I was poking around on the internet last night looking for minutes from the Wildlife Board Meetings at the time the Convention Permits were first created. I wanted to see what statements and representations were made by the groups involved. Unfortunately, the DWR does not have minutes from this time period available on its website.
While researching this issue, however, I came across a website that included some correspondence from Cris Draper, formerly of KSL radio, and Don Peay of SFW regarding the Convention Permits. Mr. Draper was apparently a vocal critic of the proposal to create the Convention Permits and he exchanged several emails with Don Peay regarding the subject. These emails are interesting because they demonstrate that the general public was concerned clear back in 2005 about how the monies from those permits would be used, and the conservation groups involved made certain representations and statements to the public in an effort to address those concerns.
The entire thread can be found at the following link:
http://www.utahoutdoors.com/responses-on-convention-tags.html However, I am only posting Don Peay's email to Cris Draper and Mr. Draper's response to Mr. Peay. I have highlighted a few of the statements that I found interesting.
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Don Peay, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife Founder and Founder of Utah FNAWS
Chris,
You have put out a bunch of false and inaccurate information about this Convention proposal.
First of all, the 200 permits would not be auctioned to the rich guys as you claim.
They will be in a drawing, 1 application per person so there is even odds for all sportsmen who want to come and contribute to wildlife conservation in Utah ? there is a need for over $100 Million to restore rangelands devastated by drought, and 30 years of inactive management. Utah has a plan in place, with multiple partners, state, local, federal, to restore close to 1 million acres of critical wildlife habitats. The cost of rehab is $50 to $150 per acre. There is also a need to acquire tens of millions of dollars of critical winter range.
Second of all, I was contacted by the Davis County Economic development and tourism board, and when they saw the facts, versus your propaganda, they put out a clarification email and the leader of the groups said, ?A great idea for Utah business and a great idea for Utah wildlife, we should support this proposal.?
Third, Bill Christensen of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, John Leonard of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ryan Foutz of Utah FNAWS, and Ray Lee of National FNAWS, Tony Abbott of the Mule Deer Foundation, and Byron Bateman of Sportsmen for Habitat have held numerous meetings, and have agreed in principle to work together and pull of this super convention. It will either by the ?national convention? of some of the groups, or ?State or Regional? convention of other groups. While this is a new event, and there will be a few challenges to pull it off, as completely disclosed in all the public meetings,
the potential upside for wildlife conservation is very large, and that is why 10 RAC meetings, two wildlife board meetings have all shown positive, and more than super majority votes in favor of the proposal.
There has been no final document to present to the Board, because the Board has not yet determined the exact RULE under which the permits would be allocated.
Once this RULE has been finalized, then groups ? including groups other than those mentioned above will be allowed to make an application for these permits. The Rule as proposed would then have the DWR and Wildlife Board allocate these permits to the groups with the best proposal. Bottom line, there can be no proposal until there is a firm rule outlining what is expected.
As stated in all the public meetings, the five groups above have not committed all the funds to Utah projects, as much of the money will most likely come from out of state money, and Utah has been the recipient of wildlife transplants and wildlife conservation funds from outside of Utah. If Utah has such a small minded and provincial attitude about keeping everything in Utah, how can Utah expect continued support and importing wildlife from outside of Utah? Additionally, many contributors to these groups and this convention that live in Utah also enjoy hunting in other states, we don't mind investing in habitat in other states as well. What goes around, comes around.
Having said all that, It is believed that the majority of the application fees raised will go into Utah wildlife conservation projects. If you look at the track record of the five groups above, there has been tens of millions of dollars funding projects in Utah, projects that have increased wildlife herds and benefited the 85% of the sportsmen who are not involved, nor have not contributed to these projects.
I have attached a file showing the increase in Utah wildlife permit numbers ? 200 to 600% increase over the past 12 years, the sales price of the ?Statewide or Governors Permit? over the past 12 years that shows about a 500% increase in market perceived quality in Utah animals, and a little calculation showing the increase amount of $22 Million in total POTENTIAL value to Utah wildlife. In no way am I recommending selling all these permits, it is a calculation to show some people that make decisions based on money that there has been a significant increase in value to Utah, the vast majority of which has been passed on to Utah?s citizens at prices way below market value, and in many instances way below the cost to actually produce the animals. The point here is that Utah hunters who get these tremendous permits should be appreciative of the efforts made by conservation groups in partnerships with the state and federal agencies to make this happen.
I make no official comment for any of these organizations, that is up to them. For the past 5 months, I have served without pay from these groups to coordinate this combined effort. I have also traveled to many states meeting with various boards and sportsmen groups to get their support and understanding. To make the statement that these conventions would come to Utah without these permits is entirely false. Of 80 potential conventions over the past 20 years, 3 have been in Utah, not a good track record, and as I have found out, there are many misperceptions of Utah. Hopefully, this convention will set the record straight.
My official comment would be this. Utah wildlife and wildlife in the west faces incredible pressure in the face of Human populations growth, and all of the various activities that brings, including but not limited to loss of winter range, loss of productivity of federal lands, increased highway mortality, selling off of thousands of acres of School Trust Lands annually, Oil and Gas exploration to meet the increasing energy needs, and increased wildlife mortality due to predation. Utah lost over 100,000 deer hunters and a base population of over 300,000 deer. According to the biologists and range managers, unless nearly $100 Million is invested, deer and elk numbers will decline permanently.
Conversely, the attached graphs show that when sportsmen unite in a conservation group that partners with the DWR and Federal land agencies, the downward trends can be reversed, and populations can actually increase, which means increased hunting opportunities for everyone. The statewide elk plan being approved this week calls for the opportunity to increase elk from current 58,000 animals to perhaps 80,000 animals as habitat investment is made.
This convention will be a tremendous opportunity for all 120,000 or so Utah big game and turkey hunters to get involved, make a contribution to protect a sport and heritage they love. It will also be an opportunity to show the Utah legislature that hunting is a valuable and important part of Utah?s economy and culture. It will also be an opportunity for 120,000 sportsmen to thank the Utah legislature and Governor Huntsman who allocated an all time record $5.4 Million of non license funds (sales tax and general funds) this past session for critical land conservation and improving rangeland health.
15% of Utah?s hunters are involved in groups making a big difference, this convention will be a great opportunity for every sportsmen to get involved and make the major investments required to protect large and abundant game herds.
Finally, it will be an incredible opportunity for all the sportsmen groups to come together,
save fundraising costs that can be translated to wildlife conservation investments, and bring all sportsmen from around the country together to have an equal chance to invest to make more wildlife, and reap the rewards of 200 of the west's best hunting permits.
Don Peay
Founder SFW
Founder Utah FNAWS
Cris Draper's Response to Don Peay's e-mail
Don,
My take, (included below these personal comments) sent out to my mailing list as well, on what the last week's work has panned out. I do appreciate you taking the time to reply and voice your opposing comments, and help in getting some of the questions I have been bombarded with answered. The biggest problem I see, you yourself admit, and that is that only 15% of the public hunting numbers belong to these groups for various reasons, yet the 85% left?. Are viewed by these groups as per say? not involved in making sure there is a future. That statement alone, within the hunting community causes a very harsh taste for the 85% and shows huge discontent and a lack of wanting to support "Organized" hunting fund raising events. I am the first person to admit that I started out pretty blind and had a hell of a time finding any information on public record for this proposal, so it was EASY for me to get facts wrong? wouldn't you agree?
You may use this anyway you like, but I will relate to you my personal experience at the SFW Banquet I attended many years ago in Provo. ( I went to one more after this with much the same end feeling) I came down with great enthusiasm to help support SFW, you personally and Prop 5. You most likely do not even remember meeting me that day. I offered to help create a web site for SFW, free of charge, hosting, design, the works to help gain support of your efforts to get Prop 5 to go through. Using my, at the time, number 1 hunting related web site anywhere on the web, to carry this word out. You seemed pretty excited and took a few minutes to talk it over before the ball got rolling with the banquet.
I ended up sitting at a table with no one I knew. Not a problem, I go out into public and make friends easily and am comfortable in these situations. I sat back and listened to the presentations on School Trust Land exchanges, protecting critical winter range, and many other topics? I was hooked. I went out, left the table and paid my membership right there. Feeling a little giddy to be a member of the first "hunting group" I had ever been a part of and committed to never let this feeling of, "I can be involved and make a difference" fade away from me in my life. Returning to the table, ready for more excitement and raffle fun the fun began to quickly fade.
I watched items that should have gone for huge dollars, go for half what they where worth. Of course as a 40 hours a week, blue collar worker, the prices where out of my range unless I wanted to forgo any chance at a hunting/fishing permit or taking away food from my 4 children and wife. Sad?. Out of the range of the "general hunter", yet a BARGIN for the people with large amounts of expendable money for recreational purposes. Luxury money, I look at that cherished few dollars I can chip out each year for recreational purposes. I realized as I listened to my table mates make their attack strategies for the items they wanted, talking about how they couldn't touch that permit for less than $4,000.00 through an outfitter and then high fiving each other as one of them scored the trip for $1,800.00. How many "general hunters" save all there life, never belong to SFW or any other group, and end up paying out that $4,000.00 with a BIG grin on their face as they do. FULL PRICE, no problem. I think hunters would do the same given the opportunity straight to the DWR, giving ALL the money to them for the projects and funding they need to manage wildlife as we have designated them to? I left that day wondering if this was really what I wanted to be involved with or not. I gave it one more try with SFW and found the same at the next banquet. Not singling out SFW, I have been to many of these events now, do my best to support their efforts in raising items for raffle, MC'ing their events, helping get the word out to the public on being a part of these groups (as I did for SFW at the recent ISE Show at the Hunting Theater to promote your banquet), yet I chose to NOT be a member due to the personal experiences I had.
This I have found, is a widely agreed upon view of banquets and use of tags given out for fund raising events there. Just ask the other 85%. Look outside your organization again, to the "grass roots effort" you originally introduced to me that day at the banquet Don. I ask this from the other 85% of Utah's hunters. They are the grass roots of Utah. They buy 85% of the gear from Sportsman Warehouse and other retailers, they buy 85% gas, of the general tags available to the public, I could go on and on... they pay 85% of the taxes too and deserve a voice.
Respectfully,
Cris Draper
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There are a number of statement in Don's email that imply that the monies generated from the Convention Permits would be used for actual wildlife conservation projects. Other statements are more direct. For instance, Don stated that
"It is believed that the majority of the application fees raised will go into Utah wildlife conservation projects."
Given these statements, together with the fact that the Conservation Permit rule expressly states that one of the two statutory purposes for the Convention Permits is to
?generate revenue to fund wildlife conservation activities,? is it not reasonable for the public to ask these groups if they have followed through on these promises? According to Cris Draper's website, Don made that statement clear back in 2005. That was 7 years ago. Aren't we as the public entitled to know where and how those funds have been spent?
I apologize for continuing to beat the same drum but I am dissapointed at the responses we have received from the DWR and the groups involved with this issue. I thought that perhaps if I refreshed their recollection as to what they told us (the public) seven years ago it might spur some action.
Please sign the UWC petition and send it to your friends. We have a difficult and uphill battle ahead if we are going to fix this problem.
Hawkeye
Browning A-Bolt 300 Win Mag
Winchester Apex .50 Cal
Mathews Drenalin LD
