Boone & Crockett: Ballot Initiatives Hurt Wildlife
The Boone and Crockett Club believes some ballot initiatives actually harm wildlife populations. They place at risk the most successful system of wildlife conservation in the world directly responsible for abundant and thriving wildlife populations everyone values.
They write: “For more than a century, sportsmen have worked alongside government agencies and scientific groups to establish the principles and mechanisms of conservation. This system was entirely new and built from the ground up to include laws, legislation, and the regulated use of wildlife through public hunting that were in line with wildlife recovery and sustainability. “The science of wildlife management was added to direct critical decision-making. Expert agencies with trained wildlife professionals were also needed to oversee and manage our wildlife, which remains a public trust resource.…
“Some people who have emotional qualms about wildlife being managed, relocated, trapped, or hunted under these programs are increasingly attempting to use the ballot process to stop these activities. By taking decision-making power out of the hands of professional wildlife managers, well-meaning voters often produce unintended results that do not benefit wildlife or people.
“Making decisions that truly benefit wildlife requires knowledge of science, ecosystems, historical context, and public policy. Voters rarely get the accurate information they need, and instead, are swayed by emotional arguments and sound-bite science.
“Consequently, it is common for voters to vote on initiatives that are based on emotion and easily package into a campaign but—in practice—are counterproductive, reactionary measures that ultimately block the conservation of wildlife. Ballot initiatives are inherently easily abused, creating an avenue for strategic manipulation by groups looking to promulgate their agenda through uninformed voters.”
