Hoosier Conservation Newsletter April 26, 2013
Volume 52 No. 1
2013 Annual Meeting Our 2013 Annual Meeting will take place at Ft. Harrison State Park on June 14th and 15th. We will start the weekend Friday evening with a family pitch-in at 6pm at the Delaware Shelter. Saturday morning will be for taking care of business at the annual meeting at 9am, followed by the Conservation Awards Luncheon at 1pm. Both the Annual Meeting and the Conservation Awards Luncheon are at the Ft. Harrison State Park Inn. Don't forget to RSVP! Click on our Events Calendar tab to download the registration form. Our Annual Meeting is at Ft. Harrison State Park, June 14th and 15th. See you there!
Updating our Online Presence Have you visited the IWF website recently? Our redesigned website is cleaner and simpler to navigate, and it marks our transition to a stronger online presence. Our website will be the first place to go for new about IWF; our event calendar will have information on upcoming wildlife and outdoors events; it will be easier than ever to donate, renew your membership, and edit your Memberclicks profile online. If you haven’t explored our updated website, take a look: indianawildlife.org. We have also been working to keep you updated through Facebook, so please Like our page to keep abreast of all the news.
Volunteer Opportunities Our website got a facelift! Have you checked it out yet?
Indiana Wildlife Federation 4715 W. 106th St. Zionsville, IN 46077 www.indianawildlife.org E: info@indianawildlife.org P: 317-875-9453 F: 317-875-9442 Common Sense Conservation since 1938
Would you like to lend Indiana Wildlife Federation a helping hand? We are always eager to welcome volunteers into our office. Below are some of the day-today tasks we could use some help on. Database organization. Social media outreach. Website updating. And more! If you’d like to donate some of your time to helping out our organization, please contact us by phone or email. We’d love to hear from you!
Hoosier Conservation Newsletter April 26, 2013
Responsibilities of the Organized Sportsman The following essay was written by Ross Leffler, former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and was first published in the Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin. The very first issue of Hoosier Conservation republished the essay in January 1961. Leffler’s thoughts are not new, but in light of the 2013 legislative session they send a very important message about our responsibilities toward our environment and deserve another reading. First, organized sportsmen must at all times avoid the local, selfish special interest point of view and give strong support only to those projects which are objectively geared to sound management use of the resources…. Secondly, seek and then follow the advice of the fish and wildlife technicians who have been hired for the specific task of providing sound management of these resources. Our business is certainly one requiring scientific knowledge and yet we occasionally let the loudest lay “experts” unwisely influence the course of our programs. Remember well—our national problems in conservation are simply all the local failures to properly use resources added together. So the cure has to start in your own back yard. Conservation must definitely become a local community responsibility. Third, organized sportsmen—once a program course has been established by the professional leadership—have the responsibility to go out and fight the battle to get the necessary legislation and funds to fully implement it…. Fourth, because all of this—the entire conservation program—can succeed only with public understanding and support, organized sportsmen must endorse and push an allout conservation education effort by all agencies. This is IWF's 75th anniversary. Throughout the year, in our newsletter and on our website, we will continue to feature articles from previous issues of Hoosier Conservation.
“HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO GO OUT AND FIGHT THE BATTLE TO GET THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION AND FUNDS...” “SO THE CURE HAS TO START IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.”
Hoosier Conservation Newsletter April 26, 2013
Canned Hunting Update Since the update in the last issue of Hoosier Conservation, there’s been a lot of action on high fence shooting preserves or “canned hunting” legislation. A bill in the House of Representatives, HB1194, to legalize canned hunting in Indiana, was not heard in the House Natural Resources Committee. We aren’t sure why, but it was around the same time as the public outcry over “Dani” the deer. The issue appeared to be dead for another year. But, until the Legislature is out of session and on their way home, we learned you can never be sure. A surprise House amendment to Senate Bill 487 was added that would have legalized the existing 5 shooting preserves currently operating under a court injunction. The amended SB487 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 52-39. Upon returning to the Senate, the bill was assigned to a Conference Committee.
Thank You Bethel Presbyterian Church
The bill stalled in committee so for now, the canned hunting legislation is done for another year. Senator David Long, Senate President Pro Tempore, has spoken out against canned hunting and his actions verify that support. The conservation community owes him a great deal of thanks for standing firm in his position that canned hunting is not something we want in Indiana. Canned hunting violates important ethical standards, impairs wildlife health, and threatens Indiana’s economy.
Earlier this year Indiana Wildlife Federation received a generous donation the children of Bethel Presbyterian Church. They chose to donate their December penny collection to IWF because they enjoy the outdoors and wanted to protect nature close to them. The older children like to hunt and trap with their fathers, while the younger ones enjoy the parks and the woods. They have heard about wildlife conservation from the educational shows that they watch on TV and wanted to contribute to wildlife conservation here in Indiana.
Check out the IWF website and follow us on Facebook for continued updates on this important issue.
We thank these young conservationists for their generosity! We used their donation to purchase materials for building bird feeders on Earth Day.
Hoosier Conservation Newsletter April 26, 2013
Remembering Dox INCA Priorities Earlier this year, IWF lost one of its most valued and well-respected members, Gary “Dox” Doxtater. The following is a The Indiana Conservation Alliance, made up of members from approximately 30 conservation groups across reflection on his career written by Bill James, who considered Dox a mentor and a close friend. Indiana, met on Nov. 30th to discuss which legislative priorities will be pursued in 2013. Gary Doxtater, native of Antwerp New York, was educated in Ohio andHeritage then spent nearly hisfunds entirepublic career in o Thea first priority will beintoupstate raise conservation funding for the Indiana Trust which Indiana working on natural resource conservation. His service to the cause of conservation was diverse and extensive. He played land acquisition, and Clean Water Indiana, which focuses on soil and water conservation. We will work on a large role in shaping conservation programs and the of acquiring numerousand biologists and land, conservationists along the way. securing funds for these groups tocareers continue protecting and pursuing multi-district conservation projects. Gary Doxtater’s was very and took him many places. Along theeducating way Dox cofounded andthe served as o For career some time now extensive IWF has been promoting P-Free fertilizer and the public on problems president of Aquatic caused Control,byInc., was a self-employed environmental consultant, worked as theitManager of Environmental excessive use of phosphorus in lawn care. INCA hasand decided to make a legislative priority to Studies and Planningrequire with Amax Coal distributors, Company. Dox many years offproviders and on working in the Indiana educational Department of Natural retailers, andspent licensed lawn care to provide consumer Resources (IDNR). He started in 1962 a Fisheriesuse Biologist, on the role of Lake Management Biologist in theour Division of information on theasresidential of lawntook fertilizer containing phosphorus. Learn more about P-Free Soil Conservation in campaign 1988, roseon to our Deputy Director for management of the Bureau of Water and Mineral Resources in 1989, and website. spent the last 7 ½ of hispriority career as the of Indiana’s Division of FishIndiana, and Wildlife. During these years Dox raised o years Another will beDirector improving public transit for central providing residents and visitors with biologists’ salaries, acquired 36,615options acres offor public land for hunting and fishing, and played an important role in developing more “green” a car-free commute. conservation education such as theINCA highly successful GoFishIN Program. o Theprograms fourth priority that voted to focus on will be the continued fight to prevent the legalization of shooting deer in fenced enclosures, often referred to as “canned hunting.” Read an updated report on canned In 2001, after nearlyhunting 40 yearsbelow. of natural resources work, Gary retired but remained active in professional circles and conservation causes. He continued to be part of the Indiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, a state affiliate of the parent society of which he was a charter member in 1970 and its first secretary/treasurer. He also continued a long association with the Indiana Wildlife Federation as Director of Development, promoting backyard wildlife habitat and development of wildlife habitat at industrial, commercial and residential sites throughout the state. Because of these interests, he was appointed to the Carmel Urban Forestry Committee by Carmel’s mayor, Jim Brainard. Gary Doxtater was a rare individual. He served the cause of conservation for a lifetime, working as a private entrepreneur, in the corporate world, in numerous roles with Indiana’s natural resource management agency and as a resource advocate and volunteer. His dedication, energy and skills carried him from an inquisitive field biologist to become a respected DNR deputy director and Division of Fish and Wildlife Director. He has been a leader in his field. He led or was an important part of many “firsts” for Indiana resource management. He was always genuinely interested in people and truly cared about those with whom he served the cause of conservation. More than a few young professionals benefitted from Gary’s mentoring and encouragement along the way.
Before he passed away, Dox donated $1,000 to establish the Doxtater Intern Fund. Since then several more members have matched his donation and donated in his memory, and the fund has grown to over $10,500. Thank you for your kind support in memory of a great conservationist and our dear friend.