Petition against "Ranching for Wildlife"

[Flash]

Hello. I am wondering if anyone out there is interested in signing or helping circulate a petition against "Ranching for Wildlife" or any other proposals for landowner tags in Arizona. We need to voice out strongly to stop this! Your help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

[JVS]

Definitely. I think most of us would. Those animals belong to the state, we are the owners of the state property and land and we are the voice of the state. If the ranchers want the game animals gone because of damage to the rangelands, they need to have the game and fish issue more tags and give access to the public. If they want tags, they need to put in like the rest of us. Simply put. We all know once the ranchers get the tags, it will be a rich man's game. EVERY access point into public land that is open now will be shut and ranchers will be looking for $ to let you in, even if they only own 40 acres at the access point for 40,000 public acres. In my book, that is called selling rights to what is already ours! Yeah, you all say "just walk in from the access point", right? The only problem with that is many of the access points are in Muley territory and you have at least a 5-10 mile hike before you get to coues country, then another 5 to get to prime coues country. Don't let it happen. Man am I gonna have my rancher buddies pissed at me, but oh well. OK, off my soapbox for now.

[coueshunter]

Sign me up. I can get alot of people to support this as well.......Maybe Amanda would put up some sort of specific page that all us members can sign and turn the document in or present to the AZGFD commissioners........I am truly worried about this Ranching For Wildlife proposal. I have read the proposal and it allows way too much room for questionable activities......If ranching for wildlife goes through, it will be the last nail in Arizona's coffin........Allen Taylor...

[25-06]

Sign me up too, I think we all need to stick together and stop this before its to late

[Couesi1]

Don't send the petition or whatever document to the game and fish commissioners. They are on our side! You're wasting time. Make copies and send to every single representative and senator in the state house. Send one to the governer too. Additionally, write your senators/legislators on the issue, even if you already have. I haven't heard anything lately.........that thing might still be alive. It needs to be quashed!

C1

[KGAINES]

I will sign it as well. I was working at one of the ranches on the list and was talking to one of the ranch hands, he was complaining about the antelope and telling how much they eat, and then in the next sentence tells me they charge a lot of money to allow hunters on the property during the season.

[Flash]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

 

The plan is to get as many signatures as possible and send it to the legislatures, govenor and the Arizona organizations such as RMEF, ADA, ABA, AES, etc. There was an article in the Farm Bureau magazine from a couple of the ranchers from central AZ and Jake Flake, an AZ legislature that is in charge of the committee that will be pushing this when it becomes a bill. Mr. Flake is also a private rancher. He claims in this article that he will not push it further if the AZ wildlife organizations don't support it, that's why they will be getting the petition as well.

 

If you are serious about helping, I will have the petition at the Arizona Bowhunter Banquet March 5th. I can also email out a pdf that can be printed and passed around. It will include a cover sheet with what the petition front page has on it followed by a signature sheet. These can be sent back to me when you get the signatures. I can try to pay for the shipping back if that's a concern. Give me an email if you want a petition signature sent to you. I am very serious about this and already have a good start on it. I will be following through and sending this out once I've gotten as many signatures as I think I can get. I would greatly appreciate anyones help on this. I'm sticking my neck on the line and loosing friends because I feel this is the right thing to do. I hope everyone can find time to get a few signatures so we can stop this in it's tracks. Let's finally win one for the average guy!!!

 

Give me your email address if interested in having the petition emailed to you.

[coueshunter]

Grim, if you get it to me, I will get it to ADA, Sheep, AES......Allen Taylor....602-454-2146.........

[Flash]

coueshunter,

I sent you a PM. Thanks.

[hunterdude]

Hey where can you find a list of what ranches are involved in this. I would like to see it. I will also enlist myself on the list.

[Rembrant]

Grim,

Check your PM's.

Let's kick butt and take names!!!!!

Mike

[cramerhunts]

You can count me in on this and I have a lot of people in my company who will sign as well...check your pm.

[AZLance]

I will have the petitions at the trash cleanup day, that should easly be 200+ signatures...

 

Lance

[CouesWhitetail]

Here is some info on a meeting to discuss this issue. Some of you might want to contact Pete and see if you can attend.

 

 

 

Meeting Notice: March 22, in Phoenix, Arizona Game & Fish Wildlife building at the State Fairgrounds.

 

This Meeting is being organized by sportsmen and ranchers and will also be attended by members of the Arizona Game & Fish Commission, Department and Navajo Nation.

 

Issues to be discussed will be related to conflict(s) between livestock, wildlife, sportsmen, game and fish, private landowners and grazing permitees.

 

Identifying problems and all possible options to help mitigate these conflicts will be discussed. Ideas that help solve these conflicts is what this meeting is about. This is an opportunity to bring out the issues for a full discussion and no single position or idea will be promoted. We hope to take the best of the possible solutions and focus on them for further discussions.

 

Statewide representation is critically important. Views from all stakeholders will be considered by the group. Hopefully the best and most viable ideas will be put forward to other interested parties and eventually consensus may be reached.

 

I want to emphasize one thing, this is not a meeting designed by the organizers to promote "Land Owner Tags". While some organizers and attendees will be for such a program, just as many will be opposed. We are doing this for one reason: To put All of the issues on the table, discuss possible solutions and hopefully find consensus on something that works for wildlife, ranchers, game & fish and sportsmen.

 

If we don't find some solutions we run the risk of others finding them for us. The others I speak of are politicians and the voting public. I don't believe any of us want to see someone else decide these issues.

 

Because space is limited an RSVP is necessary. We encourage organizations to send only one representative to speak for the group.

 

If your a sportsman and want to attend please contact Pete Cimellaro at pcimellaro@cox.net Your reservation will be confirmed by email.

 

If your a rancher and want to attend please contact Benny Aja at surhit@msn.com

Your reservation will be confirmed by email.

 

Pete Cimellaro

[CouesWhitetail]

Here is an update on that meeting, please note the location has changed:

 

To All: Please be advised the Rancher / Sportsmen meeting on March 22nd, has been moved to the:

 

NATIONAL BANK of ARIZONA, CORPORATE CENTER, 6001 N. 24TH STREET, PHOENIX.

 

This is just north of the Biltmore Resort and a couple of blocks south of Glendale Ave., on the east side of 24th Street.

 

We will be meeting in the Conference Center. Same time, the meeting will start at 9 am and run until 2 or 3 pm.

 

This move will give us plenty of room and be more comfortable for all.

 

Thank you, and please pass the word to other attendees. We still need an RSVP from anyone planning to attend. If you have already received confirmation, you do not need to confirm again.

 

Pete Cimellaro