[TN-Bird] Re: Hiwassee Crane Festival News

Hiwassee: 
It is evident from the  somewhat baffling article on the TWRA web site that 
there are two issues that  they are dealing with: the economic issue and the 
crane hunting  issue. 
We can take on face  value the economic issue. The number participating in 
the hobby of hunting is  decreasing and the number participating in the hobby 
of 
wildlife watching is  increasing. For wildlife agencies across the country 
there is a real issue of  funding. Our Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has 
been generous and  supportive of non-game related projects so far. A budget 
crunch we all  understand. But as the name implies this is the state agency 
responsible for ALL Tennessee wildlife, not just  â??Game and Fishâ?? as the 
old 
agency name indicated.  
Finding new sources of  funding is a huge subject. There are many avenues 
being tried such as CARA (?),  and Teaming With Wildlife, which I am no expert 
on. Single entities like TOS  canâ??t come close to serving the purpose of a 
state 
agency, no one would  seriously suggest we could do so. We need to work 
together at the state and  national level to establish recreation equipment 
taxes 
and/or other creative  methods of funding. We need aggressive proposals from 
TWRA Commissioners and  TWRA staff working with legislators to get measures 
passed that will result in  long term dedicated funding for ALL wildlife. The 
state has a responsibility to  fund the conservation and management of the 
wildlife in the state of Tennessee. This important  mission can not be the 
responsibility of a narrowly focused user group, the  hunters and fishers of 
the state. 
It is a real shame  that such a popular wildlife viewing activity is being 
canceled â?? the largest  public wildlife viewing activity that TWRA is 
involved 
with! And it is a shame  that TWRA may be withdrawing from Hiwassee Refuge 
Crane Viewing Days just to  position themselves for the advent of a sandhill 
crane 
hunting season.   
There is a TWRA  Commissioners meeting this Wed. 1:00PM  CDT open to the 
public  which I plan to attend. Richard Kirk will be giving a report on the 
non-game  department. This may or may not shed any more light on the Hiwassee 
event. 
It may be up  to TOS and the Hiwassee/SE TN area supporters to determine the 
extent of the  event. We will be having our Fall meeting in Chattanooga the 
first weekend in  November. It will be on our agenda but I donâ??t expect too 
much 
progress will be  made on the issue before then.  
And  by the way Director Gary Meyers has accepted out invitation to speak at 
our TOS  annual meeting in Nashville  next spring. So with effort we should be 
able to keep the traditional good  communication and cooperation open between 
TOS and TWRA
 
 
RICHARD  CONNORS
Tennessee Ornithological Society
Nashville  TN



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