife. I bought the ?lifetime? as soon as it was offered
And I bought the life time for my best friends 2 boys as soon as they were old enough for big game tags.
As a non res who applies annually in AZ. I would support an annual $25 stamp when I apply.

It would be an excellent way to get rid of SFW types that cry wolf and don't use all the money for the proper purposes. Everyone pays $12.50 for the Conservation Stamp in Wyoming and I would have no trouble if it doubled in price as long as the money was used properly. The AZ guys have the perfect chance in a couple weeks to get soemthing like that off the ground when the G&F has that new organization meeting they are asking all interested people to attend. What an easy way to get rid of a big problem and put the money on the ground where it all should be going!

Exactly there does not need to be a middle man and your chances of drawing the tag you want get better. Oh and habitat funding direct to dwr. Great idea. As long as 99% of the extra funds generated goes at habitat for deer I would be for paying that 25.00 fee.

LAST EDITED ON Mar-06-12 AT 01:00PM (MST)[p]Sounds like this is what utah needs! no tags stolen, and the money is still generated! and it goes straight to habitat! i like it

Is this something you are proposing for AZ? cause id like to bring the idea to utah and get rid of the SFW tag pimping!

Great idea! If i knew where my 25 bucks was going im all for giving the money . i just never donate cause i dont know where the money goes. I would want full transparency so we could all see where the money went!

The law in AZ is pretty good requiring transparency for all state and local agencies. I'm just in the talking stages now, but unless someone can give me a good reason why it wouldn't work, I would like to take it to the commission. The regulation would have to be worded in such a manner as to guarantee the funds would stay in the habitat trust fund for the intended purpose and not swept into the general fund like they did with our license revenues. I don't know how well it would work in UT since I am not at all familiar with the regulatory environment. I figure the best bang for the buck is to get the money into the proper hands in the most direct and economical manner.

How do you feel that Utah Sportsman would respond?

Utah currently has a voluntary coyote control effort and very few Utah sportsman donate. They actually have to skip it on their application. They know exactly where the money will go, the State of Utah is accounting and controlling the money, there is no middle man or organization involved, it is a very easy way for the "Average" hunter to help. But they don't.

One hunter on another forum indicated that if he donated $5 per family member that would add $25 to his hunting fees and that was unacceptable. This program would add five times that amount.

Another indicated that they didn't donate because they hunt and trap coyotes. Is this guy going to happily nearly double his license cost.

I think that if we want the habitat and wildlife projects completed we have to find a way to make the conservaiton tag program acceptable to more people. The average hunter is either not going to step up or is not in the position to help out with money.

The convention tags are an entirely different question.

BlueGoat---I'll bet that guy that says he can't fork over $25 is a smoker, drinker, or maybe he has a dog or two that he spends hundreds of dollars on for food, etc. If a person can't come up with 50 cents a week to put in $25 per year for habitat wor, IMHO maybe they aren't dedicated enough to the sport to worry about and should take up something else. I cut yards and blow snow to pay for my hunting activities at age 64 and if I can figure out a way to continue hunting he should be able to also!

Blue I don't donate cause I don't knowif that money really goes 100%to coyote control. I don't trust the dwr that much. I'd be more willing to buy a stamp with full transparency. That goes to habitat.

I would be 100% for the Conservation Stamp. I would happily pay $50.00 for one every year. Convention tags and Conservation tags returned to the general draw. What more could you ask for?
A plan like the one BattleBorn above has mentioned and complete transparancy to show Sportsman and women where the money has gone.
I'm in, fully support this.

2010, SFW spent 1.1 million on expos/conventions, 1.4 on habitat. I would think with a stamp we could do better, EVEN with the STATE controlling the money!


When they came for the road hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the oppurtunists I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for the public land hunters I was not one so I said nothing. When they came for me there was no one left to say anything!

these are all great ideas. i just don't buy it that the majority of people are willing to pay more for something that isn't "tangible" to them. i certainly am. however, people get pissed when app fees go up 1$ and at least that lets them apply for a tag. i don't think most people would knowingly give up money in this economy for something that didn't directly benefit them. it's all about money and funding in the end. i stick with my stance that we need to put money into the hands of organizations and out of the hands of the gfd.

btk---Are you missing the fact that it would be mandatory in order to hunt? There would be no choice and if a person doesn't feel that extra money is worth paying to continue hunting, then they could take up knitting!!! With what is proposed in this thread, organizations would come up with a plan and would be given money to do the work knowing that there would be followup to see that the money was used accordingly. This would allow the vast percentage of the money collected to go onto the ground and not be used for God knows what like the way a big percentage of those millions being collected at the EXPO seem to be wasted.

TOPGUN,, I totally agree, but he is the average hunter.

OX.. So what would change if it was required? If you don't trust the DWR now, what would change - they would be doing the projects and controlling the money. It was just be required rather than voluntary

The question still stands. Do we need these projects and if so how do we complete them.

If the answer is no. Great, very easy solution

If the answer is yes,, Well we can't have it both ways.

Call it what you will, a stamp, user fee, or tax, adding $25 to hunt affects the poor and middle class the most. The truely poor drop out of the game, the middld class suck it up and hunt, it is so minor to the rich that they don't even feel it.

I hear that millions of dollars are going into personal pockets because of Utah conservation tags (Not EXPO tags- different animal). I would like to see someone posting up the actual numbers not just echoing the crowd and saying "Millions". The numbers are public and out there for those that will look.

Finally!!Someone comes up with a viable solution instead of the incessant whining!Kudos to you,sagebrush,for coming up with a sensible solution to tag "pimping"!I've said it before-wildlife(especially mule deer)needs more money on the ground than a G&F agency can afford to spend.Other than costing a hunter more money to apply,I see nowhere to shoot a hole in your proposal.To an extent,I see what BTK is saying when he mistrusts a govt agency to spend the money on what it is meant for.This could be easily covered in your proposal.Go for it,man!I think you may be onto something!