Just received this.

SCI Moves Feds Forward on Elephant Imports From Zimbabwe: USFWS Revises Decision and WILL Allow Retroactive 2014 Imports

Safari Club International (SCI) is encouraged by the United States Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) decision today to revise the April 4, 2014, finding that suspended imports of elephants from Zimbabwe and Tanzania for 2014. Under the revision elephant trophies legally taken from Zimbabwe from January 1, 2014 until April 4, 2014 will be allowed to be imported. The hunter will just need to be able to demonstrate to USFWS Office of Law Enforcement that the hunt occurred before that date in order to import the trophy.

SCI is hopeful that this revision is just the first step in a process of rescinding of the suspension of elephant trophy imports from Zimbabwe and Tanzania. This haphazard decision to suspend imports based on “anecdotal evidence” will have a profound negative impact on elephant conservation. The Director of CAMPFIRE Association of Zimbabwe and noted conservationist, Charles Jonga, has stated that this suspension “poses an unprecedented threat to all future conservation efforts of the African Elephant in rural areas of Zimbabwe”.

SCI continues to request that USFWS completely lift the suspension before the millions of dollars hunters invest in conservation in Africa completely dry up, and as a result exponentially increases poaching in the process due to loss of critical enforcement in the field.

It's a start, but not enough.

Agree, but at least some of the poor SOB's who got blind sided by the original import suspension should be able to get their trophies home.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
It's a start, but not enough.

A bloody good start & we all owe a vote of thanks to everyone involved but a loooong way to go still.

Certainly more than I expected.

The only reason they did that was due to legality of retro-dating. There were some legal issues with taking it back to Jan 1.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
The only reason they did that was due to legality of retro-dating. There were some legal issues with taking it back to Jan 1.

I agree completely. It still made my weekend big time! Good Friday indeed!

Hopefully it is a start to rescinding more or all of the ruling.

I'm sure the few guys that have already gone to Zim or Tanz will thank SCI very much.
However, the real hunting season does not start in those countries until May, so SCI did very little and the Feds did not have to compromise very much, Very little as a matter of fact. My opinion, not much of a victory, more of the same ongoing political hand wringing and buddy - buddy BS we have been noticing SCI doing for some time now.
How about us guys that have May, June, July or August hunts (the primary hunting months) scheduled and paid for
Did SCI do anything to try to help us? No one from SCI answered any of my emails, let alone explain what they were attempting to accomplish. They did send an email asking for donations though.
Is SCI standing up for our rights with this anti hunting federal bureaucracy or is this end of the efforts that SCI is going to put forth on the elephant subject? No one has tried to provide general information on this from SCI. We just get a little email saying SCI has won a great victory over the feds extending the importation to 4-4, or a email requesting "support" in the form of "donations"

This is part of my disappointment with SCI.
SCI is willing to "cave" or "give in" and compromise politically when there should be no compromising at all. Right is right, and wrong is wrong - does not matter how it is spun or who spins it. To cave at this juncture only gives the anti hunting crowd a left wing victory, and the Obama government a way out of lawsuits that would have come from many directions.
Now the USFWS can state that they are working with the hunting community and supported our concerns, when in fact they are not
There should have been no compromise on this, the polar bear or any other sustainable animal from ANOTHER COUNTRY
Once again the Feds won while SCI claims victory
This compromise is a fail. It would be better to not have compromised and continue to battle the feds with supporting conservation and ethical behavior until the feds lost the support of the un-informed people, the nations involved or the court fight.
However, ethical behavior recently is certainly lacking within the hierarchy of the SCI organization, maybe that has something to do with giving up the fight early. When you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar its hard to blame your little brother

In addition, due to the ongoing corruption and "good ol' boy club" within SCI, I feel SCI is hardly worthy of membership
I think the fox has slipped into the SCI henhouse and only a thorough booting will get it out

My opinion for what it is worth

Rory

You are right Lane.
Don't mean to sound negative, but knowing USFWS the way they operate, this happened exactly like you said it and I doubt they remove the ban this year no matter what.
It's not even that they would be antihunting as they are Federal agency, bureaucratic, do as I say or I"ll squash you like a bug bunch of people that look at hunters and regular people in general as inept race.
Basically, they have to keep an eye on us all the time or we will stray...
Abolishing half the Fed agencies is a good start

They may be doing more than you realize. They did send out an e mail asking for information from those members who had put up a deposit for elephants hunts in TZ and Zim. Very few responded .

SCI has out a lot of effort into this matter. If you signed up to go to Washington, you probably have a pretty good idea of what I am talking about.

Give them a little credit. At least they are trying.

I agree with many of your comments about SCI but slamming these efforts is a little premature.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
They may be doing more than you realize. They did send out an e mail asking for information from those members who had put up a deposit for elephants hunts in TZ and Zim. Very few responded .

SCI has out a lot of effort into this matter. If you signed up to go to Washington, you probably have a pretty good idea of what I am talking about.

Give them a little credit. At least they are trying.

I agree with many of your comments about SCI but slamming these efforts is a little premature.

Larry, I wish I could go to Washington. But being the radical I am I probably would not help the situation
I guess I could sign up to go, knowing that I cannot, just so I can get the info you are seeing. Would that be scandalous?
I did reply to SCI's email as I have paid for an elephant hunt for Zim for this May and certainly qualified, I think it was scenario #3 on their questionnaire

I cant sign up to go to Washington as that is when I am going to Zim. That alone should not mean I cant get information on what SCI is doing
I am discouraged because I have sent SCI several emails asking questions and not one single reply
I feel I need to stick with my opinion that SCI is giving political ground on this and we are being manipulated into thinking it is a victory, its anything but a victory. We are just allowing the Obama feds to worm their way out of lawsuits that would be sure to have disastrous effects, and they know it.
SCI should not accept this as I believe it is an admission of defeat.

just my opinion based upon limited knowledge of what's going on behind the scenes
But I will take your advise and reserve judgment for the time being - or at least until I try to import my ivory

Rory

I responded to them has having a deposit up. I am happy for the ones that this helps but hardly fair to those of us that have big deposits up.they should rescind the whole thing. I agree they might have done it for legal reasons but I hope everyone keeps the heat on them.

Surprised not many responded to SCI's request for comments from folks who had already booked. I know I responded.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
The only reason they did that was due to legality of retro-dating. There were some legal issues with taking it back to Jan 1.

SCI did very little, and we are being cheerleaders for them now.

Let us see how they do on the REAL issue, and see IF the millions they pay in bribes to politicians are worth it.

I did respond and filed up their questionnaire
I think they do what they can, but they are not NRA and they don't have much clout.
It is up to us to support them. I know there is many naysayers about SCI, but I like the fact they are trying to do the right thing and that is what matters
Also nothing wrong with SCI asking for donations, after all, without money, you never make it anywhere. And that is life.