October 25, 2010

Vol. 11 No. 42

This Week:

2010 Elections

Legal & Legislative

NSSF Members

Hunting/Conservation

Get Prepared: Election Day One Week Away

2010 ELECTION ALERT . . . Next week's elections at both the state and federal levels will have an impact on the firearms industry and law-abiding gun owners. NSSF urges voters to make every effort possible to cast their ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 2, for candidates that support firearms and hunting freedoms, especially since many races are extremely close. Get up to speed on the elections through NSSF's Voter Education webpage, which will offer daily updates all the way up to Election Day. Don't forget, if you are traveling on business, be sure to obtain an absentee ballot or take advantage of early voting if it is offered in your state.

2010 Elections

  • POLL: NINE IN 10 SPORTSMEN 'VERY' LIKELY TO VOTE IN ELECTIONS . . . As the races around the country continue to tighten in the final weeks, sportsmen are making every effort to protect their rights. Last week, Safari Club International released a polling memo that said nine in 10 sportsmen and women are very likely to vote in the upcoming elections. An alarming fact, according to the poll, is that 93 percent of sportsmen feel concern about gun ownership rights.

  • 'RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH' . . . According to a recent Behavior Research Center poll, Arizona voters support Proposition 109 with a seven-point lead statewide (42 percent for and 35 percent against) and a 17-point lead for voters under 35 years old. At the same time, the Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS), along with another donor that has partnered with HSUS in the past, has donated more than a half million dollars in the last 10 days to oppose Prop 109. Don’t allow HSUS to further its state-by-state anti-hunting agenda. Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina will also vote on "right to hunt and fish" amendments on Election Day.

NSSF Members

  • NSSF WELCOMES EIGHT NEW VOTING MEMBERS . . . NSSF's Board of Governors recently approved eight new voting members. "Voting members make up NSSF's highest membership category and take a special interest in furthering the Foundation's objectives to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports," said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president. "NSSF extends a warm welcome to our newest voting members. We appreciate their support and leadership." Learn more about NSSF's newest voting members: O'Hare Spring Co., Falcon Industries, ESS Eyewear (Eye Safety Systems), Ten-X Ammunition, Austin Sheridan USA, HIVIZ Shooting Systems by North Pass, Vortex Optics and Lewis Machine and Tool Co.

  • REQUEST A COPY OF NEW NSSF RETAILER GUIDE . . . The fourth in a series of helpful guides tailored specifically to the firearms retailer, published by NSSF's Association of Firearm Retailers, is now available. "Employment Guide: Personnel for the Firearms Retailer," by Tom Shay, covers the gamut of personnel staffing and management, from hiring to training and coaching to terminating procedures. Shay, an experienced retailer and author, has written all of the books in this series. Cost is $20 to nonmembers, but members may request their free copy by contacting Bettyjane Swann, NSSF director, member services, at 203-426-1320, bswann@nssf.org.

Legal & Legislative

  • REP. DAN BOREN'S MICROSTAMPING BILL . . . In early July, U.S. Rep. Dan Boren introduced NSSF-supported legislation (H.R. 5667) to direct the U.S. Attorney General to work with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study of firearm microstamping. Boren, as recently as this past week, has had to clear up confusion about the bill and assure sportsmen that this is in fact a pro-gun bill. NSSF strongly supports Boren's bill and also applauds Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) for agreeing to cosponsor the bill.

  • N.Y. GOVERNOR FIRES DEC COMMISSIONER . . . Pete Grannis, the commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation since 2007, was fired by New York's governor due to "poor performance and insubordination." The "insubordination" is linked to the leak of a memo sent by the DEC to the state's Budget Division that laid out in stark terms the possible consequences of the planned layoffs of more than 200 agency employees, according to the Times Union. Grannis' appointment overcame initial skepticism by the sporting community to eventually gain general popularity, and, ironically, he had been scheduled to receive a "Friend of the Outdoors Award" from the New York State Outdoor Writers Association the day after his firing.

  • NSSF RESPONDS TO NBC NIGHTLY NEWS REPORT ON MEXICO . . . NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti sent a letter to Steve Capus, president of NBC Nightly News, concerning a report by Richard Engle in which the senior correspondent alleges "most of the cartel-related killings in Mexico are carried out with assault rifles and .50 caliber machine guns bought over the counter in the United States." Sanetti noted that while this piece was particularly troubling, it is one of many that include erroneous information concerning cartel-related violence. Watch the NBC video.

  • NSSF'S KEANE SPEAKS AT SOUTH DAKOTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE . . . NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane was a featured speaker at the South Dakota Firearm Research and Technology Forum last week in Rapid City, S.D. Keane's speech touched on the economic impact of the firearms industry, key legislation affecting firearms manufacturers, retailers and distributors and current legislative threats that "NSSF is not merely facing, but tackling head-on." Keane specifically addressed the issues of firearms microstamping, traditional ammunition and erroneous reports of firearms trafficking along the southwest border. In his remarks, Keane also noted Gov. Mike Rounds' (R-S.D.) industry-recruiting efforts, stating, "Never before have we seen a governor so proactive and dedicated to bringing industry jobs to his state."

  • SUPREME COURT JUSTICES SPOTTED SKEET SHOOTING TOGETHER . . . According to two witnesses, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took fellow Justice Elena Kagan out for a lesson in skeet shooting at his shooting club in Virginia last week, reports The Daily Caller.

Hunting / Conservation

  • MARYLAND DNR NAMES NSSF CONSERVATIONIST OF YEAR . . . The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Advisory Commission recently named NSSF the Conservationist of the Year for 2009. NSSF was recognized for its extraordinary support of programs for young people to enjoy hunting and target shooting opportunities in Maryland. NSSF has provided funding through its Hunting Heritage Partnership grant program for five mentored youth hunts hosted by DNR that had more than 150 junior hunter participants. Read more.

  • WRITER STANDS UP FOR EATING GAME . . . With science, logic and tradition behind him, Worthington, Minn., Daily Globe outdoor writer Scott Rall addresses eating game taken by traditional ammunition. His conclusion: "There is a place for all wild game at my house, and that place is right next to the potatoes and gravy."

  • CWD RESEARCH ADVANCES, BUT NO SILVER BULLET YET. . . Hunters and wildlife managers eager to hear the promise of vaccine to rid herds of chronic wasting disease (CWD) received a shot of reality at a recent meeting of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. Dr. Scott Napier, biochemist at the University of Saskatchewan and program manager of emerging diseases at VIDO-InterVac, reported that his team has been working on a vaccine-based technology and early tests have shown potential, but bridging the gap between the theory and practical application as a CWD vaccine will require more than a little time and financing.

  • NHF DAY ON GUNTALK.TV . . . With events in 41 states, National Hunting and Fishing Day attracted media attention across the country to promote its theme of "Hunt, Shoot, Fish. Share the pride." GunTalk.tv brought its cameras to an NHF Day event sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and interviewed Donald Caillier, national sales manager for Lipsey's, and others who stressed the value of teaching youngsters and newcomers about traditional outdoor activities, the fun of participating in them and their value to wildlife conservation. Watch the video.

  • WMI ANNOUNCES 2014 NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE DATES . . . The 79th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference will be held March 11-15, 2014, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colo., announced Dick McCabe of the Wildlife Management Institute.

  • CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM SIGNUP A SUCCESS . . . The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently conducted the first opportunity since 2006 for open enrollment of lands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) under a general signup, and more than 50,000 offers from landowners on 4.8 million acres was put forth. The USDA accepted offers on 4.3 million acres, keeping the overall enrollment of CRP acreage at 31.2 million acres, close to the statutory cap of 32 million.

Other News of Note

    Mark Thomas, NSSF managing director, marketing communications, speaks at the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association awards banquet recently in Huntsville, Ala.

  • NSSF AND THE OUTDOOR MEDIA . . . The National Shooting Sports Foundation supports more than a dozen national and regional outdoor media organizations through participation in annual meetings and sponsorships. In addition, NSSF provides a frequently updated online "newsroom" resource for endemic and non-endemic media. The newsroom contains past press releases, fact sheets, issue backgrounders, the NSSF Blog and valuable research and poll information. At last year's SHOT Show, more than 1,800 members of the press from 75 countries attended the industry's largest trade show and set a new record. Now, the SHOT Show is the largest gathering of outdoor media in the world.

  • ATK ANNOUNCES ARMY AMMUNITION CONTRACTS . . . ATK (NYSE:ATK) has received orders from the U.S. Army for nearly 300 million rounds of the new M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round (EPR). The EPR is an enhanced version of the M855 5.56mm cartridge, used by U.S. troops since the early 1980s. ATK also announced it has received additional orders worth $10 million for nonstandard ammunition (NSA) in support of its current NSA multi-year contract with the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Rock Island, Ill. The three-year contract calls for ATK to acquire and deliver a broad range of NSA, or non-NATO ammunition, to Kabul, Afghanistan, to train and sustain allied security forces.

  • RIFLE AND PISTOL WORLD CUP FINALS IN MUNICH THIS WEEK . . . Competition in the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final in Munich, Germany, today through Thursday will include six accomplished shooters in the U.S. delegation, reports USA Shooting. For a complete schedule of events and more information, visit the ISSF website.

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COPYRIGHT © 2010 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, Web sites or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged. "Bullet Points®," "National Shooting Sports Foundation®," "NSSF®," and all other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images of the National Shooting Sports Foundation appearing in this publication are the sole property of the Foundation and may not be used without the Foundation's prior express written permission. All other trade names, trademarks, service marks, logos and images appearing in this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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