Mark, Thanks for reminding me in your first paragraph as to why I send my meager dollars to ABC and not Audubon. While there might be a moralistic or spiritual basis for a group or individual's position on a resource management issue, such sentiments cannot be the basis for management decisions such as hunting seasons, restricted access, or collection of wildlife resources. I don't care why you like to shoot ducks or walk down a plover beach during nesting season, but simply put, there has to be decision making based on numbers, data, sound science - in other words some empirical justification. As I once told a birder at Mattamuskeet NWR in NC who opposed shooting ducks unless they were going to be eaten, "The state and feds don't care what you do with them once they're dead, eat 'em, mount 'em or chuck 'em in the woods". Audubon has certainly taken positions that have placed greater emphasis on sentimental values of a particular group over sound science. Hopefully such decisions are in the minority at the present time, but they have occurred in the past. One such example is the opposition to increased timber harvest in central and southern Appalachian forests that would have benefitted many early-successional bird species. It turned out that many older, wealthy retired folks turned to Audubon as NIMBYs as they didn't want their "view" sacrificed for habitat creation. Eric Harrold Urbana, IL --- On Tue, 7/27/10, MARTELL, Mark <[email protected]> wrote:
From: MARTELL, Mark <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [mou-net] So why did Audubon and birders vehemently oppose a dove season in MN? To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 11:17 AM First, there are many reasons people can have "legitimate" concerns over an issue like crane hunting, biological/conservation, emotional, religious, mystical, whatever. Birds and other natural resources are not the exclusive province of one segment of society; birders, hunters whomever and to limit the conversation to only biological concerns is not valid. The DNR is supposed to be managing natural resources for everyone in the state, not just a select few. This then is the basis for our reaction to the DNRs unilateral, closed, and surprising decision. In Minnesota we expect natural resource decisions to be made in an open, transparent, and honest fashion. Opposed or in favor of Mourning Dove hunting?; the issue was publicly debated (for years) and brought before the state legislature for a vote. Even if you disagreed with the final outcome you had a forum to speak up. Want to know how the LCCMR or Lessard-Sams monies are being spent?; all those meetings are open to the public and the schedule is posted on state websites. Want to speak up about the 16-19 walleye slot limit on Farm Lake? - there are 2 public hearings this month to do so and information can be found on the front page of the DNR website right now! The DNR should not be allowed to make a decision as important, controversial, and radical as opening a new hunting season on a species that has not been hunted in nearly 100 years without a full and thorough dialogue with the people of Minnesota. Mark Martell Director of Bird Conservation Audubon Minnesota 2357 Ventura Dr. Suite 106 St. Paul, MN 55125 651-739-9332 http://mn.audubon.org/ Audubon Minnesota is now on Facebook. Become a Fan! -----Original Message----- From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Eric Harrold Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:47 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [mou-net] So why did Audubon and birders vehemently oppose a dove season in MN? Was there any more biological justification to this opposition than there is to the recently enacted crane season? Of course not. Again, I don't have a problem with opposition, in the event folks can substantiate legitimate concerns. They're hunted throughout the Great Plains with the exception of stopover habitat along the Platte river (state of NE altogether I guess). It doesn't seem to have negatively impacted these populations, so do MN's birds come from an altogether different population - I don't think so. Onward, Eric Harrold Urbana, IL ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
