Archives: Lands
What’s SFW been up to lately? Watch, and see.
SFW has spent the last 12 months raising money for wildlife and putting it to use in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources on the ground, across the state, and for multiple species in Utah. All sportsmen and all wildlife benefit.
U.S Secretary Zinke Reaffirms States Wildlife Management Authority on Public Lands and Waters
A letter from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.
State Fish and Wildlife Management Authority on Department of the Interior Lands and Waters
In 1983, the Department codified in the United States Code of Federal Regulations, 43 C.F.R. Part 24, establishing a policy that Federal authority exists for specified purposes while State authority regarding fish and resident wildlife remains the comprehensive backdrop applicable in the absence of specific, overriding Federal law. This 35-year-old rule is more relevant today than ever.
Therefore, I reaffirm the authority of the States to exercise their broad trustee and police powers as stewards of the Nation’s fish and wildlife species on public lands and waters under the jurisdiction of the Department. Each of us must recognize the fundamental role of the States in fish and wildlife management, especially where States have primary authority and responsibility, foster improved conservation of fish and wildlife, and encourage a good neighbor policy with the States.
Because fish and wildlife are fundamentally dependent upon habitats on private and public lands managed or subject to administration by many Federal and State agencies, and because provisions for the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of fish and wildlife and the regulation for their use are established in many laws and regulations involving a multitude of Federal and State administrative structures, the effective stewardship of fish and wildlife requires the cooperation of the various States and the Federal Government.
The 50 State governments have extensive capacities and competencies to exercise their responsibilities to serve as trustees for fish and wildlife species resident in the respective States. These capacities and competencies are grounded in State constitutional and statutory laws, as well as an extensive body of administrative rules that collectively form a comprehensive legal underpinning to ensure that State governments effectively function as trustees of fish and wildlife resources with broad police powers to enforce those laws and regulations.
State governments have established fish and wildlife agencies that are charged with the responsibility and mandate to implement those statutes ensuring effective, appropriate, and efficient conservation and management of fish and resident wildlife species, including providing citizens with the opportunity to enjoy those fish and wildlife species through regulated hunting, fishing, and trapping. Moreover, State governments have consistently demonstrated their commitment to sustaining fish and wildlife resources in perpetuity for the benefit of both current and future citizens. To that end, State governments have taken extensive measures to protect and conserve rare fish and wildlife species, including invertebrate species, and through the actions of State governments, they have sought additional funding to strengthen their capacity to implement management strategies at a landscape level. State governments practice sound fish and wildlife conservation and management focused on sustainable practices that protect the Nation’s natural heritage, while providing for appropriate and highly regulated opportunities for citizens to enjoy fish and wildlife resources.
The States’ fundamental responsibility for fish and wildlife management includes responsibility for appropriate regulation of public use and enjoyment of fish and wildlife species. The Department recognizes States as the first-line authorities for fish and wildlife management and hereby expresses its commitment to defer to the States in this regard except as otherwise required by Federal law.
In full recognition of the authority of the State fish and wildlife agencies to regulate fish and resident wildlife within their respective boundaries and jurisdiction, I request the following:
➢ Within 45 days of this Memorandum, all Bureaus and Offices complete a review of all regulations, policies, and guidance that pertains to the conservation and management of fish and wildlife species on lands and waters under their jurisdiction that are more restrictive than otherwise applicable State provisions for the management of fish and wildlife, including all such regulations, policies, and guidance that pertain to public recreational use and enjoyment of fish and wildlife species;
➢ Within 90 days, each Bureau and Office referenced provide the Deputy Secretary a report containing detailed recommendations for the respective Bureau or Office to better align its regulations, policies, and guidance with State provisions.
➢ After receiving the reports containing detailed recommendations, the Deputy Secretary shall appropriately consult with the State fish and wildlife agencies regarding the recommendations and deliver an implementation plan to me within 120 days of this Memorandum.
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“This is a game changer for hunting and conservation nationwide – restoring power back to the states and state game agencies, taking it away from Washington elitists and the federal government,” said Don Peay, SFW Founder and sportsmen’s advocate.
“This is one of Greg Sheehan’s last major initiatives before leaving Washington DC. He knows who can best manage our herds, flocks and fisheries. This is just one of many of the huge changes President Trump, Sec. Zinke and their team are doing for hunters.
“In Greg’s (Sheehan) closing meeting, Sec. Zinke credited Greg and his team with opening access to nearly five million acres of land that had been previously closed to hunting, and with reducing more than 2,000 regulations that hamstring hunters.”
SFW expresses great thanks to Greg and Charlie Sheehan for serving our country, and our hunting heritage.
U.S. Secretary Ryan Zinke Visits Utah Monuments
By Presidential Executive Order, requested by the Utah Legislature and secured by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is now in Utah for four days to tour the Grand Staircase and Bears Ears Monuments.
Sunday night, Sec. Zinke held a 30-minute private meeting with SFW Founder Don Peay to learn of the significant wildlife conservation efforts, status of wildlife populations, and hunting opportunities found in this incredible 3.2 million acres of land. Sec. Zinke is himself an avid hunter from Montana.
Twenty-five years ago, these areas were nearly void of all wildlife, and the two deer units – the San Juan and Paunsaugunt deer herds – were closed to hunting due to the extremely low buck deer populations found there. Today these units are teaming with incredible herds of elk, mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, cougar, bear, antelope, wild turkey and other species. These results are attributed directly to the sportsmen conservation funding, sacrifices and investments of hunters-conservationists and professional work done by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Bureau of Land Management partners.
There are 51,007 hunters who apply for hunts each year in these two units. That generates $29 million in economic activity, including $10 million of wildlife resources, and millions more for private landowners and conservation activities that keep these lands and herds healthy.
During a dinner at the Utah State Capital with state business and political leaders, Governor Herbert specifically recognized the efforts of SFW in helping the state restore and manage these species. No other conservation group was mentioned.
The great concern for all sportsmen is this: Every Utah National Park started out as a Monument, and the is NO HUNTING in National Parks.
Kevin Pritchett Vice Chair of the SFW Board said this: “These areas are very special to us, we have a lot of on-the-ground conservation efforts, and they are places where our children and many of our friends’ children bagged their first wild turkey.”
Chris Carling SFW VP of Marketing added, “My dad flew F-15 fighter jets for the US Air Force. However, one of the highlights of his life was bagging a 408-inch bugging bull elk with all of his sons and grandsons at his side in the Bears Ears area.”
SFW President Troy Justensen said, “The Paunsaugunt deer herd is one of the best herds in the world, and what happens in the Grand Staircase has dramatic impacts on that deer herd and hunting on the Paunsaugunt.”
Randy Johnson, a Director of the Full Curl Society said, “Some of the best Desert Bighorn sheep herds and sheep hunting in the world are found within these monument Areas. They must be preserved as a hunting heritage for our children and grandchildren.”
Sec. Zinke also learned of Utah’s massive 1.5 million acre Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, and Utah’s many innovative conservation programs that have lead to robust herds and world-class hunting opportunities for all.
SFW States Position on Public Lands
Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) issued the following position regarding public lands:
Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) is opposed to the sale of any public land. SFW believes there is room for improved correlation and joint efforts between state and federal agencies in the management of public land but that the sale of these public lands is not in the best interests of wildlife, sportsmen or local communities. SFW believes that the public lands of the Western U.S. are the lifeblood of our way of life, and that public access and the multiple use of these lands must be maintained. Our way of life depends on these lands remaining open and accessible. Our public lands are the very center of our outdoor and hunting heritage. SFW believes that without our public lands, we would have little hope for a future of hunting and wildlife conservation. SFW is committed to fight to keep public lands open with abundant wildlife for all to enjoy.
Additionally, SFW restates it long-standing support for land management that:
– remains open to public access
– protects wild and remote places, and the wildlife that depend on it
– works toward producing abundant big game, upland game and aquatic species
– provides for state fish and game agencies to manage all wildlife within state borders, including big game, upland game, fisheries and predators
– ensures opportunities for habitat restoration, “Healthy Land Initiative” opportunities and watershed enhancement and protection
SFW’s Mission Statement – The mission of SFW is to promote the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat, assist in providing quality wildlife management programs, educating the public about the role hunters play in wildlife conservation, and perpetuating the family tradition of hunting and fishing.
Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable wildlife conservation organization headquartered in northern Utah. SFW has funded more than $13.5 million in Utah Wildlife and Habitat Enhancement projects since 2001. For more information about SFW and wildlife conservation projects throughout the state, visit www.SFW.net.
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SFW Opposes President Obama’s Bears Ears Monument Designation
Fellow SFW Members,
Over the last 30 years, we sportsmen have worked hard alongside the Utah Division of Wildlife to restore populations of elk, desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, wild turkey, black bear, cougar and other species in the region now encompassed by the newly designated Bears Ears Monument. These game species are now thriving and provide some of the highest quality hunting opportunities found in all of North America.
The creation of this monument was dictated by lame duck President Obama as he vacationed in Hawaii and is a prime example of why the majority of the people in 3,081 counties across America voted for Donald Trump while only a mere 300 counties voted for Hillary Clinton. Listen to the voice of the local people who love, make a living from and care so personally for the lands and natural resources in our own back yard – far more so than any outsider groups funded in LA or New York. And for the few who might still wonder why Donald Trump, Jr. was asked to speak at the 2016 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo – need more be said?
SFW recognizes the designation of the Bears Ears Monument as a serious threat to Utahns’ and the native people of the region’s way of life and ability to live and pursue traditions that have been enjoyed by their ancestors for centuries.
SFW and its Founder Don Peay will work with Utah Governor Herbert, the entire Utah delegation, the Trump Administration, Big Game Forever and other sportsmen networks across America to do all that is possible to reverse and/or limit the effects of the Bears Ears Monument, including:
- Reverse the designation and maintain the lands as “multiple use”
- Dramatically reduce the acreage in official monument designations
- Ensure that wildlife habitat restoration, state wildlife management of all species, including transplants and predator control, and hunting and fishing and trapping are protected as part of this unique place thus protecting sportsmen dollars that have been the catalyst for restoring the region to its current magnificent condition.
We will work until we achieve the best possible for sportsmen and all Utahns! Stay tuned for updates in early 2017.
Official Statement on the Proposed Bears Ears Monument in Southeastern Utah
Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) strongly opposes the proposed creation of the 1.9 million-acre Bears Ears Monument in southeastern Utah. We recognize the proposed monument as a serious threat to Utahns’ and the native people of the region’s way of life and ability to live and pursue traditions that have been enjoyed by their ancestors for centuries.
SFW fears that this monument would take control and management of the land from locals and natives, who use it everyday and rely on it for their livelihood, and turn it over to the federal government thereby prohibiting the gathering of food, hunting, wood cutting and other important activities.
SFW feels that such an expansive designation would have negative affects on the wildlife and habitat that is critical to big game survival in the region. The creation of a national monument would severely threaten the expansion of wildlife and rehabilitation of healthy habitat that sportsmen and the state of Utah have invested millions of dollars building in recent decades.
SFW agrees with the beliefs of many members of the Hopi, Navaho and Ute Indian Tribes of San Juan County, who live adjacent to the Bears Ears, that a monument designation would put the Bears Ears at greater risk than ever before and that designating a monument under the Antiquities Act as a means of protecting archaeological and sacred sites of southeastern Utah is wrong.
SFW’s opposition to the proposed Bears Ears Monument is shared by the vast majority of Utah residents, according to a recent Dan Jones & Associates poll conducted for UtahPolicy.com, which found that only 17 percent of Utahns are in favor of President Obama creating the monument.
SFW calls on U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewel and President Barack Obama to take these points into serious consideration. We are hopeful that President Obama will show restraint and forego taking Executive Action to create another monument in the region.
Sign the online petition to let the White House know you are also opposed to a new monument.
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SFW Comments on Utah’s Interest in Federal Lands Transfer
March 21, 2015 — North Salt Lake, UT • • • Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) today issued the following comments regarding recent discussions and activities relative to federal government potentially relinquishing hundreds of millions of acres of public land to states’ control.
SFW has not taken an official position on this issue. SFW is working through a process that will lead to greater abundance of wildlife, greater opportunity for hunters, and greater land access for citizens. SFW has begun gathering input and opinions from its membership and will continue to do so. SFW is also meeting with key decision makers to make clear that the needs of sportsmen and the public are taken into consideration.
SFW supports land management that:
- remain open to public access
- protect wild and remote places, and the wildlife that depend on it
- produce abundant big game, upland game and aquatic species
- provide for state fish and game agencies to manage wildlife within state borders, including big game, upland game, fisheries and predators
- ensure opportunities for habitat restoration, “Healthy Land Initiative” opportunities and watershed enhancement and protection
SFW President Jon Larson commented, “Our public lands sit at the very pinnacle of importance for the long-term health and viability of wildlife and are at the heart of SFW’s mission to protect and enhance wildlife and habitat in the western states. There are many ramifications and potential outcomes to such a decision, and as a wildlife conservation organization we need to take adequate time to study the pros and cons and consider potential risks and benefits.”
SFW Beaver Chapter Chairman Brayden Richmond added, “Not only are the great public lands places where we hunt, fish and camp, these lands are also places where our members have lived, worked and played for past generations and will be for many generations to come.”
SFW’s Mission Statement – The mission of SFW is to promote the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat, assist in providing quality wildlife management programs, educating the public about the role hunters play in wildlife conservation, and perpetuating the family tradition of hunting and fishing.
More About SFW – Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife is a non-profit charitable wildlife conservation organization headquartered in northern Utah. SFW has funded more than $12 million in Utah Wildlife and Habitat Enhancement projects since 2001. For more information about SFW and wildlife conservation projects throughout the state, visit www.SFW.net.
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