Cameron Hanes to be on Zinke created Conservation Council

[bwcatripper]

randy is very correct; give the man a chance, he stood up to chaffetz and made more change than we all hoped one could. he's a better advocate than most, so let's afford him the opportunity to be the voice the public land user needs.

 

[MTGomer]

BF, sounds like the same thing people said about Zinke.

Sounds like something all decent people would say about anybody assumed to have good intentions.

 

[LopeHunter]

I applaud hunters having a seat at the table. Being on a blue ribbon panel is a thankless job that most of us could not make time for in our hectic lives even if were offered a seat.

Congrats to Hanes. For those of you that have a relationship with him that are perhaps more savvy on the politics then reach out to Hanes and let him know you will pick up the phone if he calls asking for input on a topic being discussed or a topic he should raise.

My experience is that government panels and similar groups rarely are a key component in the development of solutions or resolutions but rather offer cover for a decision that was made in isolation by a bureaucrat or politician. The panel gets to rubber-stamp things while getting photo ops with each other and some key government leaders. That is the reality of a system that does not seek nor appreciate input from the common man and woman.

 

[Irrelevant]

I'm probably going to be eating some crow on this. I saw last night CH has an IG post about studying a bunch of material the Joel Webster and TRCP sent him. I never doubted his drive, but did doubt his knowledge, if he "learns up" it stands to benefit all hunters as his platform muy grande.

 

[joelweb]

Good for Cam. I hope he learns a lot from the experience and that he is able to represent hunters in a positive way through this opportunity.

 

[HSi-ESi]

I think it will be a good thing for Cam and for hunters. I've never really been in Cam's demographic audience from a fitness perspective - too much "meathead style" for me personally. I will say that if nothing else, the man has no quit. From reading his early books and articles in Bugle - to his current presence on social media - the transformation is impressive.

I'm not going to compare him to other statesman - BUT - his message is clear and he is open minded. The guy loves pain - so it seems like a good fit to me.

Even though the Chavetz interview wasn't as strong as many wished it to be, the fact that it happened and Hanes reached out to many folks that have more experience in that arena for preparation knowing that it was a weak point for him. I say congrats and I hope he takes full advantage.

 

[dannyb278]

Dang, pretty tough crowd here. Bordering on some sort of litmus test that folks volunteering/asked to serve/represent must reflect our personal views and positions 100% of the time. If that is the case, I doubt any of us will be qualified to serve/represent. It runs the risk of building walls to form such a small tent that it is a tent of one. Not good for the future of hunting.

Maybe it is the nature of forums and the internet, but I worry that the hunting community is too quick to "eat their young." I would hope that folks could hold judgement until there is action to judge. Until such time, I am here to support Cam in any effort he, or others, pursue on behalf of hunting.

Looking at my previous comment maybe I was a bit harsh. Cam does inspire a lot of people both in and out of the hunting world and that makes for a great bridge. God knows he's a extremely accomplished Hunter and maybe this position is totally a symbolic one only. That said, i think some of the concerns here are fair. You're talking about a guy who draws his Fame from social media and in some respects runs his social media much like a 19 year old girl in yoga pants. Harsh yes, but not false.... but maybe I'm just a jealous "hater"

 

[Irrelevant]

And just so we're all on the same page. CH has 423k followers on IG and 280k on FB. To compare, but not diminish in anyway, BF has 35k followers on IG and 57k on FB. Cam has some incredible reach across social media. Through still Joe Rogan dwarfs them both with 2.9 mil on IG and 1.9 on FB.

 

[Zach]

And just so we're all on the same page. CH has 423k followers on IG and 280k on FB. To compare, but not diminish in anyway, BF has 35k followers on IG and 57k on FB. Cam has some incredible reach across social media. Through still Joe Rogan dwarfs them both with 2.9 mil on IG and 1.9 on FB.

If my math is correct, Rinella has 363k on IG and 222k on FB.

A lot of the feedback I see on Cam's IG posts is workout stuff, FWIW.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I may be proven wrong but I don't think this is what we'll be getting with Hanes on the panel.

 

[Irrelevant]

Update for those who don't follow CH on instagram:





Full text from the post above: Today, the second time ever speaking to the Secretary of Interior @repryanzinke, I had so much I wanted to ask him about, articles I've read, opinion pieces, etc., but man I tried to play it cool. I'm not good at biting my tongue though, especially about topics I'm very much invested in like our public lands. Zinke's security detail was driving us out to meet a group of volunteers that we were going to help as they worked on cleaning up a piece of public land outside of Vegas. After about 10 minutes I had to ask, "So, what's the deal with all the National Parks advisors resigning?" I'm new on the job (actually I haven't even started doing anything official as part of the position I was appointed on the International Wildlife Conservation Council, which has nothing to do with public lands BTW), so I figured I don't have anything to lose.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He said that he oversees 200+ committees and being newly chosen as Secretary he simply asked them to write an account of what they accomplished as a council the last two years, what they are working on now and their goals for the next two years. Seems like a reasonable ask for a new boss I said. I'd probably do the same.
All 12 on the council were Obama appointees which probably wouldn't have mattered if they'd have done what was asked. Before he'd sit down with any council or committee he wanted the update so he could get up to speed on their work. They didn't provide it, he didn't meet with them so 9 or 10 of them resigned. He did add that one of them was the former governor of Alaska and if he, or any of them would have picked up the phone and called he would have gladly spoke with them. None of them did he said. Ryan plans on building a diverse group of motivated people to serve on the committee that will make headway and offer advise on how best to manage the National Parks.
They weren't the only committee that didn't provide an update, they were the only one that dramatized it. We also discussed protecting winter migration routes for deer/elk from development, opening landlocked pieces of public land, funding for road/trail maintenance, etc.. Hopefully I'm not fired. Joking. He was easy to talk to.


Full text from the above post: I talked with @repryanzinke at @shotshow and on the drive to the public land clean up project. Besides the question I had concerning the National Parks committee, I took advantage of those opportunities to ask him some other questions weighing on me.
I said that the feeling many sportsmen/conservationists were having is that as stewards of the land, we'd taken a couple hits (oil drilling off the coast, the "shrinking" of the national monuments (arguably scaled back to where they truly should be after Obama's overreach in 2016 and still public), and some hadn't considered any of his recent decisions to be "wins" with regard to public lands.
I said something we could tally in the positive column is important, like protecting mule deer and elk migration routes. This is needed as right now there are no measures in place to make sure traditional migration corridors are recognized and that they remain unobstructed.
If animals can’t move from one range to another (summer to winter) because of expansive development, their populations will decrease and hunting opportunities will also decrease. As we talked about this I felt very encouraged. A policy on conserving big game migration corridors could be Zinke's first clear conservation win for sportsmen.
I also brought up that I'd read and heard a lot about the opportunity to open landlocked public lands through acquisitions and easements, such as purchasing a parcel of private land to open currently inaccessible public lands to all hunters/anglers. The only way this can happen is if there is money to pay for it. We need the Interior Department to advocate for strong funding in the federal budget to open and expand access to currently inaccessible public lands. We also need funding for public lands roads/trails maintenance, and habitat management to boost wildlife populations. The Administration’s budget generally carries a lot of weight with Congress so if he could get behind this it'd be huge. Again, he seemed very supportive and in tune with these needs.
Many people asked what else he and I talked about so I wanted to share. All in all it was an awesome talk. Again, I had a good feeling. He's a do-er for certain.

For those that thought this was a pretty meaningless position, I think it's proving to have a bit more 'Range' than you thought.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Yes, but... he didn't get Zinke to address my concerns about..... Wait for it. Glad to see that Cam is taking advantage of this opportunity to give the kind of input hunters of all political sympathies can support. How effective it will be balanced against the lobby of extraction industries who have the ears of others in the administration remains to be seen, but at least the voice is there.

 

[noharleyyet]

"Why is his thumb so straight"

Brilliant takeaway....

 

[Irrelevant]

Brilliant takeaway....

Hammered it straight, duh

 

[CodyCass]

Obviously it is very difficult to make any solid opinions based on a couple social media posts, but it very much appears that ole CH drinks the kool-aid. I know CH is an extremely accomplished hunter and works hard, but I think he is in over his head here. I hope he is a strong voice for public lands, but he seems more interested in his “brand” than anything else.

 

[Gerald Martin]

but it very much appears that ole CH drinks the kool-aid.

Which flavor? I've seen the "Drill baby, drill!" flavor and the "Hug the trees, Zinke sucks" flavor tab on opposite sides of the ideas/drink dispenser. Is it possible that statements and pejoratives such as "drinking the kool-aid" are nothing more than code words for "I identify myself with the "party" and would rather complain about the dude who identifies with the other party rather than engage him with ideas that challenge his position on issues."

I'm glad to see Joel Webster and the TRCP have been actively engaging Cameron and Zinke with "our" position on issues that matter to us in a non-partisan way. That approach will be more effective at leveraging whatever sliver of access we have into this current administration.

Elected politicians and officials might be effectively coerced into supporting our position by negative pressure based on fear of not being re-elected if they upset too many people. Political appointees and those invited to participate in advisery committees are constrained to working within the framework of whatever serves as current policy and can only influence changes from within.

Cameron's work on his "brand" and the reach and influence he has on his social media audience is what has given him a seat at the table. If he can be encouraged and influenced to support solid conservation practices and those who follow his posts on social media reach out to their elected officials in support of his message, that has potential to be a game changer. I hate to see any opportunity wasted because we'd rather complain than engage.

My posting isn't intended to pile on you CodyCass, I'm just trying to address a general attitude I see reflected in our hunting community, especially among those who preferred the political affiliation of the last administration over the current one.

 

[Ben Lamb]

If Cam is out there pushing the protection of migration corridors, I'm fully on board the Cam train. It's vital work that needs to be done in order to maintain abundant herds of muleys and elk in a lot of the west. Good for him.

 

[Irrelevant]

What I read in those posts indicates to me that CH and I don't share the exact same set of values, and that's ok. I do think he is committed to fish and wildlife conservation and general public land access. He's certainly not a Utah alter boy, which is a very good thing. And his promoting migration corridors and the idea of accessing currently landlocked public lands should be considered wins for everyone. His admission that many of us don't view Zinke's move as "wins" is also good. Even asking the question about the NPS board resignations, a known negative, takes some courage (though I think Zinke's answer is a giant lie).

 

[Elkmagnet]

I messaged Cam a few times when the hb 621 shat was hitting.
He was responsive and open to my thoughts.
If you guys have some tips for him perhaps you should attempt to contact him with your thoughts.
He is at least trying to make a difference and is on our side let's help him keep that path. Hell we can lift him up higher.
Newburg/Hanes 2024! That pendulum just keeps gaining momentum

 

[CodyCass]

My posting isn't intended to pile on you CodyCass, I'm just trying to address a general attitude I see reflected in our hunting community, especially among those who preferred the political affiliation of the last administration over the current one.

Gerald your response to my post was perfect. I can assure you that I am not among those who preferred the political affiliation of the last administration. That being said, I am far from a fan of the current one. Since 2001, when my voting career started, I have never had the pleasure of voting for a winning presidential candidate. Sadly I failed to register when we moved in the summer of 2016 so I sat this last one out. My conservative friends accuse me of being a liberal and my liberal friends say I'm too conservative.

My wife tells me that my sensibilities are quite delicate, but I don't feel you piled it on. I hastily chimed in with a quick jab at someone that I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with on every issue rather than post something that adds value to the conversation. Your post and those that followed did a much better job. I will attempt to match that tact with what follows.

I am glad that we have someone at the table. I am 100% behind CH's comments about migration corridors and happy to see that he has direct access to Zinke. I feel we would be better represented by someone more versed (i.e. Randy or Rinella), but beggars can't be choosers. I don't expect him to pull a "BS" card on Zinke, but I hope he isn't taking his word as the Gospel.

CH has worked extremely hard to build his name and establish his brand, it is what gained him this seat at the table. This table is a different beast than ultra marathons and grueling archery hunts. I hope CH approaches this opportunity with the same level of effort as his other pursuits. I don't expect him to put his new position above his brand, but hopefully he isn't afraid of losing a couple fans by taking up causes that might upset his base.

We should follow Joel's lead and attempt to engage CH to ensure our voices are heard. Additionally, I encourage all of you to sign the Sportsmen's Country Petition.