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Executive Director's Report
November 28, 2005
by Lane Stephens
Hunting season has opened in the Northwest Region, and has now closed again, for that strange two-week closure. While my boys and I enjoyed a great Friday in the Apalachicola National Forest, I'm sorry to report it was our only day in the woods. A dad gum cold snuck up and hit me hard on opening day, and I went to bed Friday night with a slight fever. So, not wanting to share my sorry state of being with my hunting partners, I decided to just stay in bed on Saturday and Sunday.
The hunting report is generally good, though. During four days of hunting, our hunting crew was fortunate enough to harvest three bucks. I don't believe we harvested many more than that all season last year, so our guys and ladies are a happy lot.On the business front, this has been a busy month for the executive director. In Tallahassee, the Florida Cabinet and their aides met on three separate occasions to consider the state's purchase of Babcock Ranch, a 74,000-acre parcel located in both Lee and Charlotte Counties. On behalf of ASAF, I testified at the first Cabinet meeting, where I spoke in favor of the state's purchase of this great piece of land. I cautioned the Cabinet, however, about approving any contract provisions that would limit hunter's access to the land.
The agreement called for the prohibition of use of 4-wheelers and motorcycles on the land. During the course of the negotiations, it was rumored that either FWCC or the seller also wanted to prohibit all vehicular traffic. Through our persistent efforts of asking questions, we were finally able to get this issue resolved when both the seller and FWCC articulated that they had never advocated such prohibitions, and that only 4-wheelers and motorcycles would be excluded from use. This means hunters will be able to access the property using swamp buggies, Gators, or other traditional hunting vehicles.
Finally, there was much discussion during the meetings about how the land will be managed and which agency will be responsible. I also testified on this matter and urged the Cabinet to allow for a public participation process in determining the best use of the land and in the development of management plans. The Cabinet decided that they, too, wanted to have final say over management plans. While the details will need to be worked out, we envision a process whereby stakeholders and appropriate state agencies, such as FWCC and the Department of Agriculture, work together to develop sound management plans that will provide for the sustainability of this beautiful parcel for decades to come. In fact, we pledged our support of such a process and have offered to assist in facilitating discussions regarding this matter.
The acquisition of this property will open up some 64,000 acres of land to public hunting, and we believe that fifty years from now, hunters will look back on the decisions that we helped make with pride.
Also in Tallahassee, on November 17, several members of the ASAF Board of Directors and I participated in a conference call as members of the steering team on the 2005 Summit on the Future of Hunting in Florida. The main topic of the call was to work in finalizing the Summit Report. Preliminarily, it looks like we will be sending out a tri-fold or quad-fold brochure to summit participants. The summary report will include a listing of the key items discussed at the summit and the action items to be taken. In addition, it will provide information on where we go from here.
Outside of Tallahassee, I traveled to the beautiful town of Saint Michaels, Maryland. Located off of Chesapeake Bay, it was the site of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC) 2nd Annual Convention. Traveling with me to the event was Florida State Legislators' Caucus co-chair Rep. Baxter Troutman. Rep. Troutman also serves on the executive council of the NASC. The NASC is comprised of the 26 states that have active legislative sportsmen's caucuses.
Legislators from 20 of the 26 member states met at the Summit titled - "Promoting a Pro-Sportsmen's Agenda" to formulate a unified front in protecting the interests of sportsmen in the halls of state government. In its second year, the NASC Annual Meeting is the only forum that provides a venue for focused discussion and interaction among state policy makers and the hunting and fishing community.
The NASC Annual Meeting gave legislators the opportunity to learn about model legislation they can introduce in their home states to benefit wildlife, hunting and fishing. The meeting also included informative educational seminars designed to update legislators on issues of importance to their sporting constituency.
Discussions at this year's summit ranged from the controversial issue of resident versus non-resident licenses, fees and tags to the need for dedicated funding for state departments of natural resources to the use of ballot initiatives to restrict outdoor rights. Veteran state sportsmen's caucus legislators also shared their experiences and successes in passing NASC-adopted model legislation including No Net Loss of hunting lands, promotion of donated game meat programs to feed the hungry, ensuring dedicated funding for state wildlife agencies, and banning internet hunting.
While we attended many meetings over the course of the Summit, we also had the chance to have a little fun. Be sure to check out the photo album page for a couple of pictures from a rock bass fishing trip that Rep. Troutman and I had the opportunity to participate in.
As I wrap up this edition of the Executive Director's Report, we are busy also wrapping up the finishing touches on our 5th Annual Fur, Feather & Fins Legislative Cookout, which will be held on December 7, here in Tallahassee. Be sure to check out the next report for a recap of the event. Until then, stay safe and we wish you success in the field or on the water!
Executive Director's Report: October 28, 2005
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