Archived Action Alerts
ACTION ALERT December 2002:
It's lameduck legislation season and, as suspected, certain legislators are again attempting to push unpopular controversial dove hunting legislation. Governor-Elect Jennifer Granholm has committed to protecting the mourning dove, so dove shooting interests hope to push legislation through before she takes office.
Since 1905, special interests have been prevented from changing the status of Michigan's mourning dove from songbird to game bird because the majority of concerned citizens overwhelmingly oppose the recreational shooting of doves in Michigan. Because of significant opposition, dove shooting proponents are resorting to even more deceptive and underhanded tactics to try to achieve this unpopular and unwanted agenda...now, if they can't take doves directly, they will try to take them indirectly - by removing your direct legislative representation.
HB 5478 was introduced as a "back door" approach designed to not only take away your rights on the mourning dove (which is the main target), but your AUTHORITY on ALL wildlife issues. By transferring power to "DESIGNATE" protected non-game species as targetable game, from the Legislature over to an appointed seven-member Natural Resource Commission, your vote is essentially silenced by special interests.
Because HB 5478 received so much opposition and negative press in 2001, special interests have added a "token" provision -- a version that is more "marketable" but just as misleading...make no mistake, this is mourning dove hunting legislation by disguise and sets a dangerous precedence!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Call, write, fax, or email your State Representative and State Senator TODAY (sample letter and fact sheet). Urge them to oppose any transfer of authority or any legislation that would allow the mourning dove to be hunted in Michigan. Make it clear you do not want recreational hunting "management" used on this songbird. Request their position on this issue. Elected officials should not allow special interests to change the entire system for the sake of getting this protected species reclassified - against the will of the people.
Call the House at 517-373-0135
and ask to be connected with your Representative.
You may also find your Representative here.
Call the Senate at 517-373-2400
and ask to be connected with your Senator.
You may also find your Senator here.
CLICK HERE for UPDATE to this Alert!
ACTION ALERT: (A NATIONAL THREAT) March 2002:
Washington DC--H. Con. Res. 275 is on the move to the Senate. On 3-7-02 it was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. See previous Alert and Update (below) for details about this resolution. Click here for related News article.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Email the Committee on Environment and Public Works guest1@epw.senate.gov
Email or call the Committee Majority
Leader:
Senator Jim Jeffords [I-VT] vermont@jeffords.senate.gov,
(517) 224-5141
Email or call the Committee Minority
Leader:
Senator Robert Smith [R-NH] opinion@smith.senate.gov,
(202) 224-2841
For complete listing of Committee members and their email addresses visit http://www.senate.gov/%7Eepw.
Email and/or Call Michigan's
Senators:
Carl Levin, (D) senator2@levin.senate.gov,
(202) 224-6221
Debbie Stabenow, (D) senator@stabenow.senate.gov,
(202) 224-4822
CLICK HERE for UPDATE to this Alert!
URGENT ACTION ALERT (A NATIONAL THREAT) March 6, 2002:
Washington, DC--The special interest lobby is pushing Congress to appease the dove shooting agenda for a dangerous renegotiation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in order expand the dove season.
The House Resources Committee has immediately sent to the House floor a resolution calling for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to negotiate with other signatories to the bird treaty (Canada, Mexico, Japan and Russia) to allow the dove season to start the last week of August in 35 states: including Michigan! Under the Act, it is currently illegal for states to allow hunters to shoot mourning doves before September 1st (a date initially established by the USFWS to reduce the impact of hunting on nesting doves).
The proposal concerns many about what the consequences of such a radical international move would have on the Act and the mourning dove population. Wildlife officials warn that renegotiating the treaty to change the dove season opens it up to other changes - with far ranging repercussions; not to mention a higher percentage of dependent fledglings are still in the nest during late August.
SPC press contacts have confirmed that groups who are pushing for this resolution are hoping that if passed, they will be able to use it as a tactic to assist them to build support to legalize dove shooting in the non-hunting states they have always failed in...Michigan was specifically mentioned. Herein lies the real intentions of this resolution.
House Concurrent Resolution 275 Fact Sheet provided by the HSUS.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Call and/or email your Representative TODAY, March 5th. Calls
will still be effective the 6th and possibly the 7th. Urge your
Representative to vote NO on House Concurrent Resolution 275.
Request their position on this resolution.
You may call the U.S. House Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asked to be connected with your Representative. You may also find your Representative here.
CLICK HERE for UPDATE to this Alert!
URGENT ACTION ALERT December 2001:
Mourning Dove Shooting Legislation has been introduced by DISGUISE! As suspected, special interests have resorted to a cunning deception to take away the rights of the majority in Michigan who strongly oppose dove hunting. This legislation is being "fast-tracked" and will be rushed through quickly in order to avoid citizen input.
On November 29, 2001 House Bill 5478 was introduced. Within this legislation is a section to amend PA 451 by repealing MCL 324.40110. This section is what protects your right to accountable legislative representation. This bill takes a "back door" approach that has been used by dove hunting proponents in other states and is designed to not only take away your rights on the mourning dove (which is the main target) but your right on ALL future wildlife issues of this nature by transferring authority to "DESIGNATE" a new species as game from the legislature over to the non-elected Natural Resource Commission.
YOUR call, email, or fax is very important and urgently needed to keep the mourning dove a protected songbird! Certain Representatives have again used the busy holiday season as "timing" to bow to special interests and avoid your input. How will the House and the Senate vote this time? Will your interest, or special interest prevail? CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY!
CLICK HERE for UPDATE to this Alert!
ACTION ALERT October 2001:
On October 7, 2001, Rep. Susan Tabor had a message posted on a gun activist web site requesting help in promoting the passage of a dove shooting bill. Their special interest agenda includes a letter writing drive addressed to Governor Engler, but sent to Tabor's office, to help her "get this issue on his radar screen" for a dove bill this year.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
The Songbird Protection Coalition is requesting that the citizens
of Michigan please write a letter to Governor Engler opposing
any future dove shooting legislation.
Letters should be addressed to:
Governor John Engler
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, MI 48909
Click the link below to download
a sample letter in MSWord:
How to write the Governor
Please address and send your letter to the Governor BUT ALSO send a copy of your letter to the Songbird Protection Coalition. The SPC will be using YOUR letters of opposition to dove shooting to counter the letters that Representative Tabor will be presenting to the Governor. This is critical; each and every letter counts!
CLICK HERE for UPDATE to this Alert!
ACTION ALERT March 2001:
HB 4517 was introduced on March 22, 2001. If this bill can be taken at face value, it would remove two rails presently listed as game, which are no longer hunted because they are so rare. But, this bill is presently flagged as a potential vehicle for an attempt to hunt mourning doves by possible amendment to repeal the section of Act MCL 324.40110, which is what protects our right to participate through accountable representation. If that act is repealed, the NRC would automatically have complete control of the mourning dove. At this time - this is just suspect.
Yes, this would be underhanded. How do you think they "took" so many other states against the will of the people? Special interests resort to many cunning tactics to take away rights of the majority who oppose them - if they can't take it up front and honest, they'll try any transcursion or deception.
ACTION ALERT March 2001:
On March 2, 2001 Ross Dykman, Moderator for the MCRGO was asked by a member, "Where's the "new" Dove Bill? Any idea if it'll be introduced in the near future? Shooters are ready to contact their State Reps and State Senators this time. I'm sure as a group, we won't let it fail twice." His response was, "Rep Tabor's working on it...Not sure when she plans to launch it yet...we've got to build the support for it among the gun owners and the clubs first."
Yes, special interest groups have trouble drumming up support for this legislation, even within their own ranks. The only reason this issue will be revisited - certain legislators will ignore the voting public majority and represent special interest campaign contributors.
ACTION ALERT January 2001:
The NRC is anticipating to revisit the mourning dove hunting issue DURING 2001.
In the January 11, 2001 meeting minutes of the NRC, less than one month after the Senate roll call vote on bill 6147, Marilyn Carol Bambery, DNR Legislative Liaison Attorney and MCRGO Foundation Founder, stated the above plan.
Contact your Representative and Senator regarding their vote on bill 6147 and express the way you would like your vote to be represented in the future on this issue. Make it clear that you do not want to see a mourning dove hunting bill or any bill that would take away your right to legislative representation brought up again in the legislature.
Yes, a Circuit Judge of Ingham County issued a Permanent Court Ordered Injunction in 1985 against the DNR and the NRC with regard to promoting the hunting of mounring doves...but here you have it...
CLICK HERE for UPDATE to this Alert!
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