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Dump the Commissioner from Packard - Speak out for Environmental Justice
If you believe in environmental justice, send a letter to the Senate Rules Committee urging a "NO" vote of Mike Sutton's confirmation as California Fish and Game Commissioner. He was one of three commissioners voting to ban members of the Pombo Tribe from sustainably harvesting abalone, seaweed and mussells off Stewarts Point as they have for hundreds of years. As a long-time employee of the Packard Foundation, Sutton has a serious conflict of interest in the racist, elitist and corrupt fast-track Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process engineered by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his collaborators.
"Environmental justice is a very important issue to us," said Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance. "When members of the Pomo band at Stewarts Point begged Mr. Sutton to make small adjustments to the MLPA regulations in the north-central region, he refused and broke a cultural link to nature that lasted for hundreds of years for that community. He has voted for regulations that disproportionately affect the low-income sectors of society that can least afford it."
Here is Jim's action alert and letter to the Senate Rules Committee:
"Environmental justice is a very important issue to us," said Jim Martin, West Coast Regional Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance. "When members of the Pomo band at Stewarts Point begged Mr. Sutton to make small adjustments to the MLPA regulations in the north-central region, he refused and broke a cultural link to nature that lasted for hundreds of years for that community. He has voted for regulations that disproportionately affect the low-income sectors of society that can least afford it."
Here is Jim's action alert and letter to the Senate Rules Committee:
Time for a change!
Please forward! - Mike Sutton's confirmation as Fish & Game
Commissioner is coming up for a hearing in the Senate Rules Committee
this Friday, Sept. 4th. Letters on associations' letterhead can be
faxed to them for more impact. The RFA opposes this appointment. Our
letter is below.
Contact the Senate Rules Committee and urge a "NO" vote on Sutton's
confirmation as Fish & Game Commissioner:
Phone: (916) 651-4151
Fax: (916) 445-0596
Monday, August 31, 2009
Senator Darrell Steinberg, Chair
Senate Rules Committee
State Capitol, Room 400
Sacramento CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4151
Fax: (916) 455-0596
RE: CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR MICHAEL SUTTON AS FISH AND GAME
COMMISSIOER – OPPOSE.
Dear Senator Steinberg,
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is a national 501(c)(4) non-
profit grassroots political action organization whose mission is to
safeguard the rights of salt water anglers, protect marine, boat, and
tackle industry jobs, and insure the long-term sustainability of our
nation’s marine fisheries.
On behalf of the RFA, I urge you to reject the confirmation of
Michael Sutton as Fish & Game Commissioner.
Mr. Sutton has made himself unavailable to anglers and divers, yet he
meets regularly with representatives of environmental organizations;
he has even stated that he sees these well-funded, out-of-state
organizations as his "constituency" rather than the people of
California.
Mr. Sutton has shown complete disregard to the recreational fishing
community, and seems unaware that we provide more than $60 million in
funding for the Department of Fish and Game through our license fees
alone.
As a long-time employee of the Packard Foundation, he has a serious
conflict of interest in the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process. The
Packard Foundation has provided much of the funding for the MLPA
stakeholder process, which is one thing, but to have one of its
employees casting a vote on the outcome has caused a complete loss of
trust among the fishing communities of California.
It's ironic that the MLPA regulations for the north-central coast
will actually damage sustainable fisheries such as abalone diving,
and hand-harvest of nutritional seaweed, rather than providing needed
conservation benefits. Mr. Sutton simply would not meet with or
listen to representatives of the abalone divers to learn more about
the data and how the regulations would threaten sustainable fisheries.
Prior to his appointment to the Fish & Game Commission, Mr. Sutton
testified as an advocate for specific MPA proposals that call into
question his objectivity on the issues.
As a current board member of the political action committee, "Ocean
Champions," Mr. Sutton is actively engaged in electioneering and
corrupts the stature of the Commission as an independent decision-
making body.
Environmental justice is a very important issue to us. When members
of the Pomo band at Stewarts Point begged Mr. Sutton to make small
adjustments to the MLPA regulations in the north-central region, he
refused and broke a cultural link to nature that lasted for hundreds
of years for that community. He has voted for regulations that
disproportionately affect the low-income sectors of society that can
least afford it.
Above all, Mr. Sutton has an agenda for privatizing public trust
resources through Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs) and corporate
ownership of commercial fishing operations. He supports private
funding for traditional fishery management that will inevitably
remove the public even further from decisions affecting people's
quality of life, our marine resources and the economic-wellbeing of
coastal communities.
The people of California deserve Commissioners who are open-minded
and listen to all sides before making a decision. Mr. Sutton has
given every impression that he is a lobbyist for a single advocacy
group, and not even representative of the entire "environmental
community." Recreational anglers in particular feel their public
testimony is a waste of time at Fish and Game Commission hearings.
This sentiment undermines our ability to engage the public in
important regulatory decisions because people know "the game is rigged."
Sincerely,
Jim Martin
West Coast Regional Director
The Recreational Fishing Alliance
Please forward! - Mike Sutton's confirmation as Fish & Game
Commissioner is coming up for a hearing in the Senate Rules Committee
this Friday, Sept. 4th. Letters on associations' letterhead can be
faxed to them for more impact. The RFA opposes this appointment. Our
letter is below.
Contact the Senate Rules Committee and urge a "NO" vote on Sutton's
confirmation as Fish & Game Commissioner:
Phone: (916) 651-4151
Fax: (916) 445-0596
Monday, August 31, 2009
Senator Darrell Steinberg, Chair
Senate Rules Committee
State Capitol, Room 400
Sacramento CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4151
Fax: (916) 455-0596
RE: CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR MICHAEL SUTTON AS FISH AND GAME
COMMISSIOER – OPPOSE.
Dear Senator Steinberg,
The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) is a national 501(c)(4) non-
profit grassroots political action organization whose mission is to
safeguard the rights of salt water anglers, protect marine, boat, and
tackle industry jobs, and insure the long-term sustainability of our
nation’s marine fisheries.
On behalf of the RFA, I urge you to reject the confirmation of
Michael Sutton as Fish & Game Commissioner.
Mr. Sutton has made himself unavailable to anglers and divers, yet he
meets regularly with representatives of environmental organizations;
he has even stated that he sees these well-funded, out-of-state
organizations as his "constituency" rather than the people of
California.
Mr. Sutton has shown complete disregard to the recreational fishing
community, and seems unaware that we provide more than $60 million in
funding for the Department of Fish and Game through our license fees
alone.
As a long-time employee of the Packard Foundation, he has a serious
conflict of interest in the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process. The
Packard Foundation has provided much of the funding for the MLPA
stakeholder process, which is one thing, but to have one of its
employees casting a vote on the outcome has caused a complete loss of
trust among the fishing communities of California.
It's ironic that the MLPA regulations for the north-central coast
will actually damage sustainable fisheries such as abalone diving,
and hand-harvest of nutritional seaweed, rather than providing needed
conservation benefits. Mr. Sutton simply would not meet with or
listen to representatives of the abalone divers to learn more about
the data and how the regulations would threaten sustainable fisheries.
Prior to his appointment to the Fish & Game Commission, Mr. Sutton
testified as an advocate for specific MPA proposals that call into
question his objectivity on the issues.
As a current board member of the political action committee, "Ocean
Champions," Mr. Sutton is actively engaged in electioneering and
corrupts the stature of the Commission as an independent decision-
making body.
Environmental justice is a very important issue to us. When members
of the Pomo band at Stewarts Point begged Mr. Sutton to make small
adjustments to the MLPA regulations in the north-central region, he
refused and broke a cultural link to nature that lasted for hundreds
of years for that community. He has voted for regulations that
disproportionately affect the low-income sectors of society that can
least afford it.
Above all, Mr. Sutton has an agenda for privatizing public trust
resources through Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs) and corporate
ownership of commercial fishing operations. He supports private
funding for traditional fishery management that will inevitably
remove the public even further from decisions affecting people's
quality of life, our marine resources and the economic-wellbeing of
coastal communities.
The people of California deserve Commissioners who are open-minded
and listen to all sides before making a decision. Mr. Sutton has
given every impression that he is a lobbyist for a single advocacy
group, and not even representative of the entire "environmental
community." Recreational anglers in particular feel their public
testimony is a waste of time at Fish and Game Commission hearings.
This sentiment undermines our ability to engage the public in
important regulatory decisions because people know "the game is rigged."
Sincerely,
Jim Martin
West Coast Regional Director
The Recreational Fishing Alliance
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