Just to clarify my position a bit... I wasn't stating that I should
always be able to bird for free. I just have trouble with the concept
of a "license". (I imagine some day I'll be confronted by an official
asking me, "mam, do you have a license to operate that spotting
scope?".) On a recent road trip I gladly (?) forked over $20 to visit
Yellowstone and the Tetons. It seemed foolish that I wasn't asked for
at least a few bucks to spend time at Red Rocks and Grays Lake NWRs. It
makes more sense, to me, to start with use fees for wildlife areas.
Then go for the big bucks from ALL the taxpayers, not just the one's
interested in preservation of wildlife. That would at least make paying
for a new baseball stadium seem more fair.

Also, I'm not "anti-hunting" (some of my best friends are hunters...).
But I can only imagine that the cost of regulating hunting is huge. So
it makes sense that hunters foot some of that bill.

Lastly, it's always fun to stir thing up on tweeters because there are
so many sharp minds out there. There are also many tweets that have far
more knowledge and practical experience than I on conservation issues
and I like to understand their thinking. The risk here is being flamed
and called names. Oh, well; stick and stones will break my bones but
email will never hurt me.


--
Debbie Feinman < "A raven in Desolation Canyon? Why >
North Bend, Washington < those two-bit, no-good, lunchmeat- >
debraf at isomedia.com < breathed, bunny-sucking anarchist >
< featherbombs, they slip in as soon as >
< we are out the door." >
< >
< E. Meloy from Raven's Exile >
........................................