My point is why are they letting this stuff out. AR people can make any control acitvity look bad.
WS high profile is making all control work look bad, when it is not.

As far a AR group, I didnt think FoX News was considered one....?

You are right that this shouldn't have been let out, that is why this employee should have been quickly fired, but as you know being
a former fed yourself, the govt. can't simply fire someone in short order any more than so many corporations find themselves having
to decide how to do it right and legal.

I'm not saying Fox news is an AR group, lets be clear, the article is written as AR fodder and it wholeheartedly supports the AR agenda
thus putting it up is adding one more link for AR folks to find and read, so I consider it propaganda for them as I would assume most
others would as well.

My point again, is that there are a ton of folks making this stuff front page on their facebook, youtube and forums every day, they may
not have a govt. uniform but the AR folks ultimately will take from anywhere.

Here in my state, there is a massive push to get rid of calling contests and trapping on public land, and so on. Do you think they care
where the media pics and videos come from?

No they don't as long as it furthers their message. In the last week I've been sent by local advocates for wildlife probably 5 different
cases of dogs dying in sets in the states. These are all front page news and have nothing to do with the govt.

AR movement is the only one benefitting from this particular article, I don't think it fits with the rest of your posts about how much
funding is being lost and how much we need them gone to have better nwco businesses. Those posts are on track with your pattern
and where you want to go, this one is not.

Sorry.

Justin, Animal Rights is a really funny thing. The Animal Rights people that make the big bucks, are only interested in the big bucks. ( I really feel that these people should be horsewhipped ) The people that are truly sincere about Animal Rights and support this ideology are people that usually have either had a hard time associating with other people or have been taken advantage of by other people.

Most every one of us that has been in business for a while has met at least one of these supporters. This is where an intelligent conversation ( without criticism ) and not overcharging ( just because you don't agree ) can have a lasting effect.

Hundreds of family pets, protected species killed by little known federal agency

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/13/hun.../#ixzz2NTeiF7fo

Finally....

New Ellenton Mayor Vernon Dunbar said senior residents are particularly bothered by the menacing-looking birds.

Hey Paul, I caught it for you. Do vultures bother you yet?

How much money is USDA wildlife service getting to compete against you?
Find out here....
http://www.openthebooks.com/

Budget Cuts:

On March 2, the White House Office of Management and Budget released a report detailing how much will be cut from each agency.
•U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: $127 million ◦$64 million from Resource Management
◦$5 million from Construction
◦$1 million from Multinational Species Conservation Fund
◦$21 million from Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration
◦$1 million from National Wildlife Refuge Fund
◦$2 million from Migratory Bird Conservation Account
◦$2 million from Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation
◦$2 million from North American Wetlands Conservation Fund
◦$3 million from State Wildlife Grants
◦$23 million from Sport Fish Restoration

No lets not cut any money from foreign add that we have been pouring billions into for years. Send more fighter jets to Syria at around 26 million each.

Scott Steckel on the Importance of the PESTT Act

http://www.pctonline.com/Steckel-PESTT-Act-video-interview.aspx

some good news

http://www.capitalpress.com/content/SE-wolf-funding-041913

Perhaps those of you from Idaho should E-mail the man and let him know you're available. I'm sure there are an army of ranchers telling him how much they disapprove.

Goose work in ny

http://mamaroneck.dailyvoice.com/news/got-geese-usda-egg-oiling-prevent-hatching-mamaroneck

http://www.htrnews.com/article/20130507/...?nclick_check=1

Gull work

Late yesterday, the House Agriculture Committee approved its version of the Farm Bill. During the markup of the legislation the Committee addressed the issue of USDA's Wildlife Services competing with the private sector for urban rodent control.

Specifically, Congressman Kurt Schrader of Oregon filed an amendment to the Farm Bill similar to the language of the Pest Elimination Services Transparency & Terminology or PESTT Act - legislation aimed at limiting USDA competition with the private sector for rodent, nuisance birds and wildlife in urban and suburban areas - areas in which private sector options are plentiful. The PESTT Act and Congressman Schrader's amendment served as an impetus for Wildlife Services' officials to meet with NPMA staff to negotiate the defining of the term "urban rodent control" - a type of work the Agency's authorizing statute does not permit it to perform.

During yesterday's Committee markup of the Farm Bill Congressman Schrader offered and withdrew his amendment and Congressman Schrader and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma announced to the Committee that NPMA and Wildlife Services had reached agreement on the definition of the term "urban rodent control." Attached is a letter submitted to the record outlining the agreement and pasted below is the definition NPMA negotiated with Wildlife Services.

NPMA will continue working with Congressman Schrader and Austin Scott and Wildlife Services to codify and implement the definition.

For the purposes of activities authorized under the Act of December 22, 1987
(7 U.S.C. 426c), the term "urban rodent control" shall mean actions to
directly control mice, rats, voles, squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, woodchucks,
and groundhogs in a city or town with a population greater than 50,000
inhabitants and the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such a city or
town, except actions involving: (1) federal agencies; (2) government entities
engaged in a cooperative service agreement with APHIS to provide direct
control of rodents as of October 1, 2013; (3) a state in which direct control of
the rodent species has been expressly authorized by state law, rulemaking, or
a local jurisdiction's ordinance promulgated by public notice and an
opportunity for public comment or as otherwise promulgated as required and
authorized by the respective state or local law; and (4) railways and airport
air sides areas. APHIS will refer all requests for operational assistance with
"urban rodent control" from private entities such as home and business
owners and associations to the private sector.

What is missing here that is either a rodent or mistaken as rodent?

Beaver, Porcupine and if they are gonna use the word gopher they must also use the mole species too. A gopher can mean many species in different parts of the country from a ground squirrel, to a chipmunk and what we call Sandy Mounders here gopher - the pocket gophers. The law remaims too vague with out the scientific names and open to abuse by USDA WS.

I wonder if Beaver was an oversight or a over the table agreement that will hurt thousands of private beaver trappers across the US.

That 50,000 population guideline is gonna put a big hurt on most WCO's . If you think about it this laws creates the ability for USDA WS to expand and not decrease their predatory activities.

This is not good news.

Just my thoughts?

Beaver was NOT and oversite. I was told today that Beaver, Muskrat and Nutria make tens of millions for Wildlife Services so they would not agree to this. I would prefer that this MOU not be signed at all. It would be better to fight and loose then to give them anything that amounts to pass. I am not surprised by this. I also think this will hurt any relations between associations and non-members of either major association. What is needed is a state by state voter approved removal of WS ability to take our work.
Until all trappers, sportsmen, pest controllers and WCO's get thier act together that will never happen.
Don LaFountain
PS my information came streight from Gean Harrington of NPMA this morning.