People of Great Plains!
Bill 1262 aimed at terminating the Nest Predator Bounty Program will be heard in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee early on Tuesday the February 18th. We need your support to stop this cruel program.
If you want to be a part of the campaign, please call or send e-mail message to House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee members and your legislators today and ask them to support Bill 1262. Do not write long messages. Even a couple of sentences in your words would be enough. You can use one of our templates (below), or use talking points (also below), if you prefer it.
---Legislators---
Find your legislative district and your legislators. If you are not South Dakota resident, you may choose any Legislative District and any South Dakota senator/representative.
---Legislators---
---Committee Members---
Marty Overweg <Marty.Overweg@sdlegislature.gov>
Spencer Gosch <Spencer.Gosch@sdlegislature.gov>
Julie Auch <Julie.Auch@sdlegislature.gov>
Tim Goodwin <Tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov>
JanaHunt <Jana.Hunt@sdlegislature.gov>
Travis Ismay <Travis.Ismay@sdlegislature.gov>
Trish Ladner <Trish.Ladner@sdlegislature.gov>
Kaley Nolz <Kaley.Nolz@sdlegislature.gov>
Drew Peterson <Drew.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov>
Kathy Rice <Kathy.Rice@sdlegislature.gov>
Kevin Van Diepen <Kevin.VanDiepen@sdlegislature.gov>
Richard Vasgaard <Richard.Vasgaard@sdlegislature.gov>
Kadyn Wittman <Kadyn.Wittman@sdlegislature.gov>
---Committee Members---
---Subject---
Requesting your support for Bill 1262 to terminate the Nest Predator Bounty Program.
---Subject---
---Message template 1---
Dear Representative ____.
As a South Dakotan, I respectfully ask that you support HB 1262 (https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26187 a bill to end the Nest Predator Bounty Program.
The Nest Predator Bounty Program wastes over $500,000 yearly. It is questionable if bounty programs work to reduce predator populations, however the Nest Predator Bounty Program’s impacts are too diffuse, over too large an area to actually work. Habitat improvement is an alternative that works.
This program has wasted over 4 million dollars in the last six years and intends to waste a million more in the next two years. If you want to increase nesting success of ground nesting birds, there are much better and cost-effective alternatives.
Please vote yes to pass HB 1262.
Thank You,
---Message template 1---
---Message template 2---
Dear Representative ____.
As a South Dakotan, I respectfully ask that you support HB 1262. I would like to bring to your attention that the Nest Predator Bounty Program (NPBP) is not supported by the people of South Dakota, including sportsmen. Below are barplots, showing distribution of votes 'for' and 'against' the NPBP in Remington Research Group social survey (only 26% approved NPBP) and in GFP public comments (>90% opposed to NPBP).
Numerous studies, including those conducted at SDSU, have shown that bounty programs lead neither to increases in ground-nesting bird populations nor to a decrease in predator numbers. Why doesn't the bounty work? NPBP is state-wide, and its impact is too diffuse. It is impossible in principle to trap all nest predators in South Dakota. Several studies demonstrate backfire effect of low level removal of predators — an increase in predator populations due to greater food availability, a higher proportion of females, larger litter sizes, improved survival rates, etc. With habitat scarcity, untapped predators, along with non-target species that also eat eggs, hatchlings and brooding females, (feral cats, hawks, coyotes, owls, crows, etc.), will complete the job of destroying nests. Where sufficient habitat is available, providing ground-nesting birds with places to hide from predators, trapping becomes unnecessary — this is nature's way, refined over eons of evolution. The key to increasing nesting success lies not in trapping, but in habitat restoration.
Please, vote “Yes” to pass Bill 1262.
---Message template 2---
---Talking points---
• Please vote to support HB 1262 and to end the Nest Predator Bounty Program.
• The program uses license dollars in a manner that is not supported by the vast majority of the state's hunters.
• There is no scientific data to show that the program is producing more pheasants or ducks - which was the primary goal of the program.
• Bounties do not work to increase wildlife populations.
• The money spent on this program should instead be spent on increasing and improving the state's habitat and to increase public access, the GFP's two top priorities.
• Please VOTE YES on HB 1262.
---Talking points---
Alexey Egorov: alexey.egorov.jr@gmail.com .
Here is the Prairie Hills Audubon Society web page devoted to NPBP