PRESS RELEASE from Obama for America

Obama Steering Committee Sends Letters to Fellow Sportsmen and Sportswomen

Committee members will also phone bank tonight at local Obama offices

PHILADELPHIA, PA—Today, Senator Barack Obama’s Pennsylvania Sportsmen and Sportswomen for Obama Steering Committee announced that it will continue its outreach efforts with members placing phone calls to friends and neighbors tonight in their local Obama campaign offices, and by mailing thousands of letters urging fellow sportsmen and sportswomen around the state to join them in supporting Obama’s campaign.

The letter, signed by each of the 18 committee members, lauds Obama’s understanding of and respect for Pennsylvania’s hunting and fishing traditions as well as his impressive record on conservation and climate change issues.

“Barack Obama does not pretend to be a hunter or angler. But Obama understands the importance of passing along America’s hunting and fishing traditions to future generations of Americans,” the letter reads.  “…Obama is committed to policies that will ensure that the great American hunting, fishing and conservation traditions continue long into the future.”

Between now and the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, the committee members will continue their outreach to fellow sportsmen and sportswomen through phone calls, door-knocking, and discussion at community events.
 

The full text of the letter is below:

 
Dear Fellow Sportsmen:

We are writing to enlist your support to help elect Barack Obama President of the United States. As sportsmen we have carefully evaluated the merits of each of the candidates to determine who would best serve the interests of fish and wildlife conservation and the future of our sport. We have concluded that Barack Obama better understands the challenges facing sportsmen and sportswomen and has developed the most responsive and effective plan to strengthen hunting and fishing traditions in America. As such, we strongly endorse his candidacy and pledge to work for his election. We hope you will join us.

Barack Obama does not pretend to be a hunter or angler. But Obama understands the importance of passing along America’s hunting and fishing traditions to future generations of Americans. For many, these activities help forge a conservation ethic that lasts a lifetime. He also recognizes that hunting and fishing are family activities that create bonds that last across generations, saying urban communities have to understand the tradition of taking a son hunting is like “being out and playing catch with your dad.”

Obama is committed to policies that will ensure that the great American hunting, fishing and conservation traditions continue long into the future.

First and foremost, Obama greatly respects the rights of Americans to bear arms. He has stated that he will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting.

As you know, many parts of our country are becoming inaccessible to our sport. Lands that were once available for hunting are being developed or are being fenced off from hunters. The public is being denied access to some prize fishing streams.  We need a President who will work to preserve open land for hunting and fishing.  That’s what Obama has done since his days as a state senator, when he supported the creation of the Illinois Open Land Trust, which allows the state to buy property from willing sellers for conservation and recreation purposes and make grants and loans to local governments for acquiring land for open spaces.

At a time when fish and wildlife habitat is disappearing and conservation programs are having a hard time competing financially with farming, Barack Obama is committed to increasing funding for the major set-aside conservation programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, and Grasslands Reserve Program. He supports funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which provides needed resources to state agencies to conserve important wildlife habitat. He also has called for full funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, fulfilling the goal of “no net loss” loss of wetlands in the future, extending the swamp buster provisions of the Farm Bill, expanding the Wetlands Reserve Program and amending the Clean Water Act to clarify that it protects isolated wetlands. His record on wetlands conservation dates back to his days as a state senator. In 2004, he was a cosponsor of the Wetlands Protection Act, which provides for the conservation of wetlands in Illinois.

Barack Obama recognizes that global warming is real, is happening now, and poses a real threat to America’s fish, wildlife, and the future of hunting and fishing. He supports proposals endorsed by dozens of national hunting and fishing organizations, including the Mule Deer Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, BASS/ESPN, Pheasants Forever, the American Sport Fishing Association and Trout Unlimited, to devote billions of dollars annually to state game and fish agencies and federal land management agencies to help them ensure that fish and wildlife survive the coming impacts of climate change.

Finally, as president, Obama will provide state game and fish agencies with resources and encouragement to reach out to young men and women to educate them about hunting and fishing opportunities, hunter safety, and the basic principles of fish and wildlife management.

Given his thoughtful positions on issues of enormous importance to hunters and anglers, we invite you to join in our efforts to elect a President who will fight for the interests of America’s millions of hunters and anglers.

Sincerely,

Frederica (Freddie) Antram
Paul Antram
Michael Aumiller
Arnold Brion
Robin Cole
John Fetterman
State Rep. Marc Gergely
Scott Harrison
Terry Havener
Kenny Jackson
Jeff Knisely
Richard Lanzoni
Tom Maglicco
Steve Naylor
Joe Rossi
Brian Stoltz
Dominic Surra
State Rep. Dan Surra

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2008
Contact: Obama Press Office, (215) 665-8915