Problem #1: Loss of our game and the

millions in revenue that goes with this loss.

Explanation: Since 1988, we have lost our sage grouse, well over 50% of our deer herds and in some areas, our state animal, the desert bighorn sheep.

Reason: Predators and NDOW's refusal to do some serious predator management..

Solution: Currently, NDOW has 210 employees and 42 of them (20%) are game wardens.. Law enforcement costs $2 million a year. Last year, NDOW confirmed the poaching of 28 deer. This is not cost effective as NDOW records prove that predators are killing ten times that number each day. In order to bring back our deer, we need to put more emphasis (money) on predator management. Putting $300,000.00 which hunters donated this year toward predator management or $200,000.00 that NDOW found in their budget is a band-aid approach toward predator management. With this type of thinking, our deer numbers will never come back. Time has proven this to be true. What is needed is to cut warden numbers in half and use the $1 million for predator control. The reason we have so many game wardens is that Terry Crawforth's background is in law enforcement. The number one revenue producer in the Game Division is deer. This is where time and resources need to be spent. If we bring back our deer numbers, there will be more money for all game species..

Problem #2: Loss of hunting opportunities.

Reason: Loss of lands and road closures due to wilderness and national monuments..

Solution: These problems are caused by our federal government. The only one opposing these problems are sportsmen or outdoor groups. When the Forest Service appropriated 733,000 acres for wilderness in our state, NDOW did nothing. When the Black Rock Desert was being run : down our throats, NDOW was nowhere

to be found. Currently, the BLM has over 5 million acres under Wilderness Study Areas. One half million acres are in Clark County's prime sheep hunting area. Again NDOW has been silent on the issue. It appears that if NDOW docs not get involved, they are siding with the feds and their wilderness proposals. NDOW fails to realize that any loss of land is a loss of hunting opportunities. Why should hunters support NDOW when NDOW refuses to do anything about hunting areas being eliminated?

Problem #3: Protecting hunters for hunting rights.

Reason: To ensure hunting will be carried on for future generations.

Solution: This is a legislative

matter. NDOW has failed to get involved. Ask NDOW to give you a list of bills they sponsored during the last six legislative sessions. Not one of them will be to protect hunters or the future of

hunting. NDOW is an agency that is 95% funded by sportsmen and they refuse to do anything to ensure the future of hunting. NDOW needs to immediately start drafting bills to help hunters, not punish them like they have in the past with more rules, more regulations and more expenditures. Other states such as Utah have passed good legislation for sportsmen. Why is it always the sportsmen in our state who do this while NDOW does not get involved. This needs to be changed immediately.

Conclusion: These three problems have been ignored by NDOW for many years. In doing so, the sportsmen and the natural resource have suffered because of NDOW's refusal to act. It is time to start acting on the big picture before it is too late.

Ed. Note: The Wildlife Commission passed a resolution to cut down on the amount of proposed BLM wilderness.