From U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance:

The nation’s sportsmen have stood up on behalf of polar bear conservation. Congressmen have refused to impose restrictions on big game hunters that would have crippled polar bear conservation.

On June 27, the U.S. House of Representatives defeated a last minute amendment to HR 2643, the House Interior Appropriations Bill, which would have banned the import of polar bear trophies. Voting 188 to 242, the House turned down anti-hunters’ efforts to prohibit American big game hunters from pursuing healthy, sustainable polar bear populations in Canada.

“It appears U.S. representatives recognized that the effort to ban Americans from polar bear hunting is baseless from a conservation standpoint,†said U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Senior Vice President Rick Story. “Science that shows polar bear populations are at historic highs and that there are no imminent threats to the healthy, huntable populations.â€

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance worked along with the National Rifle Association and other sportsmen’s groups to help defeat the amendment. The American Wildlife Conservation Partners sent a letter of opposition signed by many of its members to all congressional offices.

American sportsmen comprise approximately 90 percent of the foreign hunting clientele in Canada, annually pouring millions of dollars into polar bear conservation and management, not to mention the financial benefits to the local communities. American hunters are the primary source of essential funding for conservation and research that allows for continued success of the populations.

Language banning the hunt has already been included in the Senate Interior Appropriations Bill.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

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Exactly how many Millions of Dollars, and exactly how are these dollars being spent on polar bear conservation?

Brent

Thats great! Now all I need is $30k so I can go hunt one

It will be closer to $45 or $50K by the time the dust settles.

I am glad to see that there are still a few politicians with some common sense. The revenue generated by the polar bear/musk-ox/caribou hunts are very important to the Innuit communities.

All of the arctic communities have been badly affected by the EU due to their stance on trapping in the past and more recently on seal hides etc.

Brent,

They use the money to buy anchovies for the big white bears in the San Diego zoo. -TONY

Yeah, that's sort of what I figured. Ain't no way it's "Millions". Not even in Canadian dollars.

And it sure doesn't go to PB conservation either.

Here's a bit more from SCI for you, Brent. -TONY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2007

Polar Bear Hunting Battle Won, Fight Continues

Washington, D.C. – Safari Club International applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for overwhelmingly defeating an ill-advised amendment that would have undermined global conservation for polar bears.

This amendment, sponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Washington) and Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey), would have forbidden the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from processing permit applications for the importation of polar bear hides or parts into the U.S. Although purporting to “protect†polar bears, this amendment would not have reduced polar bear mortalities related to hunting. If U.S. hunters did not take these polar bears, the same number of bears would be hunted by individuals from native communities in Canada and/or by hunters from other countries.

But by effectively stopping American hunters from hunting in Canada, this amendment would have removed one incentive for the Canadian governments to fund (at least in the amount of $1,000,000 per year) the current, successful Canadian efforts to conserve the bear. If the amendment had succeeded, it would also have destroyed the source of funding (from the permit fees paid to the U.S. government) for polar bear research in the U.S. and Russia.

The attempt to add the amendment to the House Interior Appropriations bill was clearly defeated by a vote of 188-242. Lawmakers voting to block the amendment recognized it as a purely emotion-driven attack on hunting in general.

Numerous sporting and conservation organizations rallied to oppose this amendment, including SCI, the National Rifle Association and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

Also allied in opposition to this amendment were the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Government of Nunavut (where many healthy populations of polar bears reside), and the federal Canadian government, which issued a strong letter of opposition to the amendment co-sponsors.

A website has been developed to counter the misinformation campaign and emotional, non-scientific arguments put forth by anti-hunting legislators, and the anti-hunting groups they support. This site can be found at www.polarbearfacts.org .

Another battle may need to be fought in the Senate. Similar language was inserted in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill by Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) but the Senate has not yet completed action on its version of the bill.

SCI President Dennis Anderson said, “Defeating the House amendment was an important victory, but while this battle is won, the war against the conservation benefits of sustainable polar bear hunting, and hunting in general, wages on. All sportsmen and women must continue to let their Congressional delegations know they oppose such anti-hunting efforts.â€

SCI’s work will continue in the Senate to make sure that this bad idea never sees the light of day.



SCI-First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s 179 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 13 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit the home page www.safariclub.org <http://www.safariclub.org/> or call (520) 620-1220 for more information.

Thanks Tony, I wonder how many Americans it takes to generate $1mill for conservation and I wonder where that $1mill goes every year?

Brent