"There isn't a legislator worth his salt that wouldn't be paying attention to the local hunters and fishermen in their state," said Sen. John Warner (R-VA) at a press conference yesterday on Capitol Hill. What message were hunters and anglers delivering?

Pass strong legislation that addresses global warming and protects fish and game species from a changing climate.

More than 670 hunting and fishing organizations representing all 50 states signed their names to a letter urging Congress to pass legislation that cuts global warming pollution 2% per year.

Yesterday's press conference, which marked the delivery of this letter, was attended by dozens of hunters and anglers, including Simon Roosevelt (T.R.'s great-great grandson) and David Crockett (Davy's great-great-great grandson). Sen Warner and Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) also made statements in support of sportsmen's efforts.

The hunters and anglers who flew in for the event are today on Capitol Hill, meeting with their Members of Congress to lobby for the Lieberman-Warner Climate Stewardship Act and other strong 2% legislation. 

• Download the full-page ad that ran in yesterday's USA Today (pdf).
• Read the sign-on letter
• What organizations signed on?
• Press release

Check out a video from the first carbon-neutral fishing tournament in Miami, FL. Everything from boat bags, banquets, hotels, air fare, trips to dock, boat fuel, etc. is being factored into the final carbon footprint calculation and offset with "climate mitigation credits." These credits will capture methane gas from dairy farms and convert it into electricity, effectively balancing out the event's greenhouse gas emissions.



YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K20_jHLMu4

More than 600 prominent scientists from across the United States are calling on Congress to pass legislation that will curb America’s global warming pollution and help protect wildlife and other natural resources threatened by global warming.

“The science is irrefutable not only about the reality of climate change, but also that plant and animal species are already being harmed by it,” said Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, renowned conservation biologist and president of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment. “Alarming effects are already being observed in nature from mountaintops to the oceans, and from the equator to the polar regions. We have the choice to allow these effects to intensify or to move to avoid the more disastrous consequences for life on earth.”

The signers are hoping to convey to Congress “our sense of urgency. Global warming is already causing serious damage and disruptions to wildlife and ecosystems, and reliable projections call for significant additional damage and disruptions. To fulfill the nation’s longstanding commitment to conserving abundant wildlife and healthy ecosystems for future generations, Congress must craft legislation that greatly reduces global warming pollution and generates substantial dedicated funding to protect and restore wildlife and ecosystems harmed by global warming.”

Learn more about the Scientist Sign-on Letter

Get this, the first billfish tournament of 2008 is also the first fishing tournament to go carbon neutral. The Sailfish Tournament launches from Miami Beach, next week, January 10-13.

Everything from boat bags, banquets, hotels, air fare, trips to dock, boat fuel, etc. will be factored into the final carbon footprint calculation and offset with "climate mitigation credits." These credits will capture methane gas from dairy farms and convert it into electricity, effectively balancing out the event's greenhouse gas emissions.

Marina owners and dockside fuel providers will also be offering carbon credits for only 9 cents per gallon. These credits will be traded with producers of renewable energy such as wind and solar power providers.

The National Wildlife Federation, Florida Wildlife Federation and Environmental Defense teamed up with a number of great "Environmental Sponsors" to fund 100% of the tournament, which celebrates the long-standing tradition of off-shore angling and leads the way in combating climate change.

For more information about the Sailfish Tournament and its sponsors please visit www.thesailfishtournament.com

Eric Orff is a lifelong sportsman who spent 31 years as a New Hampshire Fish and Game Certified Wildlife Biologist before joining up with the National Wildlife Federation as our New Hampshire outreach consultant. Eric recently had a hunter-to-hunter talk with presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on global warming.

Check it out:

Twenty-seven hunters and anglers from 12 states flew in to Capitol Hill this week for a National Wildlife Federation hunter-angler lobby event. After two days and nearly 100 lobby visits (including a few personal meetings with Members of Congress), we can chalk this up as a big sucess.

Watch a video from the day.

Three representatives who are not currently signed on to strong global warming bills voiced their support for doing so. Congressional staffers also heard strong support for the inclusion of dedicated funding in these bills that helps fish and game species adapt to a warming climate.

A few notables...

• David Crockett, former Chattanooga City Council president and descendent of legendary American frontiersman Davy Crockett.
• Brett Fitzgerald, a former Special Forces paratrooper and current Florida Snook Federation board member.
• Carol Rose of Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a regular brook trout fisher in Michigan's Tahquamenon River.
• David Stoney, Jr., PhD, Director, Kitchen Table Climate Study Group, McClellanville, SC.

Thanks to all of the ground troops, who represented Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

In Yellowstone Park this year, hundreds of dead and dying fish have been found, their deaths blamed on a heat wave and decreased stream flows. Montana officials have restricted fishing on seven rivers because of high temperatures and low flows.

Read this article to learn more.

From the Iowa City Press Citizen:

Global warming may conjure up images of penguins and ice caps in Antarctica, but the “Hunting, Fishing and Global Warming” presentation shows locals that climate change applies to mid-western ducks and marshes as well.

The hour-long presentation, hosted by the National Wildlife Federation and Iowa Wildlife Federation, takes place Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Izaak Walton League Lodge at 4044 Izaak Walton Road, SE.

Read

For our Michigan readers, here is some information on an event we're hosting in Lansing on Thursday.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs will help host a day-long meeting on Thursday to inform and train sportsmen to campaign against global warming. The controversial issue came to the fore for sportsmen last year when a nationwide survey of licensed hunters and anglers indicated that a majority said they were witnessing the effects of climate change and felt that immediate action was necessary to combat the phenomenon.

CBS has a great overview of the Outdoor Writers Association of America meeting that took place in Roanoke, VA last week. Highlights:

The conversation about hunters and greens working together, last year bubbling below the surface, was front and center this year. Global warming is now an accepted premise -- a part of landscape in which other conversations about conservation take place.

Ducks Unlimited has been working with National Wildlife Federation to inform its members about the potential effects of climate change.

Climate change is driving species to higher latitudes and elevations.