Beginning 2016 the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation (NHWF) had what I would consider a “win” and a “loss.” The win was a suspension of a gas pipeline project by energy infrastructure developer, Kinder Morgan. The proposed routes were through the southern tier of the State. This issue faced many headwinds and the Federation opposed it because much of the plan chose to cut through conservation lands and forests. Our opinion was that if a pipeline was in the best interest of the citizens of New Hampshire, we would prefer it to stay within existing right of ways and existing traffic corridors. The opposition looks like it won the day.
Where I think the sportspeople of New Hampshire lost was over the outcry regarding re-introducing a very limited bobcat hunting and trapping season. I hope sportspeople will recognize this for what it was; a successful attempt by anti-hunting and anti-trapping activists to turn fellow sportspeople against science and against each other. In the many months since the NH Fish and Game Commissioners voted to re-introduce the seasons we saw well known people within our sporting community come out against the commission, against science and against sportspeople often with publically proclaimed lies and half-truths. The culmination of which was a “kangaroo court” held by our legislators at the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR). After allowing 14 citizens to speak in opposition to the rule, they only allowed four of us to speak in favor of the rule and while I presented written testimony and requested to speak on your behalf, the Chairperson chose not to hear from the state’s largest conservation group. Please remember who your conservation friends are when it’s election time.