Resolutions of interest - introduced at April 2007 Conservation Congress (i.e. Hunting Interests).
Resolution: 130607 (Note: This same resolution was submitted in 2006 and failed)
Living Wildlife Appreciation FeeFail 23 to 115
The Problem:
The Department of Natural Resources and the hunting and trapping lobby have set up wildlife management as a killing business to be funded by killing licenses. Aldo Leopold in helping to establish the Conservation Congress, cautioned that the non-hunting environmentalist and the landowner be as valued a part of the decision-making process in the congress, as the hunter. He cautioned that the money to manage Nature and wildlife similarly come from the general public funds. Although a lot of money does come from general public funds, there is not a mandated license for the non-killing majority (90%) that gives voice to the concerns of the majority of citizens who would like to walk in the woods in the fall, and see living wildlife. Nature is being managed by farming the wild for over-production of unlucky "game" species, thereby simplifying nature to the detriment of the rest of the species. This is not only a problem because of the imbalances of too many turkey, deer, ground-nesting birds, and trout, but also to the omission of a focus on nurturing biodiversity as a holistic system, with a strong focus on restoring the balance of all species and establishing large core areas of refuge, connected by corridors for migration, and returning large carnivores to the landscape in natural numbers.
Whereas nature is under pressure as never before, and our world community of scientists have warned us that the degradation of the web of life is such that it may not sustain future generations of humans or animals as we have known it, and, whereas, non-killing citizens have a right to pay, and fully participate in the decisions being made about Nature, and the wildlife that cohabits our mutual environment,
Be it resolved, the Conversation Congress, in its annual meeting, held in every county in Wisconsin, April 17, 2007, recommend that the Department of Natural Resources take action to correct this situation by creating a Living Wildlife appreciation fee to be levied on all citizens 18 and over who do not kill wildlife, and a forum for delegate representation in every county to vote the usage of that money for re-wilding the state, and focusing on many issues pertaining to biodiversity, holistically. Bringing in money from the other 90% of the public will help our state immensely, and it is the duty of the Natural Resources Board and DNR to serve all citizens of Wisconsin and involve all citizens about nature and wildlife.
Submitted by Patricia Randolph
Resolution 130707 (Note: This same resolution was submitted in 2006 and failed)
Reforming Conservation Congress Voting Format
Fail 18 to 117The Problem:
Voting on nature is a citizen right. The current process co-sponsored by the hunting lobby (self-named the "Conservation Congress") and the Department of Natural Resources is flagrantly undemocratic and cumbersome. Citizens have only a several hour time frame to appear in person to elect candidates and vote on important nature and wildlife issues. Elderly folk and those who cannot attend are left out of the process. Candidates do not debate the issues publicly and the issues are only those proposed by the hunting lobby. Further, issues are not published to the public at large before the vote.
Hunters run the vote and count the vote. Non-hunters are not allowed to place literature at the voting site, but hunters design and create all of the literature having to do with the vote and election.
Whereas non-hunters have not been a part of the voting process, and are unaware of the process or the issues, and whereas the non-hunting environmentalist is reviled and made to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable,
Be it Resolved, the Conservation Congress at its annual meeting, held April 17, 2007, recommends that the Dept. of Natural Resources take action to correct this situation by creating a traditional structure of voting with non-partisan candidates running and counting the vote, and use a traditional format of walk-in secret ballot voting after extensive public debates between candidates on the issues so that the public is informed.
Submitted by Patricia Randolph