Other than an assortment of pre Black Friday sale ads, I received two pieces of mail today. One was a letter from Backcountry Hunters and Anglers telling of their top Accomplishments of 2016 and the importance of the work they are doing to help keep Public Lands Public. They also asked for an end of the year donation to help in their work. This is a group that, like many of you, I fully support and believe in. I have been a member for the last two years and plan on buying two more memberships for my hunting buddies as Christmas gifts this year. The other piece of mail was from Sportsman for Fish and Wildlife to remind me of their upcoming money grab in Utah this February. I have no idea how they got my name and address, as I try to refrain from making purchases from companies that support them. A quick google search revealed that the Expo raised $6 million last year. If the Utah Fish and Game only got to keep 30% of the proceeds and SFW received the remaining 70% as was reported. That is a pretty sweet little fundraiser they got going to help push their land grab agenda. BHA has their work cut out for them if they are trying to match SFW in the fundraising realm. So much for a level playing field. It is like watching Alabama playing Little Sisters of the Poor in football. This will be one game I am rooting for the underdog.
O' the Irony
- Thread starter Sawtooth
- Start date
Ben Long
Well-known member
On behalf of Little Sisters of the Poor, I thank you for your support. I wouldn't sell the Little Sisters short! Passion counts for a lot in this game.
Josh Kuntz
Member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2013
- Messages
- 184
It's not about having the biggest army (or bank account) it's about having the smartest, best trained and most passionate and persistent army. As far as I can tell, that is what BHA is recruiting and building.
Josh,
I agree with you 100%. Bank account is only a part of the battle. Like Ben and you both state, passion counts a lot in this game. I would also include continued education of the masses. Most people I talk with about the Public Land issue are not even aware that they are under attack. Most of these individuals spend several days or weeks in the National Forests every year camping, hiking, hunting, or participating in other activities. These people need to join the discussion, but won't if they are not educated in the issues at hand. I would love to see the BHA put together an ad campaign just before the Labor Day Weekend or the Fourth of July asking the general public what their vacation would be like without the Public Lands to recreate in. Unfortunately, ad campaigns of any size cost money. Maybe some of those businesses that sell Outdoor Recreation Equipment could help fund such a campaign.
Bingo! Their are a ton of companies that make their living in the outdoor industry; those that make tents, packs, rafts, mtn bikes etc. and I see few if any of them really speaking out on behalf of our public lands. They have a huge user base and need to be recruited to the cause of keeping public lands in public hands.
