4-18 SS Ducks

 Sportsmen can kind of breathe a sigh of relief.

Several national and Montana sportsmen groups were deeply concerned about proposed funding cuts to conservation and wildlife management programs that they felt threatened hunting and fishing access and opportunity.

Representatives from prominent sportsmen groups held a tele news conference several weeks ago to answer  questions and offer their unique perspective on the proposed budget cuts included in HR 1, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on February 19, 2011.

Dale Hall, CEO of Ducks Unlimited Inc  was quoted as saying “Finding ways to reduce the massive federal deficit simply must be done. But in doing so, let’s make sure to support those federal investments that pay for themselves several times over — and be critical of those that are truly wasteful. Here is Ducks Unlimited spokesperson, Jodi Stemmler: “ Operating from the point of view of our rage before certainly. Operating now under the recognition that our programs were not sliced, they all received somewhere in the neighborhood of a 30% reduction, it’s still a cut, it’s still problematic,  but we ended up better and I think the cause of concern before at least a rallying cry was heard.”