URGENT URGENT Power Grab by anti fishing activists in CA- Must be done TODAY

[fishtales]

Urgent Request from Davey's Locker Sportfishing -
Must be done by 9pm tonight 8/27
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


WE NEED YOUR HELP - VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO FIGHT BAD LEGISLATION IN CA
- Action Must Be Done by Monday night 08/27/12
- Read Below For a Simple Method to Send a Message to Sacramento

THIS MESSAGE IS POSTED ON BEHALF OF "KEEP AMERICA FISHING.ORG".
Anti-fishing groups plan to move forward with two pieces of legislation in Sacramento this week that are a serious threat to fishermen.

PLEASE read the message below and click on the link after the text to go to the KEEPAMERICAFISHING.ORG site. In 30 seconds you can have a message sent on your behalf to Sacramento (scroll to the bottom of their site to complete). PLEASE send this to every fisherman you know and post this on all of your social media sites.

This is QUITE IMPORTANT!

YOU MUST ACT NOW TO SAVE FISHING IN CALIFORNIA!!!

Legislation Threatens Future Fishing Rights
Now, more than any time in recent history, your right to recreationally fish in California is under attack. In a bold and brazen power-grab, anti-fishing groups that want to permanently close off public waters are pushing legislation through the California legislature that will put them in the driver's seat on fishery management in the state.
Only by acting now - RIGHT NOW - can you stop this threat!
It is imperative that you contact your state legislators today and tell them to VOTE NO on SB 1148 and AB 2402. These bills could be voted on any day so it is important that you act immediately!

Please Take Action Right Now!
If passed, these two bills will have a devastating impact on recreational fishing in California. They will allow anti-fishing groups to have unchecked influence in fisheries management, remove important checks and balances in the policy-making forum and ultimately lead to more closures of your public waters to fishing - waters that you have paid to manage!
Among other things, these bills:
Strip the Fish and Game Commission of its authority over fishery management in marine protected areas established under the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and instead puts it in the hands of the Ocean Protection Council, a body effectively controlled by anti-fishing groups who will seek ever greater closures.
Will render all current angler community lawsuits against the MLPA useless.
Authorize "nonprofit partnerships" between well-financed anti-fishing organizations and the DFG, allowing these special interest groups to further their agendas within the DFG.

[HawgZWylde]

I sent it.

Isn't power grabs like this enough proof that the idiots running our state government must go. This government doesn't work for you, they want to rule you, and pretty much already do. Enough is enough. Vote these morons out...

Moderator, this post needs to be stickied in the general section...

[fishtales]

I sent it.

Isn't power grabs like this enough proof that the idiots running our state government must go. This government doesn't work for you, they want to rule you, and pretty much already do. Enough is enough. Vote these morons out...

Moderator, this post needs to be stickied in the general section...

"This government doesn't work for you, they want to rule you, and pretty much already do. Enough is enough. Vote these morons out..."

AMEN to that!!

AND all the big business, bankers, Wall Street corporatists, and conservative talking heads who sway public opinion with lies and deceit. I'll give you one guess who runs the show.

Our politicians are definitely not working for us but AGAINST us!

[Frank77]

Hey guys.....I'm new to these forums and just wanted to throw my two cents in. I'm amazed!!! This is an important issue and all I read is a couple replies to this thread?? Everybody should be knocking down the doors to their legislators, calling them, writing them to say VOTE NO on SB 1148 and AB 2402!!!!! You have absolutely have no idea how close we are to getting our fisheries closed down by these one-minded maniacs!!

[HawgZWylde]

"This government doesn't work for you, they want to rule you, and pretty much already do. Enough is enough. Vote these morons out..."

AMEN to that!!

AND all the big business, bankers, Wall Street corporatists, and conservative talking heads who sway public opinion with lies and deceit. I'll give you one guess who runs the show.

Our politicians are definitely not working for us but AGAINST us!

fishtales, these bills are not written by conservatives, these are written by progressive liberals and their extreme eco freak allies. One by one, piece by piece, they are taking yours and my individual liberties and freedoms. And these bills are perfect examples of this...

[HawgZWylde]

Hey guys.....I'm new to these forums and just wanted to throw my two cents in. I'm amazed!!! This is an important issue and all I read is a couple replies to this thread?? Everybody should be knocking down the doors to their legislators, calling them, writing them to say VOTE NO on SB 1148 and AB 2402!!!!! You have absolutely have no idea how close we are to getting our fisheries closed down by these one-minded maniacs!!

The answer is simple Frank, these freaks must be voted out of office. Otherwise this type of idiocy will go on forever. These two moronic bills are good examples of why this state is in so much trouble...

Welcome to the forums Frank.

[Frank77]

The answer is simple Frank, these freaks must be voted out of office. Otherwise this type of idiocy will go on forever. These two moronic bills are good examples of why this state is in so much trouble...

Welcome to the forums Frank.

Thanks for the welcome Hawg.....specifically, along with "regulating our fisheries", they want to increase the cost of fishing licenses! This increase will also apply to higher license cost for hunters and commercial fisherman. It will definitely impact a lot of people.

Follow this link to read the complete bill:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/fa...01120120SB1148

[Frank77]

Here's another bullcrap thing our government is doing.....
"State Parks Distinguished Veterans Pass is not honored at Castaic".

I took my new boat up to Castaic today for an inspection. Since this is my first time owning a boat I asked a lot of questions. When I asked the inspector what it cost to bring the boat on the water he said $24. I related to him that I have a distinguished veterans pass. He said "sorry that's no good here"!

I spent two years of my life serving this country, one of which was in Vietnam. Ive never asked for any special privileges for my service to this country. But this, I think, really sucks!!

[HawgZWylde]

Thanks for the welcome Hawg.....specifically, along with "regulating our fisheries", they want to increase the cost of fishing licenses! This increase will also apply to higher license cost for hunters and commercial fisherman. It will definitely impact a lot of people.

Follow this link to read the complete bill:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/fa...01120120SB1148

Thanks for posting that link Frank. Where does the insanity end? When are we the people going to take a stand and say enough is enough? And this is just fishing. They are intruding in, and charging us for all aspects of our individual being. Business is so regulated, taxed and fee'd in this state that it has bankrupted us. And speaking of those fee's, they can raise them at will since they are not called "taxes". We the people have no say in it. For the life of me I can't understand why people vote these Statists into office. 35+years of one particular party "rule" in this state, and these are the results. Are we really better off? Not in my opinion. I say vote them out, and let's try something different in Cali.

Frank, sorry to hear that about Castaic. If it was up to me, all our vets would have discounts at all government owned, and quasi-government owned facilities like MWD & DWP lakes (DVL, Castaic, Perris, etc.). You served, you earned it. Period. My older brother did 2 tours in Nam, my father landed in Normandy and walked and fought all the way to Germany, and was there when they surrendered. I have the utmost respect for our military vets and feel we are dropping the ball on them. Haha, geez I've ranted enough tonight. Frank, thanks for the info, and most importantly, thanks for serving...

[seal]

Jim Mathews simplified and explained his opinions on these bills in a column recently, here's his take.

"By JIM MATTHEWS

A broad coalition of voices all over California have come together to oppose a bill in the California legislature that would grant the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) sweeping powers to cite and levy fines on all violations of the Fish and Game Code. It would also encourage “bounty hunting” by creating a private right of action for the destruction of California wildlife, unleashing radical animal-rights attorney on fishermen, hunting, property owners, and other government agencies. But, perhaps of most concern to anglers, it would set the stage to basically end the trout stocking program.

SB 1148 and AB 2402 contain a host of provisions that would “transform the Fish and Game Code into an extremely harsh regulatory regime by imposing strict criminal liability and allowing private civil lawsuits,” according to a letter written by Bob Huff, a state senator from Walnut, and signed by the entire Republican delegation in the Senate. It even looked like a few Democratic members were going reach across the aisle to oppose this bill as of Thursday.

The pair of bills were intended to merely provide a way to implement California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision (CFWSV), completed in April, 2012, but amendments to the bills in June and August substancially amended them to “incorporate policies either not suggested by, or inconsistent with the CFWSV,” according to Huff.

Specifically, as the bills are written now they would do the following things:

--The big one is that the bill would create a new board to administer the Hatchery and Inland Fisheries Fund. This board would be in charge of administering the fund that currently takes 33 percent of all fishing license fees and uses it to raise and plant trout for anglers. Instead, this new board would administer this money solely for “the purposes of promoting angling opportunities and the conservation of wild and native trout, and ensuring thriving self-sustaining native trout populations throughout their historic ranges.” The hatchery trout program, except for wild trout rearing, could be eliminated under this law.

Even if the board opted to continue to plant non-native hatchery trout, the law mandates that wild fish in any watershed be used, increasing the DFG’s costs to rear and plant trout dramatically. And if the board determined non-native trout could be planted in any water, they would have to be sterile fish, which is another cost increase.

-- The second most critical part of the bill is it would allow for civil actions to be filed by an attorney or group on any supposed violation of the Fish and Game Code. Currently, only the government can prosecute violations relation to state fish and wildlife resources. This would allow the Humane Society of the United States or other radical groups to sue a fishing guide, hunting guide, landowner, and probably even a licensed driver for a game violation. If you ran over a tree squirrel in the San Bernardino Mountains, even inadvertently, you could be sued for illegal take of wildlife. If a Steven’s kangaroo rat downed in your dog’s water dish, you could be sued privately. If you hooked and lost a trout that you didn’t see had died, you could be sued for wanton waste of wildlife by a whack job attorney.

It would create a whole new career field for bounty hunter attorneys. Do you think this little gem was written by the animal right community?

-- It would also transfer from the Fish and Game Commission to the DFG the authority to designate endangered species under CEQA, without public input or comment, removing due process where a designation could cost individuals, cities, counties, and the state significant revenue to comply with the designation. Are the enviro-wackos behind this change?

-- It would give the DFG total control over regulations within Marine Protected Areas, without public imput or comment. Meaning they could close more fishing areas off the coast or set more stringent regulations without any public oversight. Do you suppose the anti-fishing crowd likes this provision?

-- It would make every violation of the Fish and Game Code a misdemeanor violation (some are currently infractions) as well as imposing strict liability for all offenses, meaning all violators face six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, even for an accidental violation.

-- It would allow the DFG to set license and permit fees and mandate they are set to cover all costs, which is likely to dramatically increase all hunting and fishing license costs, tag fees, and permit costs for every permit issued by the DFG, from hatchery permits to guide licenses to private land management programs. Fees would not be limited to cost-of-living increases as required by current law.

As amended, the bill seems like it was written by the animal rights community and Trout Unlimited or California Trout, Inc. with no concerns about sportsmen or the cost of the proposed changes. It is an unmitigated disaster, and would do nothing for the state’s resources. But it sure would increase costs and run people out of the hunting and fishing sports.

Sportsmen and gun owners were able to help kill a bill this week that was as onerous as this one when AB 249 was jettisoned because of incredible pressure placed on members of both the Assembly and Senate. This bill would have effectively banned most currently legal semi-automatic sporting firearms, including the exceedingly popular AR-style rifles whose sales have been a boon to the state’s economy. SB 1148 and AB 2402 need to disappear, too.

END"