Crisis
Center > Action Alert: > June,
2003
STOP SUNDAY HUNTING IN DELAWARE
Representative
John Atkins has sponsored a dangerous bill - HB 160. If passed
into law, this bill would allow landowners to give permission to
hunters to kill animals on their property on Sunday afternoons. We
urge anyone with an interest in the outdoors, and human and animal
safety to contact their elected representatives and urge them to
vote "no" on HB 160.
On Sundays during the autumn months, families can enjoy safe outings
to wooded parks, sometimes with Rover, without the threat of armed
individuals lurking
nearby. Many Delaware residents ride bicycles, photograph wildlife, hike,
camp and otherwise use the woods all year long. Sunday hunting would
put their safety in jeopardy. Similar bills in other states have
been opposed by groups that represent the hiking, camping, wildlife watching,
and religious communities. HB 106 would also put undue strain on Delaware
taxpayers who will be forced to pay wildlife police to ensure that hunting
laws are not violated.
It is no surprise that the wildlife management division of the Delaware
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) seeks
to expand hunting
opportunities to Sundays. By giving recreational hunters another day
to ply their bloody craft, the DNREC hopes that more people will be exposed
to hunting and will take up the practice. The DNREC encourages greater
participation in hunting because game managers' salaries are paid for through
the sale of hunting licenses. The Division artificially increased the
size of the deer herd so as to create a "need" to control the
population through hunting. The larger the deer herd is kept, the more
licenses can be sold and the more revenue can be raised. This is the
reality of wildlife management as practiced by the DNREC. It has everything
to do with money.
WHAT
YOU MUST DO
Contact
your representative and urge him or her to vote "NO" on
HB 160, the Sunday hunting bill. You can write to your representative
at:
Name of Senator/Representative
P.O. Box 1401
Legislative Hall
Dover, DE 19903
Representatives
can be reached by phone:
House
Republicans Receptionist: (302) 744-4171
House Democrats Receptionist: (302) 744-4291
If you
do not know who your legislators are it is possible to find out by
contacting the election department in your county. Please be able
to provide your name and your place of residence and you will be
provided with the Senate and House district in which you live. The
phone numbers for the election departments are:
New
Castle County: (302) 577-3464
Kent County: (302) 739-4498
Sussex County: (302) 856-5367
HB 160 is
dangerous and unnecessary legislation that must not be made into
law. For more information regarding the practices of state
game agencies, please visit our website at: www.all-creatures.org/cash or
call (845) 256-1400.
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