Conservation Alabama is an article written by Jerry D. Davis, Chief Executive Officer and one of the principle founders of the Alabama Waterfowl Association. Also, serves as Board of Director on the North American Waterfowl Federation. Serve as publicity director for the Alabama / Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association. AWA are members of the Southeast Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA).
This Saturday September 2, 2000 was opening day of goose season. It also kicked off the hunting season for the 2000/2001 season.
I have hunted almost all of my 45 years. My father and grandfathers taught me how to hunt. Being an avid sportsman, I have a strong interest in protecting the rights of some of our nation's best conservationists - hunters.
The focus of this column is the Hunting Heritage Protection Act. If passed, this bill will serve as a vital role in protecting the rights and traditions of hunters while promoting conservation.
Much of my younger days were spent fishing for bluegill and crappie in the Delta and squirrel and deer hunting on my grandparents' farms in the hills of Jackson and Limestone counties. Through hunting and other outdoor activities, we gain a great respect for our natural world and some of the practices needed to protect and improve the wildlife resources we enjoy.
Congressman Chip Pickering of Mississippi said it best when he stated, "They [my children] learn values that many other children who are not exposed to hunting and the outdoors don't have the opportunity to learn. My children understand the importance of conservation, preservation and enhancement. Perhaps even more importantly during this day and age, they learn firearm safety and develop respect for their weapons. I consider these indispensable values that young people cannot learn in any other forum."
The Hunting Heritage Protection Act, which was recently introduced in Congress, was co-authored by Congressman Pickering. It recognizes our nation's rich and valuable hunting heritage and aims to pass that legacy on to future generations by protecting and preserving the rights of those individuals interested in hunting.
Those individuals who share this interest number over 14 million. Most of these 14 million Americans are also avid conservationists who, like me, care deeply about our natural resources and how to protect, restore and enhance them. Since the time of President Theodore Roosevelt, the father of the conservation movement, anglers and hunters have been the foremost supporters of practicing sound fish and wildlife management.
Upon introducing the bill, Congressman Pickering concluded his testimony by stating, "It is crucial that the tradition of hunting is protected and that the valuable contributions that hunters have made to conservation be recognized and rewarded. The Hunting Heritage Protection Act does just that. The bill formalizes a policy by which the Federal government will support, promote and enhance recreational hunting opportunities, as permitted under State and Federal law." We feel sure the Alabama Senators and Congressmen feel the same way.
Conservation Alabama Archive