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Bill to Ban Leg-Hold Traps Buried by Committee ChairRecently Rep. Wenke (R-Richland) introduced HB 4497, which if passed by the legislature, would ban the use of leg-hold traps. MUCC sent out an action alert to its members asking for them to call their legislator, Rep. Wenke and Rep. Sheltrown (chair of the House Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee). Immediately, the calls started pouring in. Thanks to all the calls by MUCC members and other conservationists, Rep. Sheltrown has reported that he will not move the bill in committee. Rep. Opsommer (R, Dewitt), a sponsor of the bill, has removed his name from the bill and will no longer be supporting it now that he understands its implications. MUCC has met with Rep. Wenke (R, Richland), the bill sponsor, and will continue to meet with him to help educate him on the importance of Michigan’s hunting, fishing and trapping heritage.The following is an e-mail response from Rep. Sheltrown regarding HB 4496:
Thank you for your e-mail. One of the primary missions of the committee, I chair is to increase access and participation in outdoor activites. This bill would do the opposite by dramatically limiting trapping in Michigan. I will not consider any anti-trapping, anit-hunting, or anti-fishing legislation in the committee.
Also, the committee’s time is very limited with many issues competing for attention. I will not take up legislation for discussion that does not have a reasonable chance of passage. The first thing I ask the sponsor of any bill before agreeing to take it up for consideration is” do you have the votes?” At this point, I believe 10 of the 11 committee members would vote against the bill.. The DNR also does not support the bill.
MUCC Continues to Take Leadership Role on Preventing the Spread of Invasive Species:Update on ballast water- shipping companies now taking lawsuit routeThanks to all your calls, emails and letters, we were able to stop legislation that would have pushed back Michigan’s ballast water permits for yet another year. Finding no success in the legislature, the shipping industry has decided to go to court to stop the implementation of Michigan’s ballast water control law. On March 14, FedNav and other members of the shipping industry filed a lawsuit in federal court against Michigan’s attorney general and the MDEQ to stop the implementation of these new regulations. MUCC in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation and Alliance for the Great Lakes have joined this court battle to stop this new attach by the shipping industry. The three groups on April 9, 2007 filed to intervene in the case to defend the Michigan law intended to protect the Great Lakes from discharges of invasive species by oceangoing ships. In the news release issued the date of the filing, MUCC stated our position: “We are filing this motion to stand up for the millions of anglers, hunters, boaters, campers and families in Michigan and elsewhere who rely on the Great Lakes for their jobs, recreational opportunities and quality of life.” Said Donna Stine, Interim Executive Director of Michigan United Clubs. “The shipping industry’s lawsuit is an attack on the right of Michigan’s citizens to protect themselves from invasive species. That is unconscionable, and we won’t stand for it.“ The reason for the alarm is the destruction already caused by invasive species. Since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, one new aquatic non-native species has been discovered in the Great Lakes every 28 weeks from all pathways. Since 1970, 77 percent of the invasions-36-47- are attributable to transoceanic shipping activities. Invasive species such as the zebra mussel, discharged into the Great Lakes via oceangoing vessels have caused enormous ecological and economic damage. Invasive species cost the Great Lakes region $5 billion annually in damage and control costs, according to the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy released in December 2005. |
