California Trappers and Hunters Fighting Back and Need Your Help
By Toby Trigger

Posted: October 4, 2015

Montana isn’t the only state with Rogue government officials abusing their positions to flight anti-sportsmen agendas.

The Director of the California Trappers Association (CTA)  Mercer D. Lawning is fighting back along with the Sportsmen’s Alliance and groups like SCI.  In a letter to supporters of the CTA Lawning writes:

On August 5th our Fish and Game commission voted 3-2 to ban bobcat trapping statewide as a way to implement the provisions of the bill passed two years ago.  With many other options on the table politics and bias prevailed.

A discouraging blow to say the least but we are not ready to give up yet and have some options.

The direction we have chosen to take is to re-petition the commission with compliance to CEQA ( California Environmental Quality Act) as the centerpiece      of our request.  CEQA is a very complicated doctrine and an entire industry (attorneys)  exists here because of it.  We feel fairly confident that we can    create enough of an issue to stall the regulations allowing trapping this season and buy us some time to further develop our argument.  Should the commission refuse our re-petition we intend to enter litigation.

Following the meeting in August I had a conference call with the CA office of Sportsman’s Alliance and they vowed to do whatever is necessary including litigation to show this rogue commission that they can’t continue to run over us.  Additionally we have been receiving advice from Safari Club and it looks like they will be able to assist should litigation be necessary. They (SCI) cannot get involved if the issue were solely commercial use but since the proposed regs. disallow all take under a trapping license (hunting) they believe they will be able to become officially involved.

So we will be sending in a re-petition request tomorrow, 9/23/2015 and expect that it will be heard at the October commission meeting.  If they accept the re-petition then I would estimate we would need to formally present at the December meeting.  At that point we will need to hire a CEQA attorney if we are going to present an effective argument.

In order to continue our contract with our lobbyist, hire an attorney to help prepare our re-petition argument and be able to through some funds into the pot should litigation follow I would like to request a donation for our cause.
All monies previously sent have been exhausted solely on our contract with our lobbyist.  All my time and any other members time and travel
expense has been completely out of pocket and will continue that way. 

Any support would be appreciated.  Checks can be mailed to: 

Reid Aiton PO Box 1339 Blue Lake, CA 95525

Electronic donations can be received via Pay Pal on the
CTA website: californiatrappers.com                      

Sincerely,

Mercer D. Lawing

Director, California trappers association

 

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