ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS
we have another work day planned for March 28th
from 8 am to 1 pm. This is a great way to get your work hours in.
Please set aside that day for the club. If you plan on being there
please email either Tom Costa Lrgncharge@aol.com or Gary Richard
grichard03@snet.net to let us know.
Thanks for your support.
As of today, March 20th, North Goshen Pond is closed
to ice fishing for the season. The pond will re-open in the spring
for warm water fishing. If you have already received this notification,
we apologize. But the e-mailing lists are being updated to reflect
new members who joined the Fish & Game at the March meeting.
Members:
I am forwarding to you a message sent out by Jason Marshall, the
vice president of the NW CT Sportsmen's Council, of which the Fish
& Game is a member. Jason's message includes an e-mail from
Bob Crook, who is the principal lobbyist on behalf of sportsmen
in the State.
The ongoing budget mess in Hartford has made the State desperate
to take in revenue from any source that it can, while cutting programs
like the pheasant stocking program which are not viewed as "politically
correct". As Jason states, doubling the cost of a hunting/fishing
license will only discourage people from buying licenses. Given
the nature of the very blue state that we live in, it wouldn't surprise
me if this isn't part of an overall strategy to do away with public
hunting in the future. Be that as it may. It is urgent that you
contact your local representatives immediately and voice your opposition
to the proposed cuts. The future of hunting in CT is hanging in
the balance.
Joe
Notice to all Sportsmen:
Your urgent response is required. You need to call the Governor's
office and your legislators immediately. The demise of the pheasant
program is at risk and needs to be addressed immediately due to
the fact that the pheasant farms need to be contracted in the next
month to be able to supply birds for the fall hunting season. Cutting
the pheasant program won't help with the state budget because the
license and tag fees self support the pheasant program.
You also need to urge the Governor's office and legislators to not
get rid of the Conservation fund thus putting ALL license fees and
funds into the general fund.
Doubling the license and tag fees are outrageous and will in effect
cut revenues from hunters and fishermen due the fact that they will
lose sportsmen not buying or cutting back on tags and licenses.
When calling the Governor's office or legislators, state your name
and town you live in. Be polite and refrain from being emotional.
It is very important that you act right away on this matter. For
more detail on these proposed bills, read below.
Regards,
Jason Marshall
President, N.W.Ct Sportsmen's Assoc.
H.B. No. 6457 (RAISED) PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY. 'AN ACT CONCERNING
THE REGULATION OF FIREARMS AND THE LICENSING OF BAIL ENFORCEMENT
AGENTS, PROFESSIONAL BONDSMEN AND SURETY BAIL BOND AGENTS', to require
gun show promoters to notify the Commissioner of Public Safety of
any planned gun show; to mandate annual firearms safety refresher
courses for bail enforcement agents, professional bondsmen and surety
bail bond agents; to require that certain firearms20and criminal
justice course instructors be approved by the Commissioner of Public
Safety; to provide an exemption to the offenses of selling, carrying
or brandishing a facsimile firearm for a participant in a state-certified
qualified production; to change the blood alcohol limit for the
offense of carrying a firearm while intoxicated to achieve parity
with the level for the offense of operating a motor vehicle while
intoxicated; and to require the concealment of a pistol or revolver
when carried upon the person, with certain exemptions. We OPPOSE
the provision on Concealed Carry. The system we have now, if ALL
law-enforcement personnel were to exercise good judgment, is adequate.
Showing the outline of a firearm or inadvertently showing due to
a shirt rising and then being charged, revocation of permit, court
costs, etc. is inappropriate and not threatening or a threat to
public safety however perceived by the viewer. Many exemptions will
need to be addressed should this bill progress. Why is the CSP pursuing
this concept when they have arrested without the law? Additionally,
court cases are still current and the legislature normally doesn’t
address issues that are pending and not judicially resolved. Penalty:
Any person violating any provision of subsection (c) [Concealed
Carry] of section 29-35, as amended by this act, shall be guilty
of a class C misdemeanor. E-mail, and Write, and Phone Call YOUR
State Legislators!
********
H. B. No. 6371 AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION. This bill has tremendous impact on Sportsmen and all
others dealing with DEP. Sportsmen Fees are doubled! ALL License/Tag
fees go to the General Fund. The Conservation Fund is eliminated.
All Special Funds including Boating Fund, Motorboat Fuel Tax Fund,
and others are eliminated with revenue going to the General Fund.
The Pheasant Program is eliminated. Four hatchery positions are
eliminated, among others, which puts the Trout raising/stocking
in jeopardy.
The CCS position will be: 1. The license increase is outrageous
and will not generate the anticipated amount of revenue due to attrition
when we are already seeing decreasing participation in outdoor activities.
Although the fee increase cycle, (10 years established due to attrition
in the first 5 years, and only positive revenue producing after
the midpoint), is only 6 years, we could support a more reasoned
increase. We predict if the fees remain doubled; the state will
gain far less than anticipated and may lose revenue. 2. There is
no good reason to eliminate the Pheasant Program since all costs
were borne by Pheasant hunters dollar for dollar through license
fees and tags. Elimination gains nothing for the General Fund but
will eliminate license purchase for those who only hunted Pheasant.
NY tried to eliminate the Pheasant program and hunters rose in anger.
NY is/has developing a fee paid program similar to ours. 3. Retaining
the Conservation Fund (including the Special Funds which are part)
allows DEP expertise to immediately address critical problems and
overall program management expeditiously rather than relying on
inflexible General Funding as determined by the Legislature/Administration.
4. The potential problems indicated above are a result of inadequate
understanding of how the RECREATIONAL a ssociated DEP Conservation
Fund functions.
E-mail, and Write, and Phone Call YOUR State Legislators! As was
accomplished with killing Proposed Bill 5506 Commercial Fishing
for Striped Bass and avoiding a Public Hearing, we urge you communicate
with your State Representative and State Senator. You can find your
CT legislator at this link or in the Blue pages under “Connecticut,
State of” then “Legislators”. Also, forward this
e-mail to all of your friends who have an interest. Ask them to
communicate also.
While we urge you to use your own words, please…do not be insulting
or negative towards Any Senator, Representative, or anyone else
in the Capitol. After you contact YOUR legislators, talk to the
Environment Committee. Identify yourself and Town, State your position
and why you Support or Oppose the bill. Be Brief, if they have questions
they will ask.
Review all the bills and other info at the CCS website www.ctsportsmen.com
=0 A
In the following section, not inclusive of all sportsmen fees/tags,
the All Waters Fishing license is included. The DEP proposal was
reasoned with minimum increase, This bill doubles fees before it
is even passed. The effective date indicated, July 1, 2009, may
be moved to an earlier date by making it effective on passage. Nothing
is ever certain in the legislature.
Sec. 52. Section 26-28 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2009):
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the fees
for firearms hunting, archery hunting, trapping and sport fishing
licenses or for the combination thereof shall be as follows: (1)
Resident firearms hunting license, [fourteen] twenty-eig ht dollars;
(2) resident fishing license, [twenty] forty dollars; (3) resident
marine waters fishing license, thirty dollars; (4) one-day resident
marine waters fishing license, fifteen dollars; (5) resident all-waters
fishing license, fifty dollars; (6) resident combination license
to [firearms hunt and] fish in inland waters and firearms hunt,
[twenty-eight] fifty-six dollars; [(4)] (7) resident combination
license to fish in marine waters and firearms hunt, fifty dollars;
(8) resident combination license to fish in all waters and firearms
hunt, sixty dollars; (9) resident combination license to fish in
all waters and bow and arrow permit to hunt deer and small game
issued pursuant to section 26-86c, as amended by this act, eighty-four
dollars; (10) resident firearms super sport license to fish in all
waters and firearms hunt,=2 0firearms private land shotgun or rifle
deer permit issued pursuant to section 26-86a, as amended by this
act, and permit to hunt wild turkey during the spring season on
private land issued pursuant to section 26-48a, as amended by this
act, one hundred sixteen dollars; (11) resident archery super sport
license to fish in all waters, bow and arrow permit to hunt deer
and small game issued pursuant to section 26-86c, as amended by
this act, and permit to hunt wild turkey during the spring season
on private land issued pursuant to section 26-48a, as amended by
this act, one hundred four dollars; (12) resident trapping license,
[twenty-five] fifty dollars; [(5)] (13) resident junior trapping
license for persons under sixteen years of age, [three] fifteen
dollars; [(6)] (14) junior firearms hunting license, [three] fifteen
dollars; [(7)] (15) nonresident firearms hunting license, [sixty-seven]
one hundred thirty-four dollars; [(8)] (16) nonresident inland waters
fishing license, [forty] eighty dollars; [(9)] (17) nonresident
inland waters fishing license for a period of three consecutive
days, [sixteen] thirty-two dollars; [(10)] (18) nonresident marine
waters fishing license, sixty dollars; (19) nonresident marine waters
fishing license for a period of three consecutive days, twenty-four
dollars; (20) nonresident all-waters fishing license, one hundred
dollars; (21) nonresident combination license to firearms hunt and
inland waters fish, [eighty-eight] one hundred seventy-six dollars;
[and (11)] (22) nonresident combination license to fish in all waters
and firearms hunt, one hundred ninety dollars; (23) nonresident
combination license to fish in marine waters and firearms hunt,
one hundred seventy dollars; and (24) nonresident trapping license,
two hundred fifty dollars. Persons sixty-five years of age and over
who have been residents of this state for not less than one year
and who meet the requirements of subsection (b) of section 26-31
may be issued [a lifetime] an annual license to firearms hunt or
to fish or combination license to fish and firearms hunt or a license
to trap without fee. The issuing agency shall indicate on a combination
license the specific purpose for which such license is issued. The
town clerk shall retain a recording fee of one dollar for each license
issued by him.
*ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2009
The Environment Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday,
February 18, 2009 at 11: 00 A. M. in Room 1E of the LOB. Please
submit 50 copies of written testimony to Committee staff one hour
prior to the start of the hearing in Room 1E of the LOB. Sign-up
for the hearing will begin at 9: 30 A. M. in Room 1E of the LOB
and will be conducted by lottery. The first hour of the hearing
is reserved for public officials. Speakers will be limited to 3
minutes of testimony. Unofficial sign-up sheets have no standing
with the Committee.
SUBJECT MATTER: Department of Environmental Protection Issues, Farmland
Issues, Open Space [Partial List]
*H. B. No. 6371 AN ACT CONCERNING FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
Sec. 3. (d) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes
or any regulation adopted under this title, on and after July 1,
2009, any fee in effect pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant
to any section of this title that is greater than one thousand dollars
shall be increased by two hundred fifty dollars, any such fee that
is greater than or equal to one hundred fifty dollars, but less
than or equal to one thousand dollars, shall be increased by twenty-five
per cent and rounded up to the nearest whole five-dollar increment
and any such fee of less than one hundred fifty dollars shall be
doubled.
*H. B. No. 6412 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING THE REGULATORY AUTHORITY
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
*H. B. No. 6398 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS
OF THE NORTHEASTERN FOREST FIRE PROTECTION AND ATLANTIC STATES MARINE
FISHERIES COMMISSIONS.
*H. B. No. 6397 (RAISED) AN ACT CONCERNING OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION.
*S. B. No. 871 (RAISED) AN ACT INCREASING THE ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
*S. B. No. 790 (RAISED) AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL.
*Proposed H. B. No. 5004 AN ACT CONCERNING LIABILITY FOR THEFT OR
UNAUTHORIZED DESTRUCTION OF TREES, TIMBER OR SHRUBBERY.
*Proposed H. B. No. 5264 AN ACT PROTECTING MUNICIPALLY ACQUIRED
OPEN SPACE LAND.
*Proposed H. B. No. 6087 AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
TO RECEIVE AND TREAT SEWAGE FROM THE TOWN OF MANSFIELD.
2) On Friday, February 27th, the Northwest CT Sportsmen's Council,
of which the Fish & Game is a member, will hold its annual fund
raising banquet. Tickets are $35 and must be purchased in advance.
The food is good; the raffle, games and auctions are excellent.
As of now, the Council will be giving away 14 guns that night. It
would be nice if we could put together a full table of members from
our club. If you would like to go, contact me by replying to this
e-mail, or I will bring tickets to the Officers' Meeting on Monday
night. The Council works on behalf of all of the sportsmen in NW
CT by representing us in Hartford in both the legislature and with
DEP. Have a good time for a very good cause.
3) Black Labrador Retriever Puppies For Sale. One of our members,
Dave Meharg, is a very serious dog trainer who has very good dogs.
I had the pleasure to hunt with Dave and his dogs this past year,
and they are as good as they come. Dave's female, Punch, had a litter
of 8 pups recently. I won't repeat all of the pedigree info, because
these dogs have better blood lines than I do, but a couple of these
dogs are still available for delivery in early March. Dave is willing
to discuss discounts for TF&G members. The best part is, he
will help you train your dog if you buy one, and he is a very good
trainer. That alone is worth the price of the puppy. If you are
interested and would like more information on these dogs, their
pedigrees, etc., contact Dave at dmeharg@optonline.net, or by phone
at (860) 489-6462.
This is a reminder to any member who has not yet
renewed his membership that dues must be paid by the March membership
meeting, Monday, March 2nd. If dues are not received by that night,
or if other arrangements for payment have not been made, then you
risk being expelled from the Club for delinquency. Given the fact
that there may no longer be any State pheasant stocking starting
this fall, Club membership becomes more important than ever.
Due to the state of the economy, the Officers have decided to waive
the payment of the $25 late fee which is normally assessed after
the February meeting. If you sent in payment with the late fee included,
the fee will be rebated to you.
In addition, as in the past, if you need to work out an installment
plan for dues payment, you must contact Charlie Gandarillas, Club
Secretary, as soon as possible to do so. Charlie can be reached
at home in the evenings at (203) 879-4324. or by e-mail at cgandarillas@AEP.US.
Most important !!! The Rifle Range/Sighting In Range
is NOT OPEN FOR SHOOTING. The range committee has been working on
the range and testing it, but the officers and membership still
need to approve the range usage and rules. In addition, with hunting
seasons in progress (leftover pheasants and archery deer) plus the
general season opening on Saturday, shooting on the range could
be potentially dangerous to anyone hunting beyond the backstop.
The range will remain closed for the season.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT SHOOTING ON THE RANGE, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO DISMISSAL
FROM THE CLUB !!!
.
3) The Pheasant Committee has designated area captains for the upcoming
season. If you wish to participate in stocking a particular area,
give the captain a call to set up your schedule. They are as follows:
Hurry's Dip Dave Meharg (860) 484-9016
Klug's Farm Joe Perugini (203) 525-4194
The Pond Tom Accuosti (860) 274-9475
Soapstone John La Guttuta (860) 567-3803 or (860) 489-9053
The Club Sam Calabrese (203) 232-0992
Saturday Afternoon Coordinator Marshall Bertoldi (860) 489-7484
or (860) 485-5073 cell
Also, see events
page for information on the skeet field and the trout pond.
