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California Sportsmen: Pro-Hunting Commissioner's Position in Jeopardy

Anti-hunting groups are trying to force pro-sportsmen, pro-hunting Commissioner Dan Richards off the California Fish & Game Commission. Why? Because he legally took a mountain lion during a hunt in Idaho. Read More.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_20041625

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry -- is encouraging sportsmen in the Golden State to:

A. Attend March 7 Commission meeting in Riverside, Calif., and speak in support of Commissioner Richards.

B. Contact your Assemblymember and Senator and tell them to support Commissioner Richards.

C. Contact Gov. Brown 916-445-2841 and tell him you support Commissioner Richards.

D. Contact the California Fish & Game Commission 916-653-4899 and support Commissioner Richards.

We urge you to act today. Under state law, any fish and game commissioner can be removed by a simple majority vote in both houses of the state Legislature. Currently 40 of the 80 members of the Assembly are calling for Richards to resign. This could easily tip the balance of power on the Commission into the hands of anti-hunting extremists.

Show your support for Commissioner Richards today!

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Visit NSSF's Government Relations site at nssf.org/GovRel.

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Here is a link to an article in UT San Diego,
Assemblyman Hueso may start process to oust Richards ..............


http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/feb/23/assemblyman-hueso-may-start-process-oust-richards/

You can make public comments there.

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Show your support for Commissioner Richards today!
In support of Commissioner Dan Richards;
You can take action by sending a message opposing measures to remove President/Commissioner Dan Richards from the California Fish and Game Commission. Dan is a LIFE MEMBER OF THE NRA and a WEGC member. You are encouraged to do the same, so that our elected and appointed officials hear our voice! Together we can unite the voices of fellow sportsmen/women in our community.

Attend March 7, 2012 Commission meeting in Riverside, Calif., and speak in support of Commissioner Richards.
8:30AM
Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
3649 Mission Inn Avenue
Riverside, CA
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Contact your Assemblymember and Senator and tell them to support Commissioner Richards.
Write directly or use link below

Contact Gov. Brown 916-445-2841 and tell him you support Commissioner Richards.

Contact the California Fish & Game Commission 916-653-4899 and support Commissioner Richards.

Please take action today.  It only takes a minute or two:
http://keepamericafishing.salsalabs.com/o/6394/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4047

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Here is a UT San Diego article where you can publish a comment:
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/feb/23/assemblyman-hueso-may-start-process-oust-richards/

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Here is a sample letter to help you voice your support:

Dear ______________,
As an avid hunter/angler and staunch conservationist, I support Dan Richards as President of the California Fish and Game Commission. I urge you to oppose any measures to remove him from this position which are based upon misinformation and political agendas.

Commissioner Richards has recently come under political fire for his taking of a cougar while legally hunting in Idaho. The extreme environmental groups currently assailing him have a larger agenda and wish to see him replaced with a commissioner more aligned with their preservationist interests.

As a commissioner, Richards has consistently voted on the side of sound science and proven fish and wildlife management. Commissioner Richards understands his responsibility to both conserve California’s natural resources and take into account the impact of regulations on California’s citizens, its economy and the thousands of jobs that recreational fishing and hunting support.

Like me, Commissioner Richards is also an avid angler and hunter and a strong advocate for California’s sportsmen and women who supports statewide conservation measures. I urge you to support Dan Richards as President of the California Fish and Game Commission and to oppose any efforts to remove him from this post.

Sincerely,

___________________

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Please note that the new phone number for the Fish and Game Commission is 916-653-4899. CRPA has been in contact with the Fish and Game Commission and they indicated that phone calls are not being recorded. To get your voice heard, it is recommended to email your support fgc@fgc.ca.gov.
 
SAVE FISH & GAME COMMISSIONER RICHARDS
Anti-hunting groups, led by the Humane Society of the United States, have instigated a campaign to remove Fish and Game Commission President, Dan Richards from his seat on the Commission. Why? Because he went on a LEGAL mountain lion hunt at the Flying B Ranch in Idaho and successfully harvested a lion! The controversy broke out when a photograph of Richards holding the dead cat was recently published in Western Outdoor News. Anti-hunting groups are questioning Richards' judgment in hunting a lion out-of-state even though it is completely legal to do so in Idaho!
 
The battle has intensified, and now a letter has been sent from the State Assembly, signed by 40 Democrat members, demanding that Richards resign. The legislature does have the ability to remove a sitting commissioner through the Resolution process with a simple majority vote by both the Assembly and Senate. A Joint Resolution could be proposed at any time.
 
Commissioner Richards is a dedicated advocate for hunters and anglers in California and he needs your help NOW! This attack against Commissioner Richards is a punitive strike against all sportsmen in California! Please join CRPA in supporting Commissioner Richards by ACTING NOW!
 
HERE IS HOW YOU CAN PERSONALLY HELP COMISSIONER RICHARDS:
Attend the March 7, 2012 Fish and Game Commission meeting, in Riverside, and voice your support for Commissioner Richards during the public forum. It is anticipated that anti-hunting groups will be present asking for his resignation. (See the Commission's March 7 agenda at www.fgc.ca.gov
Call (916-653-4899) and email the Fish and Game Commission (fgc@fgc.ca.gov) and voice your support for Commissioner Richards to stay on the Commission. fgc@fgc.ca.gov.  CRPA has been in contact with the Fish and Game Commission and they indicated that phone calls are not being recorded. To get your voice heard, it is recommended to email your support.
Call, write, and email your Assembly and Senate members and voice your support for Commissioner Richards http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html to find your legislator.
Call, write, or email the Governor by visiting the link:   http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php and voice your support for Commissioner Richards.

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Let’s Keep Fishing Advocate on the Commission
Attend the March 7, Fish and Game Commission meeting and show your support for Commission President Dan Richards
 
What: California Fish and Game Commission Public Meeting

When: Wednesday, March 7, 8:30 a.m.

Where: Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside California
 

Can't Attend the Meeting?
Even if you are unable to attend next week’s meeting, you can still take action by sending your message of support to the California Legislature and the Fish and Game Commission. Click here to send your message today.

Here is the Issue
Last week, KeepAmericaFishing™ told you that Dan Richards, president of the California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) and an avid angler, hunter and friend to sportsmen and women, is being unfairly attacked by extreme environmental and animal rights organizations for taking part in a legal hunt in Idaho. Now, Richards is being pressured to resign from his post by California legislators and Lt. Governor Newsom.

Your Help is Crucial in Retaining Commissioner Richards
With all of the pressure from anti-fishing and anti-hunting interests, it is vital that California’s sportsmen and women speak up in support of Dan Richards. Attend the March 7, FGC meeting in Riverside to deliver the message that you are a recreational angler, a conservationist and a strong supporter of Commission President Richards.

The public forum is the second item on the agenda, so please arrive early to ensure your chance to provide comments.

Why is Retaining Commissioner Richards So Important?
The organizations leading the charge against Richards have a much broader agenda. Richards has consistently been a voice of reason throughout the flawed Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) initiative, a controversial program that threatens sportfishing in California, and the businesses and 20,000 jobs that depend on it, by unnecessarily closing large areas of the ocean to recreational fishing. If successful in their efforts to remove Richards from the commission, these anti-fishing groups will be one step closer to shutting anglers out of more of California's best fishing spots.

Key Messages to Share at the FGC meeting:

As an avid angler and staunch conservationist, I support Dan Richards as President of the California Fish and Game Commission and oppose any measures to remove him from this position.
Commissioner Richards understands his responsibility to both conserve California’s natural resources and take into account the impact of regulations on California’s citizens, its economy and the thousands of jobs that recreational fishing and hunting support.
Commissioner Richards is an avid angler, a strong advocate for California’s sportsmen and women and a champion of statewide conservation measures. As a commissioner, Richards has consistently voted on the side of sound science and proven fish and wildlife management.
Commissioner Richards should not be pressured to resign as President of the FGC for participating in legal, well managed hunting activities in other states.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The photograph shows a hunter with a proud smile holding a slain, man-sized mountain lion in a snowy wilderness — a memento from a successful Idaho hunting trip that has become a political nightmare for the hunter.
READ MORE...........

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/us/game-commissioner-who-killed-mountain-lion-says-he-will-not-resign.html

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California Legislature and Governor Still Need to Hear Your Support of Commissioner Richards
Contact your state Legislators and the Governor TODAY!
 
On Tuesday, the California Fish and Game Commission held a meeting in Riverside. This meeting was standing room only and an overflow room was also filled with supporters for Commissioner Dan Richards.  There were a few anti-hunters in attendance who spoke out against Commissioner Richards, but the overwhelming majority were there to save a fellow hunter-conservationist from losing his job.
 
Recently, Dan Richards, President of the California Fish and Game Commission, went on a successful and legal mountain lion hunt in Idaho.  The extremist organizations, such as HSUS, saw this as an opportunity to rid the Commission of a life-long hunter who opposes their radical agenda to ultimately ban all hunting in California and, eventually, in America. It was HSUS CEO, Wayne Pacelle, who said, “We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States ... We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state.” We cannot let this happen!
 
The anti-hunting state Senators and Assembly Members are also demanding Richards’ removal to help fulfill their dream of a Commission that is dominated by non-hunters who share the radical philosophy of HSUS and PETA.  
 
The truth is that hunters are needed on the Commission in order to benefit conservation and wildlife management.  They are the ones who truly understand the wildly successful North American Wildlife Conservation Model and the fact that hunters pay the way for conservation in California and throughout the country.  In fact, most fish and game departments across the country get the lion’s share of their funding from sportsmen.
 
California hunters now need to focus their attention on calling their state Senator and Assembly Member, along with Governor Jerry Brown. Your CALLS AND E-MAILS are critical because a vote to remove Dan Richards by the California Legislature is all that’s needed to allow the minority of radicals to prevail in their quest.  If they are allowed to succeed, it will have long-term negative consequences for all of California’s hunters and wildlife.
 
For contact information or help identifying your state Senator, please click here.
http://www.nramedia.org/t/476046/7229474/11565/0/
 
For contact information or help identifying your state Assembly Member, please click here.
 http://www.nramedia.org/t/476046/7229474/11566/0/

Contact information for Governor Brown can be found below.
 
Governor Jerry Brown
State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160

Email web form:  http://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php
 

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