Open to all!!!
Fwd a msg from pilchuck steelie on WFF:

chris, i hope you don't mind me posting this. after reading the post, fish in a barrel, i thought you folks might be interested in this information. There's also some other info about wdfw plans for the skagit estuary and endangered chinook salmon, if you'd like i'll post it later.

United Sportsman's Rally In Olympia

WE ARE YOU!
As Washington Sportsmen and Women it is time our voices are heard as one. We are gathering in Olympia to let the people of Washington State know that sportsmen and women are not bad people! We are here to inform the public that we are not the slobs that we are portrayed to be! We are many people including but not limited to Firemen , Doctors, Lawyers, Construction workers, Bus Drivers, Accountants, Police Officers, Mothers, Fathers, High School Children, Managers, Elementary Students, Teachers, Technology Workers, Retail Workers, Grandpa's, Grandma's, Professional Athletes, Politicians, Real-Estate Agents, Soldiers, Government Workers! Think of a job and chances are a sportsman or woman is doing that job. We are the people of Washington State that contribute!


The Facts Of Washington State

Number Of Hunters 227,000


Number Of Anglers 938,000


Total Expenditures $1.4 billion


Total Number Of Jobs Supported 23,000


Salaries and Wages $600 million


State Tax Revenue $95 million


Ripple Effect on the State Economy $2.41 billion


STATE TAX REVENUE INFORMATION

Sportsmen in Washington annually pay $95.2 million in state sales and fuel taxes – this could pay 2,471 teachers' salaries or fund the annual education expenses for 14,650 students.

JOBS

Sportsmen support more jobs in Washington than Microsoft Corporation (22,766 vs. 20,000).

A CLOSER LOOK!

Twice as many Washington residents hunt or fish each year as attend Seattle Seahawk games (1.02 million* vs. 508,367).


One of every six Washington residents hunt or fish.


Washington sportsmen annually spend 10 times more than the value of the state's commercial seafood landings ($1.4 billion vs. $134 million).


Washington sportsmen annually spend nearly twice as much as the cash receipts from the state's apple crop ($1.4 billion vs. $806 million).

Come join us in Olympia on March 20, 2003 for the first ever United Sportsman's Rally!

Home
Who We Are?
Rally Information The Decoy Pile Food Donations Flyers and Banners Contact Info

Awesome Steelnerves, glad somebody has posted this here other than me. I made a couple of different threads on this with absolutly zero reply.
Glad to see another fisherman/sportsman understand the importance of getting our voice heard was beginnign to think that there was more apathy within the fishing groups as there is within the hunting groups.

Anyway here is the website for the rally with all informtion compiled in one spot. Feel free to print off flyer's and post at your local stores.

http://www.sharkland.net/usow/

Way to go driftboater! Thanks for the link!
DB

here's another draft, sorry but this is all i could find, the rally website is more current.

A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE OUTDOOR SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN OF WA

The Unified Sportsmen of Washington would like to take this opportunity to invite you to come to Olympia and join them in the first ever Sportsmen Legislative Day. This event will give us the opportunity to let both the public and the legislature see and hear the true opinions of the Washington Sportsman.

This will be an opportunity to show the public our proud heritage and to stress the high standards of the ethical sportsman, how important we are to tourism particularly in socio-economically struggling areas of the state, and a chance to remind our legislators of our positive effects on the conservation of public lands.

Points of interest to be discussed will include:


Recognizing that hunting and fishing is an expression of our cultural upbringing and respect for our heritage. We do these things to honor our forefathers and to teach the values passed to us to our children and their children.

Protecting the game animals. Currently the WDFW has stated that it has many un-funded enforcement positions on the books. In memos explaining this practice, it has been stated that this is the minimum number of enforcement officers necessary to protect WA's game animals. Yet much of that minimum number goes un-funded. The ethical WA Sportsmen demands that our game animals get that protection from those who break the law by protecting these animals and that stiffer penalties are levied to those who intentionally break these laws.

Putting the highest priority and concern for the WDFW scientific management of our game animals. Opinions are expensive and in weeding through the opinions and spending money on defensive science, not enough money is going to the game animals we revere.

Recognizing the important tourism dollars spent in economically challenged areas of the state by sportsmen. Many small and suffering Eastern, and Western, WA communities are being kept afloat by tourism dollars spent by sportsmen. These dollars are vital for their survival and all efforts should be made maintaining and increasing hunting and fishing opportunities to keep these tourism dollars flowing.

Valuing the traditional uses of public lands. We ask that public lands, which are steeped in our hunting and fishing heritage, remain that way. Now lands, which have been traditional hunting areas, are going to be destroyed to wishfully change their traditional purpose. We feel that no greater dishonor can be done to our forefathers, who gave their hearts and souls to creating these areas for generations, than to have it be washed away by public opinion. Cultural tradition and our heritage should not be compromised by public opinion. New concerns should be dealt with by new lands and not destroying our heritage.


Rally at Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol Campus from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., followed by individual meetings with your legislators

If you are interested, mark March 20th on you calendar and set up an appointment to meet with your legislators for that day for after. Also tell them that you are with the Unified Sportsmen Of WA as they may have already allotted time for you. After you have done this please contact one of the people below for maps and more material on the event. If you cannot attend, please show your support by sending an email to the address listed below.

Westside contact: Eastside contact:
Robert Joanis 253-370-6885 Robert1970@hotmail.com
Chris Dorow 509-488-5216

- We do these things to honor our forefathers and to teach the values passed to us, to our children.

Tommorrow is the day Thursday the 20th. Got my signs made, gassed the truck ready for the 4 hr. drive, appontments secured with 2 of my state reps. gonna be fun.

Even heard a few fishing clubs will be attending..

Dont forget to bring a canned or dried food item to fill up that Sportsmen for the Hungry barrell.

If you couldn't make it, send aletter of your issues of concern and praise in very soon to your legislator.

Sincerely, DB

I stopped by during my lunch for a few minutes. Lets hope that this thing grows a lot. Hopfully next year if you have this rally there will be a lot more interested sportsmen, and women. I urge everyone to come to gether so the voice of the sportsmen, and women can be heard as one.
Buck

I wish I had seen this yesterday. I could of had a bunch of fish people there...

hey Buck,, glad you were able to stop by. We had about 40 or so with a few more here and there.

It will be there next year and it will grow. We now have a full year in organizing. 40 should be easily turned into 400 !

Many praises were given on how well the sportsmen conducted themselves in front of the war protesters, even when they tried to provoke us!

Stay tuned for next years event by the Unified Sportsmen of Washington.

What A Day!