Legalize Hunting NJ State Land for Liberated Pheasant and Bobwhite on Sundays
About 12,000 NJ pheasant stamps are sold, with an average of 50,000 pheasant liberated over 24 wildlife management areas and one federal recreation area. An average of 11,000 bobwhite are released on two wildlife management areas plus 800 more released on dog training areas on 10 additional wildlife management areas. These 37 land tracts must maintain suitable early succession habitat in order to accommodate the stocking program. Of NJ’s 2 million acres of open land, only 4% of it is early successional habitat. The program began in 1912 and in addition to maintaining critical early succession habitat since then, the NJ pheasant and bobwhite stocking program generates $2.6 million, annually of general economic activity. Approximately 12,000 pheasant and bobwhite hunters, who share a much smaller total hunting area, finance this entire program by purchase of state pheasant and bobwhite stamps at no cost to taxpayers. Non-hunting taxpayers benefit through this bird hunting program with $2.6 million dollars annually in general economic activity as well as significant ecological benefits. It is significant to note that early succession upland habitat is vital to biodiversity and both waterfowl and bobwhite and pheasant hunters; despite this, pheasant hunting programs across the USA are under attack and have not been expanded.
A bill in NJ, which has already cleared the senate committee which screens hunting-related legislation, will remove the first hurdle in legalizing Sunday firearm hunting if it is approved by the rest of the legislature and the Governor.
As everybody fully expected, this proposal is being met with strong opposition from a diverse public, including some in the hunting community. In order to pass this legislation, or more likely pass it several years down the road, requires showing support for it to the legislature and everyone else involved in hunting-related policy such as the Council, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the Governor.
We have created an on-line petition and want everyone who supports Sunday firearm hunting to sign it. The petition can be accessed from a newly created website. Before you sign the petition, read the section on the website titled Sunday Hunting Talking Points. If you use face book or twitter you can also link to us for updates by using the connect buttons on the top of the page. On the side of each page are also Face book and Twitter buttons, but those are share buttons, not connect buttons. Share the website articles and the petition with those buttons. You can also e-mail from there as well.
Do not be dissuaded by naysayers who are trying to deter you from your right to stakeholder participation. You will encounter people trying to block information, stakeholder participation, and alienate opinion – don’t fall for it! We know what we are doing and this will not happen unless everyone cooperates and makes it happen. This is a long-term effort which may take several years – stay engaged and committed to the cause!
A bill in NJ, which has already cleared the senate committee which screens hunting-related legislation, will remove the first hurdle in legalizing Sunday firearm hunting if it is approved by the rest of the legislature and the Governor.
As everybody fully expected, this proposal is being met with strong opposition from a diverse public, including some in the hunting community. In order to pass this legislation, or more likely pass it several years down the road, requires showing support for it to the legislature and everyone else involved in hunting-related policy such as the Council, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the Governor.
We have created an on-line petition and want everyone who supports Sunday firearm hunting to sign it. The petition can be accessed from a newly created website. Before you sign the petition, read the section on the website titled Sunday Hunting Talking Points. If you use face book or twitter you can also link to us for updates by using the connect buttons on the top of the page. On the side of each page are also Face book and Twitter buttons, but those are share buttons, not connect buttons. Share the website articles and the petition with those buttons. You can also e-mail from there as well.
Do not be dissuaded by naysayers who are trying to deter you from your right to stakeholder participation. You will encounter people trying to block information, stakeholder participation, and alienate opinion – don’t fall for it! We know what we are doing and this will not happen unless everyone cooperates and makes it happen. This is a long-term effort which may take several years – stay engaged and committed to the cause!