(April 10, 2012 Salt Lake City) – Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife was founded nearly 20 years ago during a time of great challenge to hunting in the state of Utah. Since that time, thousands of unpaid volunteers of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife have repeatedly risen to address challenges to wildlife in Utah and across the Western United States. As a result, the ability to enjoy and pursue many species of wildlife in Utah has grown. Not only has a tremendous amount been accomplished through these collective efforts, but pragmatic solutions are also being implemented to address new challenges to wildlife, hunting and our outdoor heritage.
Throughout its history, a central goal has driven the efforts of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife: To secure and enhance abundant wildlife populations not only across Utah and the West, but also to ensure a continued legacy of hunting in America. These efforts have been backed by generous donations both large and small from passionate sportsmen from Utah and across the country. Tens of thousands of service hours and millions of dollars have been invested by volunteers and donors of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife to ensure that wild places and wild things will exist now and for future generations.
Given Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife’s dedicated efforts to tackle some of the most difficult challenges to our right to hunt and fish, it is no surprise that opposition to our efforts have arisen. Recently, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, and its founder Don Peay, have come under some criticism. Many of these critics, rather than offering solutions for wildlife, have instead attempted to misconstrue and distort the record of Mr. Peay and Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife. We would caution well-meaning sportsmen from buying into hearsay, out-of-context communications or other attacks that appear intended to mislead and cloud the actual issues at hand. We apologize to the extent that a mis-quote or misstatement may have contributed to any confusion. We encourage sportsmen to consider our 20-year record of fighting for abundant wildlife as a true measure of our commitment to wildlife and hunting.
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife remains committed to implementing long-term solutions for the challenges faced by both hunters as well as wildlife. While opinions over preferred policy alternatives may differ, the record of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife in advocating habitat restoration, responsible predator management and protection of wildlife populations is public and plain. From the beginning, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife has been unwavering in its commitment to the proven effectiveness of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and will continue to do so despite what critics may infer to the contrary. We welcome open discourse and would invite all concerned sportsmen to not only join us in conversation, but to bring a pair of gloves and possibly a shovel to work together with us for the common good of wildlife and the legacy of sportsmen in Utah and across the West. We continue to encourage all sportsmen to join us and the passionate volunteers of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife who are dedicated to providing real and proven solutions for wildlife.
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