Zinke expanding sportsman access

[JM77]

I have seen this posted on Facebook on Randy's and BHA's page. Couldn't find it here and I apologize in advance if I missed it.

If I didn't miss it, I guess I'm not surprised either.

http://sportsmenslink.org/the-media...ls-to-expand-sportsmens-access-across-the-u.s

 

[Ben Lamb]

Credit where credit is due. This is deserving of thanks. Especially since the expansion was initially instituted under Obama.

 

[elkduds]

Because I read all this first: https://onyourownadventures.com/hun...g-To-Turn-On-Trump’s-Interior-Secretary/page4

I laughed out loud @ the above article's gist that Zinke is credited w advocating for the Sabinoso Wilderness. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[IlliniFIre]

Ben, I read through the DOI release on the wilderness expansion and there was a comment on pending approval. Do you happen to know if that is Congressional approval or will this project be done solely by the Executive branch? Since any expansion of opportunity is a positive in my mind, I'd hate for this to get derailed. Especially with Bishop having his hands on the Federal Lands subcommittee.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben, I read through the DOI release on the wilderness expansion and there was a comment on pending approval. Do you happen to know if that is Congressional approval or will this project be done solely by the Executive branch? Since any expansion of opportunity is a positive in my mind, I'd hate for this to get derailed. Especially with Bishop having his hands on the Federal Lands subcommittee.

The only entity that can created Wilderness is Congress. Since the NM Delegation is supportive, the bill should be easier to pass than other legislation. The Executive Branch cannot designate Wilderness, and by accepting the donation & the deal, ZInke is hopefully signaling the administrations support as well, which will put Zinke in a bind w/ certain special interests to whom he has been adamantly & vocally opposed to new Wilderness designations.

There is a long way to go in order to pass the bill that establishes this new Wilderness Area, and opening up the Sabinoso. I am hopeful that, since the NRA, SCI, CSF, have also been so vocal about this effort, that they do not let congress bog down an easy win. Time will tell, however.

Still, that does not take away from the good that ZInke has done in continuing the Obama-era program of increasing access for hunting on National WIldlife Refuges, or in his getting out of the way of Sabinoso. He does deserve thanks for those two things.

 

[IlliniFIre]

Thanks, Ben. I took the time then to drop an email to my Rep that is on the Federal Lands subcommittee. Hopefully, with all the support it has there won't be too much grousing from the transfer folks.

 

[cgarner]

Kudos to Zinke!!

 

[3855WIN]

Good to see.

 

[Okbow87]

I have seen this posted on Facebook on Randy's and BHA's page. Couldn't find it here and I apologize in advance if I missed it.

If I didn't miss it, I guess I'm not surprised either.

http://sportsmenslink.org/the-media...ls-to-expand-sportsmens-access-across-the-u.s

I have been watching the last couple of days to see when somebody actually give the guy some credit.

 

[Sytes]

Because I read all this first: https://onyourownadventures.com/hun...g-To-Turn-On-Trump’s-Interior-Secretary/page4

I laughed out loud @ the above article's gist that Zinke is credited w advocating for the Sabinoso Wilderness. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While this may be a sentiment followed by some, I believe you can view this as an opportunity to slam him or... click the "refresh" button. This is a former politician who reasonably represented Montana's outdoor interest - across party lines on many situations and one who publicly bust the Republican platform bubble on land transfer and of the choices, he was picked by Trump to lead the DOI.
Now, while feeling the Republican pressure on the Wilderness... and originally acting as a puppet of the land transfer knuckleheads, I'll share this... I know a few STUBBORN, arrogant and flat out political partisan panzy players on this website that, I'll be damned, would openly change his/her position... This guy, our DOI secretary, did just that. So talk your thoughts though know in the end, he did the right thing... and to that I believe he deserves more of a kudos vs crap-tacular smear talk when some here lack the fortitude to do just what this public figure did for us, the people who enjoy our Wilderness.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Good points, Sytes. I agree. Furthermore, it didn't take him too long to respond in the right way to the Montana input regarding the Missouri River Monument status. Let's hope he continues to try to lean toward the Teddy Roosevelt philosophy.

... However, I don't think he would be a good replacement for Jon Tester, but it appears Zinke is considering running. If he does run, I think it will show political ambition, not public service as his aim.

 

[JM77]

While this may be a sentiment followed by some, I believe you can view this as an opportunity to slam him or... click the "refresh" button. This is a former politician who reasonably represented Montana's outdoor interest - across party lines on many situations and one who publicly bust the Republican platform bubble on land transfer and of the choices, he was picked by Trump to lead the DOI.
Now, while feeling the Republican pressure on the Wilderness... and originally acting as a puppet of the land transfer knuckleheads, I'll share this... I know a few STUBBORN, arrogant and flat out political partisan panzy players on this website that, I'll be damned, would openly change his/her position... This guy, our DOI secretary, did just that. So talk your thoughts though know in the end, he did the right thing... and to that I believe he deserves more of a kudos vs crap-tacular smear talk when some here lack the fortitude to do just what this public figure did for us, the people who enjoy our Wilderness.

This^^^^

I'll be totally honest, I wasn't one bit surprised to not see this article posted on this site. What bothers me about it, is stated above "STUBBORN, arrogant and flat out political partisan panzy players" who in my opinion can't see past the end of their noses on issues we all agree on because it is "the other party" doing the things we want. I'm not afraid to get in the trenches and piss some from my party off either, ask Buzz. No better yet ask Ben Lamb. It doesn't matter to me what the party affiliation is, if we need to take them to task, we do it. If we need to thank them for their help, we do it.

And please, what the hell does Obama have to do with the price of bread these days?

 

[mixedbag]

Lol,I was waiting for someone to post this.I guess the sky isn't falling.Just hope I don't find a big oil rig 12k ft up in my elk spot.You know Zinke must be hiding something,lmao.A few more of these and what will the liberals on this hunting site have to say??Did I say liberals and hunting site in the same sentence

 

[tjones]

This falls into the ol "one atta boy doesn't cancel out all the oh chits"

And mixed bag I know some "liberals" that would hunt circles around you. Just sayin,,,,

 

[Big Fin]

A few more of these and what will the liberals on this hunting site have to say??Did I say liberals and hunting site in the same sentence

In a nutshell, that comment is now more the norm than the exception in the hunting world.

I'm sitting in the Portland airport reading/typing this, having been on the road since I posted the Zinke Sabinoso recognition on my FB page on Thursday. I just now looked at the 61 FB shares of that post and read what comments were on those shares.

Many commenting worded their comments to primarily self-identify as either R or D, Liberal or Conservative, rather than a hunter or public land user. Their manner of responding as a partisan more than a hunter, either by giving Zinke no/grudging recognition, or by ignoring/rationalizing many of the problems Zinke has decided to approach from the side other than that of a hunter, is what is worrisome to me.

I don't really care if people do or don't/won't give recognition. I will, as in order to be effective as an advocate in this arena, I must hold to the position that I am of the "Party of Hunting, Fishing, and Public Access," caring nothing about political affiliations. What does concern me is how hunters seem to be moving from our former approach that we are apolitical on topics dear to us, and moving more toward the established party allegiances when someone does good/bad in the eyes of the established partisan line of thinking.

Yes, when someone "steps in it," they have it coming from the hunters, no matter the issue or their party affiliation. When they do something good, we better be there to thank them and encourage more, or risk any possible chance of recruiting them to our cause. Again, that applies whether they are R or D, Liberal or Conservative.

Viewing these topics and/or other hunters as either Lib/Con and from that lens classifying them an ally/enemy is a terminal path for our issues and for public land hunting. That is the path the fringe on all sides hopes we will take. I hope it is a temptation we can resist more than society in general has been able to resist.

 

[beginnerhunter]

Well said, Randy. I'm actually trying to apply the approach you have outlined to other issues I care about. It's somewhat liberating.

 

[JM77]

Randy nails it^^^

 

[RobG]

I'll give him credit and we are far better off with him there than almost anyone else Trump would pick, but come on, he was standing on a ladder next to the basket. Even so he was fumbling around with the ball and when he finally drops it in some people think he made some sort of hero shot. What exactly was the reason this decision was controversial at all?

And for what it is worth, while I've been called a butt-hurt hippee liberal here, I consider myself independent since I often support Rs

 

[u1299]

I agree with what Randy said especially in giving credit where or when it's due and criticism where and when it's warranted; however I see no future for our public lands, wildlife or hunting and fishing for future generations unless we come to grips with our failure at times to elect folks who are mostly consistent in their support of the causes we care about. I much prefer someone who does right by sportsmen 80% of the time rather than one who only does right by us 20% of the time. This is not a reference to Zinke (at least not at this time) but to any politician on either side of the aisle. I think I do my homework pretty damn well when it comes to voting for those who more often than not support the causes and issues I care most about, and if that means they're all D's R's or a combination so be it. Nothing wrong with being partisan if I determine one party or the other is consistantly supporting issues I support.

 

[Sytes]

I'll give him credit and we are far better off with him there than almost anyone else Trump would pick, but come on, he was standing on a ladder next to the basket. Even so he was fumbling around with the ball and when he finally drops it in some people think he made some sort of hero shot. What exactly was the reason this decision was controversial at all?

And for what it is worth, while I've been called a butt-hurt hippee liberal here, I consider myself independent since I often support Rs

I am not sure we view it the same though you asked the question...
It was not the fumbling around... it was to reverse the arrogance or ignorance he showed in that video clip... that is a person that realized he fudged up and knew it was best to reverse his cruddy dance vs the typical, partisan, "toe the line" mentality...
That to me was not a sloppy hoop shot, that to me takes political balls. Of course political balls these days don't amount to much but amongst politicians...