Report: Attack being made on Sportsmens Funds

[feathhd]

Folks contact Kraig Paulsen and tell him to remove page 10 from the Iowa Tax Payer Relief Act. Tell him Sportsmen's Constitutionally protected Fish & Wildlife Trust Fund has absolutely Nothing to do with the states General Revenues Fund. The present economic status of the states general revenues and overall state budget is Exactly why the Iowa Sportsmen long ago made sure that their sporting dollars generated from license sale, stamp sales and permit sales were kept separate from the states general revenues funds. We knew that in an economic down turn that if our sporting dollars where tied to the states general revenues fund that we could watch our limited revenues get sucked up into the states budget short falls and that solutions to that problem could in fact deprive us sportsmen of our revenues to do what must be done to save , restore or enhance Iowa Habitat. The measure we took as sportsmen protected our revenues from being sucked up into state budget shortfalls so that we even in bad times could in fact continue to invest our limited resources back into the Iowa landscape to enhance our habitat conditions and certainly provide greater recreational opportunities.

As I read one of the weekly new letters that I get from Senators & Representatives in DM which was Kraig Paulsens report I found a few things that struck me and should help you as the sportsmen " Make your Voices Heard" loud and clear. Folks this is all about keeping our constitutionally Protected sporting revenues Free of Big Government Control. Page 10 of the Tax Payer Relief Act is nothing more than Big Brother trying to take Control over how we as sportsmen spend our resources. Remember our conservation programs where set up to do specific things for our way of life and if we let them take control, WE will not be able to do a dam thing to stem the tide of wide spread habitat loss in this state as the proposal on page 10 is all inclusive in it's words. " Any Agreement " other statements such as " 100% reduction in land acquisition" Is this what we want as sportsmen? Is this why we set up our sportsmen's funds the way we did? Are you going to let them take control over our revenues? Send the message folks as this proposal is moving fast and if we loose our ability as sportsmen to invest our resources onto the Iowa landscape just Who will be the one to benefit? You or the things we have been combating our whole lives? Read the News brief as I only took a portion of it as a means to help you make your Opinions Known.

Many of the ideas in the Taxpayers First Act came directly from Iowans. As this bill moves through the process, we continue our efforts to hear from Iowans. Next week there will be a public hearing held on Tuesday, January 18th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the House chamber. To sign up to speak on the bill, feel free to call [phone].


I would like to encourage you to continue to email or call me with your thoughts or ideas. You can reach me at [e-mail] or [phone].

Folks please dont forget to even contact your legislature on the issue. We cannot allow ourselves to loose control over how we are to invest Our Sportsmens Funds and let Big G tell us what we can do and cant do. If we dont stop this portion of the proposal we will be in serious trouble trying to restore our control over our own funds.

Thanks
Bill Smith
Iowa Sportsmen

[cooner61]

What exactly are "constitutionally protected sporting revenues?" I will contact Kraig and I will offer my support for what he is attempting to do, and that is my constitutionally protected right. Thanks for the update.

[feathhd]

Here is some information as to how you may help influence the battle to save your ability to use your sporting revenues to continue to put habitat and more opportunities on the ground as it always has. You can e mail your written comments ,to be sent to the Legislative Information Office at: [e-mail]

Let them know that as an Iowa Sportsmen that you do not support the proposal that is on page 10 of the tax payer relief act that is to prohibit our IDNR from any new lands or prohibit them from any agreement where real property may be acquired. The only opportunity we have under page 10 to generate more opportunities is if the land is donated to the IDNR. Here is the Constitutional Amendment that protects and describes how your sporting revenues are to be utilized.
Amendment of 1996

[44] Article VII of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is amended by adding the following new section:

Fish and Wildlife Protection Funds. SECTION 9. All revenue derived from state license fee for hunting, fishing, and trapping, and all state funds appropriated for, and federal or private funds received by the state for, the regulation or advancement of hunting, fishing, or trapping, or the protection, propagation, restoration, management, or harvest of fish or wildlife, shall be used exclusively for the performance and administration of activities related to those purposes.



Here is the Tax Payer Relief Act Proposal that is on page 10 that will stomp your 1996 constitutional amendment into the mud and prohibit you as sportsmen from utilizing your resources for the designed purpose in said 1996 amendment.

Reduce the Department of Natural Resources land acquisition for FY 2011 by 100 percent of unencumbered appropriation. This is what they put in the Proposed Bill.


DIVISION IV
25 AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
E 0001-01-01 26 Sec. 21. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES —— REAL PROPERTY
27 ACQUISITION CURTAILED.
28 1. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, for the
29 period beginning on the effective date of this section through
30 the close of the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2011, the
31 department of natural resources shall not enter into a new
32 arrangement to acquire or otherwise control real property.
33 2. For the purposes of this section, “new arrangement” means
34 an obligation entered into on or after the effective date of
35 this section. An obligation includes but is not limited to
-10-
LSB 1319YC (53) 84
tm/jp 10/58
D R A F T
H.F. _____
1 an agreement, contract, lease-purchase arrangement, or any
2 other instrument leading to state ownership or control of real
3 property that was not previously owned or controlled by the
4 state. “New arrangement” does not include a real property
5 acquisition or control project for which an appropriation to
6 the department was encumbered prior to the effective date of
7 this section.
8 3. This section, being deemed of immediate importance,
9 takes effect upon enactment.

PS. I hope everyone can send an e-mail or 2 over this vital issue. It is point critical that we protect our Fish & Wildlife Trust Fund.