Indiana Wildlife Federation against HB1265 Canned Hunting

[AGarbers]

Dear IWF Affiliates,

We have an urgent challenge on our hands! State legislators are trying to bring canned hunting to Indiana.

HB1265 Hunting Preserves, is going to be heard in the House Natural Resources Committee this Tuesday, January 24th at 10:30am, Room 156-B in the State House. This bill would legalize canned hunting in Indiana. The Indiana Wildlife Federation and many other conservation groups are strongly opposed to this and hope you will join us in one or all of the following ways:

1. Come to the meeting to testify in opposition on Tuesday, January 24th at 10:30am, or
2. Call your legislator if they are on the Natural Resources Committee (see the committee members in the action alert below), and state your opposition and ask them to vote no, or
3. Call or email Rep. Sean Eberhart, the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, asking him to not hear the bill. Ph 317-234-9499, email h57@in.gov
4. Call the authors of the bill and ask them to withdraw the bill: Rep. Matt Ubelhor at 317-232-9647, Rep Bob Heaton at 317-232-9620, and Rep.Dale Grubb at 317-232-9987.

Please take action personally and also send this email on to your club members if you would like to help in the effort to stop canned hunting in Indiana! This is going to be a tough fight and we need everyone’s voice!

Don’t hesitate to call me if you would like to learn more details.

Sincerely,

Barb

Barbara Simpson
Executive Director
Indiana Wildlife Federation
4715 West 106th Street
Zionsville, IN 46077
317-875-9453 office
317-697-3550 cell
800-347-3445
simpson@indianawildlife.org




HELP US STOP CANNED HUNTING

Canned hunting is back on the General Assembly floor, and we need your help telling your Representatives to vote NO on HB1265: Hunting preserves.​

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Right now, the bill is awaiting a hearing in the House Committee on Natural Resources. If your representative serves on the committee, please email or call him/her today!​

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Here are the Committee on Natural Resources members with district numbers:​

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Rep. Bacon (75), Rep. Battles (64), Rep. Cheatham (69), Rep. Cherry (53), Rep. Dembowski (17), Rep. Dodge (51), Rep. Eberhart(57), Rep. Grubb (42), Rep. Heaton (46), Rep. Karickhoff (30), Rep. Pflum (56), Rep. Saunders (54), Rep. Ubelhor (62).​

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Click on a Rep's name to send an email.​

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Don't know who your Representative is? Find his/her name here.​

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Use our message below, or create your own.​

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Dear Representative _________:​

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In addition to violating hunters' ethical standards by eliminating fair chase and the long held tenet that wildlife are held in trust by the state and managed for all citizens,"hunting preserves" threaten the health of Indiana's wild deer herd.​

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Confined to the fenced-in area, deer easily contract and spread devastating diseases, such as Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Bovine Tuberculosis. TB was found in deer enclosures in southern Indiana in 2009 despite the best efforts of state agencies to prevent it.​

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As CWD spreads, costs add up: the state must implement surveilance programs, de-populate contaminated herds, and areas must be quarantined to contain the disease, costing millions of dollars. In most cases funds to pay for disease management must be diverted from existing wildlife programs.​

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Negative economic impacts are strongly felt in states where CWD is present. For example, Wisconsin DNR reports spending approximately $5 million annually to manage the disease.​

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Unhealthy or dead deer mean less hunting, which means less support for Indiana's economy. Deer hunting in Indiana contributes over $400 million annually and supports more than 2300 jobs.​

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Please consider the negative effects hunting preserves have on Indiana's wildlife, economy, and cherished pastimes. Please, vote NO HB1265.​

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