Public land sale withdrawal from bill a big win for conservationists

Looking up and seeing the Blue Angels diamond flying overhead just when getting ready to call for a pair of clays at a 5-Stand station is hard to beat. Kind of makes you break out with goose bumps from the beauty of it all. We all just stood and watched them fly by. That and the thrower wouldn’t have been able to hear anyone call for the pair until they passed by.

That hallmark blue on those impressive jets with the solo pilots making steep sharp banks in the background. The sounds of freedom certainly rang out loud and clear at the Eau Claire Rod and Gun Club last Saturday. The club plays the national anthem at the start of events, making the whole thing even more fitting. Especially for a shoot to raise funds for conservation.

The shoot raises funds that stay local and for habitat projects in the greater Chippewa Valley area, some of which are hunted by several hunters from our area each fall. Organized by the Chippewa Valley Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society, all the money goes into land that the public can hunt and access.

That the public can hunt and access – worth repeating.

We enjoyed a beautiful day – shooting clays, the Blue Angels, good food, good drink, and camaraderie. But an uneasy feeling hung in the air. We raised money for conservation projects and enjoyed ourselves. Much needed, because before a project can take place someone needs to raise the funds to do it. But if that land ceases to be accessible and available – would there even be a reason?

We all knew that the final hours of the senate’s version of the budget bill still contained Sen. Mike Lee’s pandering to the oil and gas industry and paying for it by selling 3 million acres of public lands.

When we woke up on Sunday morning, we found texts and messages in our e-mail that Lee withdrew his proposal. He tried to sell it as land for “affordable housing” instead of the real reasons: grift and payoffs. His withdrawal statements made it sound like it was his idea to withdraw the proposal for righteous reasons – no one believed that either.

The reason he withdrew his proposal stems from the action of people like us. One national conservation group divulged the numbers of emails, text, and phone calls their members generated on this to the senate exceeded 130,000. Over 33,000 in the last 24 hours. Another credible conservation voice, that played a key role in keeping hunters and fishers informed, told us that a couple senate offices estimated the messages sent to senators exceeded a half million messages. That was two weeks ago. Normally a thousand or so messages create tidal waves in Washington. A half million messages. Senator Lee clearly was willing to die on that hill. The point here, hunters and fishers were heard. Hunters and fishers were joined by people who enjoy outdoor pursuits like the off-roading – several who also hunt and fish. Many of the companies and industry leaders of the brands we all use to plan, prepare for, participate in, and enjoy after the hunt also spoke out, some quietly and some not so quietly to their senators, many that they support in elections. Might have been a couple of those people at this shoot. This won’t soon be forgotten by most politicians. Sen. Mike Lee has said that this isn’t the end. His fingerprints can be found on every challenge to public lands for over a decade. Wall Street investment firms and foreign countries – mainly China, were lining up to buy those lands. Lands that Senator Lee said were “inaccessible” and of little value. Then why did they want them? Because they are of little value? Because they just want to throw money away?

This story goes on. Yet on the day following this shoot and the victory this battle that hunters and fishers won, the Blue Angels flew over that same ground spreading the noise of freedom for all to hear again.

I headed out for some fishing. Caught a few fish. Did better that a nephew who spent the whole morning fishing and only caught three bullheads. I told them they are delicious smoked or deep fried. I reminded him that a slow day fishing beats a great day at work any day.

A fitting victory around the Independence Day of our nation.

Wishing you a Happy and Safe Fourth of July.

THROUGH A