THE GOOD: SENATE BILL 127 • THE BAD: GOVERNOR MILLER • THE UGLY: POLITICS

Senate Bill 127 was requested by HUNTER'S ALERT for a bill draft almost a year before the 1997 legislative session was to begin. One of the most important parts of this bill was that all county advisory boards to manage wildlife would submit nominations to the governor of qualified people for appointment to the Wildlife Commission. The governor would then be required to select from these lists. Knowledgeable people who have attended county advisory board and Wildlife Commission meetings would then have a chance to be appointed to the Commission. These are people who have donated their time without pay or perks involved. People who know fish and game issues, not just who know the governor. This is grass roots government - for the people -by the people.

Another major part of this bill was a stipulation that in establishing or adopting wildlife policies or regulations, the commission shall, to the greatest extent practicable, use principles of sound scientific management. HUNTER'S ALERT did their homework - this beat the anti’s in another state when they tried to close a hunting season. This means in Nevada the anti's could not take you to the ballot box and outlaw trapping like they did in Arizona. This means the anti's could not take you to the ballot box like they did in Oregon and Washington to outlaw the use of dogs in mountain lion hunting. This is something NDOW should have proposed years ago in the legislature to protect the sportsmen who fund approximately 95% of their operation - all NDOW has proposed is more and more rules and regulations with nothing that would enhance game production.

It was well thought out and was perhaps one of the greatest bills for all sportsmen in the state of Nevada. Nevada Hunters Association testified and supported this legislation for several reasons: One, when the governor gets to choose, the tendency will be not to offend him or you won't get re-appointed. Knowledgeable sportsmen should run sportsmen programs. Protection of our hunting rights is a major concern of our organization and sound scientific management terminology addresses wildlife management instead of allowing emotions or politics to manage wildlife like we have seen in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, etc.

Senator Ann O'Connell was the chief sponsor of this bill although other legislators like Assemblyman David Humke played major roles supporting the passage of this bill through the legislature.

The Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife which is

primarily funded by Nevada Bighorns Unlimited - Reno Chapter refused to support this bill. Realizing the Coalition was opposed to many parts of the original SB 127, Nevada Hunters Association suggested amendments to everything The Division of Wildlife and the Coalition opposed, in order to bring all sportsmen together. HUNTER'S ALERT agreed to accept changes in their bill since it was in the best interests of sportsmen. In fact, Mr. Molini of NDOW said that the proposed amendments by the Nevada Hunters Association remove most of the serious problems that the Division has with SB 127. We compromised because we wanted to unify the sportsmen! Nonetheless, the Coalition convinced the legislative committee not to process it until a Coalition bill was drafted over three months after the session started. Their original bill only stated: the governor shall appoint five additional members (sportsmen representatives) who were nominated by a board (any) and any additional candidates for appointment to the commission.

This was a meaningless bill as this is what we can currently do and it did not make it mandatory for the governor to appoint nominations from the

county advisory boards recommendations.

Realizing their mistake but more importantly not wanting to offend the Wildlife Division, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or the Governor and seeing the opportunity to convince the Senate Natural Resources Committee, the Coalition took the language out of the HUNTER'S ALERT bill regarding sound scientific management and amended it into their bill regarding the county advisory boards This part was left in the HUNTER'S ALERT bill, which required the governor to listen to the county advisory boards, because they knew it was going to be unpopular with the Governor. They wanted HUNTER'S ALERT to be the bad guys and the Coalition to be the good guys. This flip-flop and compromise of values greatly offended the Nevada Hunters Association members, since the Coalition originally wanted this bill until they found out the Governor would oppose it.

I feel the Coalition betrayed every sportsman and every county advisory board in the state by opposing a system whereby the governor must

choose wildlife commissioners from county advisory board recommendations. Their own survey showed by a three to one margin that sportsmen want to have more say in the appointment process. Still they chose not to support their members.

Sometimes you have to have the guts to stand up and be counted no matter how unpopular it makes you - especially if it is the right thing. Nevada Hunters Association and HUNTER'S ALERT are two groups that did not and will not roll over and play dead but will continue to represent all sportsmen, regardless of politics. Nonetheless I personally want to thank the Coalition for getting HUNTER'S ALERT'S bill passed, in part.

When Governor Miller vetoed SB 127 he called sportsmen and county advisory boards extremists and special interests who desire to control a state wide agency to suit our limited purpose. Talk about a slap in the face - we should all be grossly offended by his remarks. The merits of this bill have gotten lost in this vindictive struggle instigated by the governor's office.

Sportsmen should be aware of and have a say regarding the people appointed to the Wildlife Commission. The Commission is responsible for spending millions and millions of their dollars. Remember, this is not a general fund supported agency but is 95% funded by sportsmen dollars! Why shouldn't we have a say?

Gerald A. Lent
Gerald A. Lent is president of Nevada Hunters Association and can be reached at:
Nevada Hunters Association
P.O. Box 50557
RENO, NV 89513