sagebrush
Very Active Member
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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.
I posted this in the General Forum as well. Looks like we might have a venue to bring forth this type of idea on March 22.
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.
I posted this in the General Forum as well. Looks like we might have a venue to bring forth this type of idea on March 22.