Below is a copy of the press release sent out by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) announcing the compilation of a Draft Wildlife Action Plan, while encouraging people to comment on it over the next 30 days. At the conclusion of the press release, I will offer commentary.
Draft of State Wildlife Action Plan Available For Public Comment
AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in conjunction with a broad spectrum of partner organizations, has created a draft state wildlife action plan that is now posted on the department’s website and open for public comment.
Maine’s 2015 Wildlife Action Plan identifies practical and voluntary opportunities to conserve Maine’s most vulnerable fish and wildlife, while emphasizing that landowner and public participation is essential for wildlife conservation. Yesterday, July 13 marked the beginning of a 30-day opportunity for Maine citizens to review the action plan and provide comment. You can view the document at www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/reports/MWAP2015.html.
The draft is a collaboration of IFW and 102 conservation partners — representatives from federal, state, local, tribal, and public organizations – who over the past 18 months have identified species and habitats in the greatest need of conservation, the factors negatively impacting these species and their habitats, and potential conservation opportunities that citizens, partner organizations, and agencies could undertake to address these issues.
The partners completed their review in June, and based upon their feedback, IFW, with state agency partners prepared the first draft of the action plan, which will help guide the conservation of rare and vulnerable fish and wildlife from 2015 – 2025.
States must have an approved Wildlife Action Plan to be eligible to participate in the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS approved Maine’s initial Wildlife Action Plan in the summer of 2005. Since then, Maine has accomplished over 50 research, management, and conservation projects, benefitting brook trout, rare freshwater mussels, dragonflies, migrant birds such as Bicknell’s Thrush and Black-throated blue Warbler, and globally rare species, such as the Tomah mayfly. Puffins, wood turtles, Atlantic sturgeon, little brown bats and bumble bees are also recognizable species that have benefitted from Maine’s Wildlife Action Plan. IFW must submit the updated action plan to the USFWS by October 2015 for Maine to remain eligible for SWG funds.
Maine’s 2015 Wildlife Action plan is not solely a plan for IFW; rather, it is a cooperative fish and wildlife conservation strategy for the entire state and all Maine’s citizens and visitors. IFW encourages the public to review the 2015 action plan. Comments and suggestions from citizens will ensure that it reflects the values and priorities of Maine’s people.
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The U.S. Congress requires any state that would like to participate in receiving tax dollars as part of their Wildlife Grant Program, to create a Wildlife Action Plan. This requirement amounts to nothing more than extortion money that forces states, with the greed to not be able to resist MONEY, to comply with the direction in which the dictatorial U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/U.S. Government, wants to go with its management of wildlife nationwide. When states opt for the pimp money, they essentially agree to become useful idiots of the Federal Government and forego what might be best for their state.
As you will also notice in the above press release, no explanation is given about how the Federal filthy money is allocated. From the USFWS website: “Grants funds are disbursed to States for approved grants at a maximum federal share of 75% for Planning grants and 65% for Implementation grants.”
This means Maine, or any other participating state, must come up with matching dollars in order to take the bait and willfully participate in the extortion ring. Maine, therefore, must come up with matching dollars. This can be done in a few ways but some of that money comes from hunters and fishermen who buy licenses.
The State Wildlife Grants Program provides federal grant funds for developing and implementing programs that benefit wildlife and their habitats, including species not hunted or fished. Priority is placed on projects that benefit species of greatest conservation need.
Grant funds must be used to address conservation needs such as research, surveys, species and habitat management, and monitoring, identified within a State’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan/Strategy. These funds may also be used to update, revise, or modify a State’s Strategy.
Maine has a bragging page on their website about all the projects they have done through the Wildlife Grant Program’s money. None of these projects benefit game species and most of them actually limit and restrict hunting, trapping and fishing opportunities to those who directly foot part of the bill for matching money.
The money spent on Canada lynx is a great example. In the grand scheme of things, trapping in Maine has, for the most part, been seriously limited due to the over-protection of the lynx, which is not a “threatened” or “endangered” species. Our own money is being used to stop trapping by propping up a fake environmental program.
The projects that get the attention of the extortion, dirty money are all environmentalist (spelled anti hunting, trapping and fishing) projects. This is, of course, part of the agenda of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – to end hunting, trapping and fishing and fully implement non consumptive use of wildlife and all natural resources.
As we have seen over the years, groups like the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, have managed to steal Pittman-Robertson and Johnson-Dinghal monies to implement programs that work AGAINST the perpetuation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. In other words, our own money is being used to destroy hunting, trapping and fishing.
It’s all about the money though. FREE MONEY is what people believe. During this time of Maine, and other states, drafting their prostitution plans, most believe this program to be a good thing, not realizing the long-term effects it has on traditional Maine hunting, trapping and fishing. And still, hunters, trappers and fishermen support the program and fully participate in it believing it’s all good.
For myself, I don’t like my money being used to support Environmentalism that is used against my enjoyment of hunting and fishing. You shouldn’t either.
