Action Alert-Please Oppose Lead Ban by Thurs Jan 19!!!

[Fishnut]

Please help us oppose HB2241 that bans small lead for fishing. This is only being sent to the sponsors of the bill and not to the members of the committee. Please take the time to send the votervoice out to the sponsors and email the House Environment Committee who will be dealing with this on Thursday Jan 19, at 8:00 am. Feel free to use our verbage in it to contact your committee legislator listed below.

Please help us stop this bill. Follow the link on the bottom if you agree.


The HB 2241 house bill/lead ban would effectively cripple or stop river fishing for salmon and steelhead, trout, bass, walleye, bait, and any other small jig/hook fishery. This would send our citizens and redirect our out of state sportfishers to BC, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho to fish where these methods are still legal, taking their revenue with them. This opens the doors for expanded future lead bans and could ultimately be expanded to illegalize all lead weights including downrigger balls. Can you imagine if we were forced to have to convert to tungsten? Downrigger balls could be way over $100.00 each! This bill is an anti-fishing bill.

The Puget Sound Anglers promotes and educates sportsfishers to be stewards of our resources. We feel that as the largest sportfishing organization in Washington state, that critical decisions such as these should go through us and not around us. We work very hard to safely promote our sports fisheries and are involved in all decision making for them. This bill does not invite us to the table and instead puts us on the table.

A number of groups have petitioned the federal EPA numerous times during the last five years to ban the use of lead nationally and have been rejected each time. The EPA has repeatedly ruled that if lead is not ingested there is no evidence of harm to the environment, public, or our natural resources. The agency determined that no action was warranted and expressed concern over the enormous economic consequences. The same petitioners filed another petition in 2011 that is currently under review by EPA and a decision is expected by late February of 2012 which we believe this latest petition will be rejected. An interesting note is that the commercial industry and Native American tribes are excluded from this legislation.


The bill is an effort by environmental and bird watching groups to ban the use of lead under 1 inch in length and 1oz in weight in all state waters. Passage of this legislation would have very real economic consequences to our industry and recreational fishers. It must be must be stopped. According to the latest science the only risk to birds is if the lead is ingested. The WDFW Commission ruled on this issue two years ago by passing lead size restrictions on a small number of lakes that were certified to be home to breeding pairs of loons and any further attempts to expand their policy should be made by this independent citizen commission where we are involved with the decision making.






This lead ban is not by the WDFW commission and is going to be heard in Olympia on Thursday Jan 19. This is an end run around our commission where our fishing and resources are dealt with for recreational and commercial fishing and should stay there.



Please write to the Committee listed below. Be respectful in your emails and calls and ask for their support in killing this proposed legislation. If you reside in any of these legislators districts, be sure to mention that and communicate to them what organization you belong to and the membership. Also, we need to have our business members and sports fishing organizations present in real numbers to testify or sign in opposition to the legislation at 8:00 AM on Jan 19. Please check here for info.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary ... #documents

Rep Dave Upthegrove (Chairman) Dist.33 (D) dave.upthegrove@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7868

Rep. Jeff Morris (Dist. 40) (D) jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7970

Rep. Shelly Short (Dist. 7) (R) shelly.short@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7908

Rep. Kirk Pearson (Dist.39) (R) kirk.pearson@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7816
Rep. Steve Tharinger (Dist. 24) (D) steve.tharinger@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7904

Rep. Luis Moscoso (Dist. 1) (D) luis.moscoso@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7900

Rep. Paul Harris (Dist. 17) (R) paul.harris@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7976
Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (Dist. 34) (D) joe.fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7952

Rep. Dean Takko (Dist. 19) (D) dean.takko@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7806

Rep. Larry Crouse (Dist.4) (R) larry.crouse@leg.wa 360 786-7820

Rep. Drew Hansen (Dist. 23 (D) drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov 360 786 7842

Rep. Sharon Wylie (Dist. 49 (D) sharon.wylie@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7924

Rep. Terry Nealey (Dist. 16) (R) terry.nealey@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7828
Rep. Laurie Jinkins (Dist. 27) (D) laurie.jinkins@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7930

Rep. David Taylor (Dist. 15) (R) david.taylor@leg.wa.gov 360 786-7874
Rep. Gerry Pollet (Dist 46) (D) pollet.gerry@leg.wa.gov 360- 786-7886

Rep. Matt Shea (Dist 4) (R) shea.matt@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7984


http://www.votervoice.net/Groups/PSA/Ad ... &SiteID=-1

[Nelly]

Thanks for posting that Ron!!!

Here's what I just sent to my legislators of the 44th district: Senator Hobbs, Rep Dunshee and Rep Hope.

"Good morning Representative Dunshee, Representative Hope and Senator Hobbs,

My name is Tom Nelson and I host the Outdoor Line Radio Show on 710 ESPN. Representative Dunshee has been a guest on the show in the past and at some time in the near future, I would like to hear from all of you on air.

The reason I'm reaching out to you today is in hope of your opposition of HB 2241.

The HB 2241 house bill/lead ban would effectively cripple or stop river fishing for salmon and steelhead, trout, bass, walleye, bait, and any other small jig/hook fishery. This would send our citizens and redirect our out of state sportfishers to BC, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho to fish where these methods are still legal, taking their revenue with them. This opens the doors for expanded future lead bans and could ultimately be expanded to illegalize all lead weights including downrigger balls. Can you imagine if we were forced to have to convert to tungsten? Downrigger balls could be way over $100.00 each!
Plain and simple, this bill is an anti-fishing bill.

I sincerely hope you will oppose this misguided legislation.

Thank-you,

Sincerely, Thomas J. Nelson"

Feel free to cut and paste this and fire it off to your Representatives!

[Dan Carney]

I just sent something off to my reps as well. Thanks for the heads up, I didn't know it was going to be heard on Thurs.
L8R
Dan

[Jerm]

I sent the voter voice in.


Thanks

[Marc Marcantonio]

Thanks guys! I have rearranged my schedule and will be at the Environment Committee Hearing to testify in person. If everyone calls or writes to the committee members prior to Thursday morning, this bill could be killed before Friday.

Your communication will make it clear to the committee members that they were suckered into a legislative action for something that has already been dismissed by Washington's Dept. of Fish and Wildlife on the state level, and the EPA on a federal level.

Thanks for all your efforts!

ciao,
Marc Marcantonio

[Robbo]

If you're struggling for words here's a note that I sent to my representative, Jan Angel, about this bogus bill. Feel free to slice and dice and make it work for you. Thank you for your efforts!

Good morning Jan!
Rob Endsley here from the Outdoor Line radio show on 710 ESPN Seattle.

I’m reaching out to you about House Bill 2241, which seeks to ban small lead fishing weights in Washington.

HB 2241 house bill/lead ban would effectively cripple or stop river fishing for salmon and steelhead, trout, bass, walleye, bait, and any other small jig/hook fisheries. It would send sportfishers to BC, Alaska, Oregon, and Idaho to fish where these methods are still legal, taking their revenue with them. This opens the doors for expanded future lead bans and could ultimately be expanded to illegalize all lead weights including downrigger balls. Can you imagine if we were forced to have to convert to tungsten? Downrigger balls could be well over $100.00 each and lead weights for river or bass fishing would make the sport cost-prohibitive to many anglers, especially young anglers looking to get into the sport. Plain and simple, this bill is an anti-fishing bill and has no scientific qualification.

I sincerely hope you will oppose this misguided legislation. Why…because I don’t want to take up golf!

Thank-you,
Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

[Brandon]

Sent mine. Would suck if I had to start fishin with a block of concrete for a DR ball.

[Marc Marcantonio]

OK, here is my testimony; please keep sending in your letters because I really think we are making a difference!

January 23, 2012
My name is Andrew Marcantonio (better known as Marc).

I urge the Committee to drop HB 2241. The proposed ban is neither scientifically supported or warranted, and will cause serious economic and recreational hardship.

I have more than a casual familiarity with lead, and its impact on the environment and wildlife populations. My credentials include BS Degrees in Ecology and Entomology. I served 23 years of Active Duty Army service, with half of my career as a Chemical Corps officer, and the second half in the Medical Department. After retiring from the Army, I was a senior Fisheries Biologist (Level 4), as the Program Manager for the Salmon Habitat Recovery Program in Pierce County. I am currently the General Manager of a public drinking water utility serving the City of Edgewood (in Pierce County), and licensed by the Department of Health.

I have studied and published papers regarding lead toxicosis with waterfowl as far back as 1975. Yes, lead toxicosis can occur in individual bird species including the Common Loon, but sound wildlife management considers the total population, not individuals. To determine the impact of any single factor on the overall population of a species, a “Limiting Factors Analysis” is necessary, such as the Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Limiting Factors for WRIA 12 that I co-authored and published in June, 2003.

It is important to note that lead fishing tackle has NOT been identified as a limiting factor in any similar study in Washington State for Loons, or any other wildlife species.

Lead ban proponents often point to a single study (Pokras, M. A., and R. M. Chafel. 1992. Lead toxicosis from ingested fishing sinkers in adult Common Loons (Gavia immer) in New England. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 23(1): 92-97.), yet ignore more conclusive studies published in recent years in the very same study area (Evaluation of disturbance factors and their effect on breeding common loons at Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire and Maine, Kyle P., Feb 2010).

The EPA considered petitions for a National ban on lead fishing tackle as recently as Nov. 4, 2010. The EPA dismissed the petition stating that "petitioners have not demonstrated that the requested rule is necessary to protect against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment". The biological facts, economic impacts and social unacceptability did not merit the requested action.

I served on the WDFW Lead Fishing Tackle/Common Loon Advisory Committee. The members of the group did not reach consensus that a ban was warranted. The Fisheries Commission subsequently approved a lead ban on 13 specific lakes with the intent a ban would not occur anywhere else since it is not scientifically warranted. That is why the proponents of this ban have laid this in your lap.

I own a business in Washington that manufactures a specialty fishing sinker named QuickDrops dropshot weights. Although the business is not my primary income at this time, my retirement plan is to expand my business. If approved, this bill will kill my business and more than 25 other Washington fishing tackle manufacturers who are much larger than me. It will not only kill jobs directly produced, but many associated jobs in Washington State and across the USA. This bill will send our jobs to China.

Regarding the myth of lead substitutes being readily available, satisfactory, and environmentally friendly; I would suggest the ban proponents do their fishing homework. The most common alternative to lead is Tungsten. More than 50% of the earth’s Tungsten is in China, and the vast majority of Tungsten weights are made in China, and the rest are manufactured in Japan and Korea. Tungsten fishing sinkers are not made in the USA because of environmental regulations and expense (Tungsten costs up to 20 times that of lead). Tungsten is not environmentally friendly in that it takes more than 6,000 degrees of heat to melt Tungsten so it can be shaped. The manufacture of Tungsten weights requires excessive energy consumption to produce this heat, creating a huge carbon footprint. Manufacturing processes are not clean, hence too costly in the USA, so instead we are going to ship more jobs and dirty manufacturing to China and call it environmental stewardship?

I don’t have time to discuss the problems with other alternatives, but there is good reason lead is the best material for fishing weights and jigs. It is effective because it is heavy without bulk. Angler success depends on fish not seeing bulky weights. It helps thousands of Washington children and adults alike enjoy fishing because lead is key to their ability to catch fish. Anglers can afford lead. Many manufacture their own lead weights and lures at home to be able to afford fishing. You cannot make lead substitutes at home, so lead substitutes exclude all anglers who cannot afford $5.00 for a single Tungsten fishing sinker made in China. Children and adults can afford pennies for the same sinker in lead.

Ingestion of fishing sinkers made from Tungsten, steel, or tin by any animal is not healthier than lead; so even if ingestion of fishing tackle were a problem, alternatives are not proven better.

Lead is an element, and exists naturally in the environment without harm. No matter what action this committee takes, there will be just as much lead in the environment tomorrow as there is today. Occurrences of lead harm are rare, and have not been shown to threaten Washington’s increasing loon population (despite shoreline development and increasing eagle predation).

With the financial concerns we all face, there is important work to be done by all, and HB 2241 should not be part of the agenda. When anglers learn of this bill, it will go over like a lead balloon! Thank you for the opportunity to present my views, and thank you for your service!

[Dan Carney]

Marc,
That was quite an impressive letter. I too have experience in medicine and biology, I spent 30 years in the Navy medical department and my BS degree is in medical sciences and management. I particularly liked your pointing out the misuse of a single research paper when there is more recent and conclusive research to refute this issue. It seems a lot of these so-called conservation groups rely on "junk science" to further their causes.
Thanks again for your efforts.
Dan

[Robbo]

Here's the latest regarding the lead ban. Great job everyone

Thank you to everyone who helped with this anti-fishing/lead ban campaign for House Bill 2241. We were heard loud and clear. The meeting for tonight is being canceled and we were told it would not be rescheduled. We were asked to stop the emails and Voter Voice now.

If the need arises to restart this campaign you will be notified immediately.

Thank you for helping and being involved in the process of our fisheries.
Puget Sound Anglers

Click the link below to view this message on the web:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/psa/5JiJ6z25.aspx