Feds are trying to get rid of Public Hunting

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Game Over
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 10:56 pm
Location: Friendswood, TX

Feds are trying to get rid of Public Hunting

Post by Game Over »

This came out this week. Do not type the e-mail addresses that are in the link, copy and past them. They encrypt them with a line so people will not just send them e-mails.

http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Correc ... 0022516%20(2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)%20(1).pdf

Bottom line is by the time they hear the public opinion TPWD will already have their booklets printed. Just another example of how our government is trying to scam the public.

Also, came across this letter that was sent out to them..... Explains it pretty well. Be sure to respond via e-mail by the 11th.

It appears that the changeover of the Hunting program is a “fait accompli”! The opportunity to comment seems to be just an attempt to claim that the public were given the opportunity for input. But here is the problem: TPWD publishes all available public hunting opportunities (which will include the Rio Grande Valley Wildlife Management areas) at the beginning of June by print and now also electronically in the Texas Public Hunts Information booklet. At this time hunters can apply for hunts. (The information given by the News Release that TPWD will accept applications from August to January is misleading at best because this is the application date for the Rio Grande Valley hunts but not the date this information is made available to the public!) TPWD is already in the process of getting this done . Given the closing date for public comments (11 March 2016), a scant 80 days approximately are available to review the comments submitted, make possible changes, get approval and give the go ahead to TPWD . This would not allow enough time to have this proposed action to be included in the 2016 TPWD Public Hunting publication, unless it is a “fait accompli! I do not like it and I have to question the integrity of the process! It is also difficult for me to understand how this change will be addressed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (see below) in the short 80 day timeframe as indicated above. In addition I have a real hard time to deceiver the benefits to hunters by this proposal. A $ 3.00 application fee for each hunt category and for each individual is added and for a 4 day hunt the increase is from $80.00 to $ 130.00, a whopping 62.5 % increase in hunting fees would impact a lot of us Seniors, people on fixed income and certainly Citizens living in the Greater Rio Grande Valley Communities who will be negatively affected to a much greater extent. According to the latest US Census data for the Rio Grande Valley, roughly 90% of the population is Hispanic and about 30% are considered Poverty level. In my past hunts I have met a lot of “locals” at the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Refuge who relish the opportunity to be able to hunt close to their community without having to spend a lot of money. I have not seen anything that the action proposed has taken into consideration the “ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE” provision for the area/population as outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act (see below):

Here is another area of concern:

In the past ALL Citizens of the United States had access through the US Fish & Wildlife Service websites for hunting opportunities in Federal Wildlife Management areas. With this proposal this will be no longer the case. It would only be published by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and severely restrict or make it much more difficult to obtain such information. Consequently this would also apply to all other US States (like Colorado, New Mexico, etc.) and have the same effect for citizens not residing in that State.

Given all the above concerns listed, I request under the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, a copy of the final agreement between the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. I will pay for any cost incurred for providing a copy of the final
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