MEDIA - Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management

01. 06. 14

Wolf Management Recap

January 6, 2014

Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management Applauds DNR Biologists for Successful Wolf Hunt
Group Behind Petition Protecting Hunting Rights Says Wildlife Should Be Managed By Biologists, Not TV Ads
LANSING– The New Year brought the end of Michigan’s first regulated public wolf hunt with a total of 23 wolves taken by hunters, well below the maximum harvest quota of 43. Harvest limits and hunting unit boundaries were recommended by DNR biologists after reviewing wolf depredation complaints, incidents of fearless wolf behavior, radio collar data on pack territories, and scientific literature.

“The season showed that the state’s professional biologists can structure a conservative hunting season that helps achieve wildlife management goals without harming the population of game species,” said Merle Shepard, chair of Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM).

CPWM is organizing a petition drive in support of a citizen-initiated law to protect the Natural Resources Commission (NRC)’s ability to name game species, as well as to establish an Asian carp emergency response fund and provide free licenses to active military members. The group must collect 258,000 valid signatures by late May in order to present the law to the Legislature, which then has 40 days to pass it for it to become law.

Anti-hunting organizations led by the Humane Society of the United States are collecting signatures to repeal the original law that granted the NRC the authority to name game species. The law proposed by Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management, called the Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act, would protect the NRC’s authority and clarify that the NRC can take testimony and recommendations from DNR biologists in support of its duty to use sound science, as they did to name wolves as a game species and establish a regulated hunting season.

“This initiative is about protecting hunting rights, stopping Asian carp, and providing free licenses to active military members,” said Drew YoungeDyke of CPWM. “If we don’t pass this law, then out-of-state anti-hunters will dictate what species we can hunt by spending millions on misleading advertising. Those decisions should be based on the recommendations of professional wildlife biologists, not TV commercials.”

Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM) is a ballot committee composed of hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation organizations from across the State of Michigan. To request a petition to sign or circulate, visit www.citizenswildlife.org .

Supporters of CPWM include Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the Upper Peninsula Sportsmen’s Alliance, Upper Peninsula Whitetails Association, U.P. Whitetails of Marquette County, the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association, the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, the Michigan chapters of Safari Club International, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Michigan Bow Hunters, Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s Association, U.P. Bear Houndsmen Association, the Michigan Council of Quality Deer Management Association, Great Lakes Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Mike Avery’s Outdoor Magazine, Wild Michigan Outdoor Radio, Michigan Outdoor News, numerous local conservation organizations and businesses from around the state, and individuals including former Detroit Tigers great Kirk Gibson and Michigan Out-of-Doors TV host Jimmy Gretzinger.

Contact Info:

12. 16. 13

Recent Press

Posted in: Blog , Media

MIRS Capitol Capsule : CPWM Petition Would Double DNR’s Invasive Species Response (link available by subscription only)

When asked about the significance of the $1 million for combating invasive species, CPWM spokesperson Drew YOUNGEDYKE said previously, “That’s not the kind of amount that will close down the locks, but it is the type of amount that would allow the DNR to do rapid response if they find any Asian carp DNA in Michigan waters.”

Outdoor Life : Michigan Hunters Ready to Defeat HSUS in Wolf Battle

Michigan hunters are on the verge of proving that all that HSUS cash still can’t buy you love. Or the ability to strip us of our hunting rights.

Detroit Free Press : Pro-hunting group launches petition drive to protect Michigan wolf hunt

“We want the wildlife to be managed by sound science, not by hype,” said Merle Shepard, chairman of the CPWM. “We want to make sure the professionals are the ones who are making the decisions.”

MLive : Michigan wolf hunt: New petition drive may undermine effort to repeal current law

“What the wolf hunting controversy did is alert us to the need for wildlife decisions like this to be made with sound science, but this is not just about wolf hunting,” said Drew Youngdyke, treasurer of the new committee and a grassroots manager for Michigan United Conservation Clubs. “This won’t guarantee a wolf hunt, but it will guarantee that a decision about wolf hunts is made by biologists” with the Department of Natural Resources who make recommendations to the NRC.

Michigan Radio : New wolf hunt petitions will start circulating this week

“I would like to clarify that it doesn’t guarantee a wolf hunt,” says Drew YoungeDyke, a spokesman for Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management , “All that this would guarantee is that the decision about whether to not to have future wolf hunts are made by biologists…rather than television commercials.”

MIRS Capitol Capsule (by subscription): Petition Protecting NRC’s Game Species Authority Approved to Form

“This petition drive is to make sure that wildlife is manageable by sound science,” said Erin MCDONOUGH , executive director of the MUCC.

Detroit News : Wolf hunt supporters get OK for petition drive

The Board of State Canvassers authorized petition language Monday for a group seeking to keep the Department of Natural Resources in charge of deciding which animals can be designated for hunting.

Lansing State Journal : Pro-hunting groups seek 3rd ballot issue on wolf hunting

The latest measure would reaffirm a 1996 voter-approved law letting the state Natural Resources Commission regulate hunting. It would allocate $1 million for “rapid response” activities against aquatic invasive species such as Asian carp

12. 12. 13

Info Download

Posted in: Blog

Please feel free to download and share important CPWM info.

CPWM Fact Sheet – Download PDF

CPWM FAQ – Download PDF

CPWM Petition Circulation Rules – Download PDF

11. 26. 13

PRESS RELEASE

Posted in: Media , Updates

Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management
P.O. Box 11082, Lansing, MI 48901

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2013

Contact: Drew YoungeDyke, CPWM Secretary | 517.346.6486 | dyoungedyke@citizenswildlife.com

Petition Drive Launching for Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act
Initiated law would protect NRC ability to name game species and issue fisheries orders

LANSING—The Michigan Board of Canvassers will be asked to approve the form of a petition for a citizen-initiated law, called the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, when they meet Monday December 2. The proposed act would protect the Natural Resources Commission’s ability to name game species and issue fisheries orders, protect free licenses for active military members, and include funding for rapid response activities to keep Asian carp out of Michigan waters.

The petition is sponsored by the Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM), a coalition of many of the same organizations that successfully passed Proposal G in 1996 under the same name. The petition drive must gather at least 258,000 valid signatures in 180 days to place the law before the Legislature.

“This is about making sure that decisions about fish and wildlife management are made by relying on sound science and the recommendations of biologists, not activists or television commercials,” said Merle Shepard, chairman of CPWM.

The Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act provides that the Natural Resources Commission may designate game species under a duty to use sound science, that active military members can receive free hunting, fishing and trapping licenses, and that the Natural Resources Commission has the exclusive authority to issue fisheries orders. To support the NRC’s ability to manage fisheries, $1 million is appropriated so that the Department of Natural Resources can conduct rapid response activities necessary to prevent and eliminate aquatic invasive species like Asian carp.

“This initiative will show that the people of Michigan believe in using biology to make fish and wildlife decisions” said Erin McDonough, executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs. “It also provides the resources to make scientific fisheries decisions by making sure the DNR can respond rapidly to aquatic invasive species like Asian carp.”

Supporters of the initiative include Michigan United Conservation Clubs, the Upper Peninsula Sportsmen’s Alliance, Upper Peninsula Whitetails Association, U.P. Whitetails of Marquette County, the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association, the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, the Michigan chapters of Safari Club International, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Michigan Bow Hunters, Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Anglers Association and numerous local conservation organizations from around the state.

###

Sharing

Wolf Management Recap

Recent Press

Info Download

PRESS RELEASE

Recent Posts