This editorial is based only on feeling - I see no statement of fact or reason to support the position, continuing the "feeling based" arguments for SB 2315. You never hear the "why" in all of these arguments for SB 2315...just the argument.
I feel I shouldn't have to post, though the law says I do
I feel sportsmen should have to ask, though the law doesn't require it for unposted land.
I feel the law should change, because it'll keep bad people off my land
I feel I do so much already, why do I have to spend time/$ on posting
No one points out the facts. (I see the Trib has no space to comment on the story on their site and hasn't posted to their FB page to counter). So at the risk of sounding like Dwight Schrute...
Fact - 59 Hunting Trespass Tickets in 2017 for 140,000 hunters in ND. (0.04%) - Hunters abide by the law, and landowners know to post.
gf.nd.gov/news/2222
Fact - ~400 B-Misd Criminal Trespass Reports in 2017, for 755,000 people in ND (0.05%) - All of society understands as well.
https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/sites/ag/files/documents/2017-CrimeReport.pdf
Fact - ND has 2.1 Million Acres of Public Land and ~1 Million Acres of Unposted Land. Take the latter away as SB 2315 does and hunting access drops by 1/3.
Fact - One of the top reasons people quit hunting is ACCESS. Remove the places to go, and people will stop going, or at least go less.
(
http://www.backcountrychronicles.com/why-hunters-quit-hunting/)
Fact - Hunters generate ~$11.2 Million per year in Pittman-Robertson Dollars. Even a 5% drop in hunters is significant funding for our G&F, Hunter's Ed and other programs. (
https://www.fws.gov/home/wsfr/apportionments-fy14.html)
Fact - Hunters buy >140,000 licenses each year, same impact as above, direct to the NDG&F Bottom Line (
wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/licenseinfo/Natl%20Hunting%20License%20Report%202017.pdf)
Fact - Hunter spending in ND - particularly small town ND - totals more than $200,000,000 each year. (
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/145739/2/AAE706-S February 2013.pdf)
Fact - Bears Eat Beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaaANll8h18
Less Access = Less Hunters = Less Dollars = Less Conservation Programs = Less Wildlife = Less Hunters...cue downward spiral.
No one wants to talk about how bad this bill will hit hunters and our state's economy - poorly thought out without an eye to the consequences; punishing hunters by removing access as opposed to punishing criminals with tougher penalties.
A Bad Bill all around. It's up to us as sportsmen to set it straight - contact your legislators and share some facts as to why they should VOTE NO on SB 2315.
https://www.legis.nd.gov/contact-my-legislators