BHA seems “all-in” with Biden

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@Middleofnowhere thats a good response and thank you for getting things back on topic. I personally feel that ANY energy projects on public lands have pretty heavy downsides, and would much rather see most of these projects going on private land. I also think that advocating for using public lands for energy development runs against the interests of hunting and conservation. That being said y’all out west have so much public land that you can’t reasonably demand that, so I think it’s important to look at each project from an individual level. There’s definitely some horrible places to put solar and wind, just like oil and gas, but there’s also some low impact areas to do it (like rooftop solar or offshore wind that’s away from bird migration routes).
 
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Turns out I’m a deacon at my church so maybe you don’t know who “we” are all that well. I’m just having a bit of fun satirizing your view of liberals and the BHA which incidentally has more Republican members than democrats. Regrettably the comedy isn’t wholly original but inspired by a 2012 onion article that turned out to be more prophetic about conspiracy and depths of conservative paranoia than anyone would of guessed. And because there is no understanding of nuance in this day in age.... before absolutely everyone wants to attack me....I’m liberal on some issues and conservatives on others and try to see both sides on everything because I’m an adult and understand not everything in life is black and white. For those of you who don’t get that concept fee free to hate on me and keep the crazy uncle at thanksgiving rants coming. My hunter/angler coworkers and I get a laugh out of them.

A deacon huh? Well Mr Deacon? You of all people should understand the following phrase then because it’s mentioned hundreds if not thousands of times. And I’ll paraphrase because I don’t claim to be a Biblical scholar but here goes. “Do not let yourself be deceived”

which is exactly what happened to me when I joined a couple “sportsman’s” groups early in my hunting career. And many other things in life too I’m sure.

And for all of you with Judeo-Christian values, republicans and democrats alike, and all those who have bought into the “green new deal” that phrase “Don’t let yourself be deceived” applies to all of us. But not limited to only those mentioned. Now you can say you’ve been told. ;)

wake up people. The back room politics that I’ll just call forced politics playing out today, will affect your hunting of tomorrow. When you see a wall around the capital, it should draw everyone’s suspicion if you value your freedom. Right now we have a handful of puppeteers controlling the presidency.
 
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Oct 12, 2020
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A deacon huh? Well Mr Deacon? You of all people should understand the following phrase then because it’s mentioned hundreds if not thousands of times. And I’ll paraphrase because I don’t claim to be a Biblical scholar but here goes. “Do not let yourself be deceived”

And for all of you with Judeo-Christian values, republicans and democrats alike, and all those who have bought into the “green new deal” that phrase “Don’t let yourself be deceived” applies to all of us. But not limited to only those mentioned. Now you can say you’ve been told. ;)

wake up people. The back room politics that I’ll just call forced politics playing out today, will affect your hunting of tomorrow. When you see a wall around the capital, it should draw everyone’s suspicion if you value your freedom. Right now we have a handful of puppeteers controlling the presidency.
Well I’m also an engineer and I’ll wager I’ve taken a few more thermodynamics and energy generation courses than you have so can speak with a bit more authority on the subject. Maybe that makes me a puppeteer rather than a puppet in your mind. Green energy is becoming economically more viable now than some fossil fuels. It’s one reason our church is installing a 51kW solar array on our roof. I don’t want arrays on public land, one on our roof a net win for wildlife and land preservation. As for who has been deceived, it’s either you or me. I’m comfortable with that impasse and wish you the best.
 
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The most valid argument against wind and solar in my mind is that you need massive energy storage capabilities (either in the form of batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or even elevated water reservoirs) that all have significant downsides. People who are worried about either the destructiveness of mining for lithium or the fact that it gives China so much economic power should be advocating for projects such as Standard Lithium’s work to extract the element from existing bromine wells in the Southeast, or a similar project in the West. They don’t have to drill so it’s net zero land loss, it creates American jobs, and it weakens China’s monopoly on lithium. With projects like this on the horizon I don’t think it’s a bad idea to really start getting serious about renewable energy infrastructure, although I absolutely think there are lots of places sportsmen will need to fight against the installation of wind and solar farms in this administration
 
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Apr 1, 2013
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@Middleofnowhere thats a good response and thank you for getting things back on topic. I personally feel that ANY energy projects on public lands have pretty heavy downsides, and would much rather see most of these projects going on private land. I also think that advocating for using public lands for energy development runs against the interests of hunting and conservation. That being said y’all out west have so much public land that you can’t reasonably demand that, so I think it’s important to look at each project from an individual level. There’s definitely some horrible places to put solar and wind, just like oil and gas, but there’s also some low impact areas to do it (like rooftop solar or offshore wind that’s away from bird migration routes).
No. If we are going to table multi use for oil and gas that includes ALL forms of energy production.

The green foot print is larger, which means more habitat loss to infrastructure.

No one can’t beat beat their chest about fossil fuels destroying public lands and advocate for more green on public land, in a lot of ways it’s worse.
 
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No. If we are going to table multi use for oil and gas that includes ALL forms of energy production.

The green foot print is larger, which means more habitat loss to infrastructure.

No one can’t beat beat their chest about fossil fuels destroying public lands and advocate for more green on public land, in a lot of ways it’s worse.
I think we’re agreeing with each other. Green energy production is not better than fossil fuels from a habitat perspective and in some important ways is worse. However in certain situations you can minimize the footprint of green infrastructure or put it in areas where the large footprint is less important than the risk of -for example- an oil spill. But generally yeah I don’t think public land is the place for large renewable energy projects
 
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Energy storage is a big concern but we can offset a lot of fossil use now with solar and wind and use natural gas to make up the difference when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. Fears about the sun not shining and the wind not blowing are also a little “overblown” because with a large enough grid like the 2 grids in the lower 48 minus Texas, even if the sun isn’t out in my home state Michigan it probably is somewhere else and that power can be sent our way. Until there are better power storage solutions there will still need to be some fossil fuel plants but for now we can work towards using less than we currently do without having to take up public land. I’d like to see more panels on roofs, in daisy highway overpasses, medians.... lots of options for low impact installation areas. Currently you can lease your roof out for solar installation use and after an agreed upon time frame the panels are “depreciated” to the point you own them and they keep generating power. Generally the companies that do this want large commercial sized roofs but “group buys” can get it on smaller building roofs and I think we may see similar arrangements in the future for residential.
 
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Well I’m also an engineer and I’ll wager I’ve taken a few more thermodynamics and energy generation courses than you have so can speak with a bit more authority on the subject. Maybe that makes me a puppeteer rather than a puppet in your mind. Green energy is becoming economically more viable now than some fossil fuels. It’s one reason our church is installing a 51kW solar array on our roof. I don’t want arrays on public land, one on our roof a net win for wildlife and land preservation. As for who has been deceived, it’s either you or me. I’m comfortable with that impasse and wish you the best.
Engineer, Deacon, whatever. Scientists were telling us in the 70’s we were heading for an ice age. Now engineers are telling us we’re heading for a heat wave. I know engineers who have had the common sense educated right out of them. In fact I’m dealing with a soils engineer right now who is like that. Not saying that applies to you or anything. But I am saying if you are selling, I’m not buying. You can sell that crap to politicians and unsuspecting members, but as I’ve said, y’all who read my earlier post have been told. And so have you Mr Engineer.......
 
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sneaky

"DADDY"
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ID
Well I’m also an engineer and I’ll wager I’ve taken a few more thermodynamics and energy generation courses than you have so can speak with a bit more authority on the subject. Maybe that makes me a puppeteer rather than a puppet in your mind. Green energy is becoming economically more viable now than some fossil fuels. It’s one reason our church is installing a 51kW solar array on our roof. I don’t want arrays on public land, one on our roof a net win for wildlife and land preservation. As for who has been deceived, it’s either you or me. I’m comfortable with that impasse and wish you the best.
I would wager that your church is installing a solar panel system for a tax credit as part of the plan.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
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We get no tax benefit, as a non profit we do not pay taxes and therefore aren’t eligible for a credit. We are fortunate enough to be paying with funds accumulated from renting our parking lot to a local hospital during the week.
 

Rokbar

WKR
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May 8, 2020
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483
The big negative that directly affected me was the creation of the Castle Mountains National Monument in my state of California. The Monument was regular BLM land and had quite a bit of designated ”wilderness” already. In a nod to radical anti hunting groups, President Obama made the monument a no hunting zone. Some of California’s best mule deer and upland bird hunting was there. There is also a growing bighorn sheep population that could eventually be a hunting zone and talks of reintroducing pronghorn there.

If you look at what President Obama’s administration did to California’s other desert areas with the DRECP, vast amounts of our public lands and tax dollars have been handed over to solar companies. Coincidently those solar companies and their investors are huge democrat campaign donors.

These are some screenshots from my OnX app. The Ivanpah solar plant cost the US taxpayer about $2-billion dollars and continues to run at a loss costing rate payers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The facility is 100% on BLM land. The heated solar flux vaporizes hundreds of thousands of birds every year. Hundreds of desert tortoises that were relocated to an enclosure caught a disease and had to be euthanized. Bighorn sheep and mule deer connectivity corridors are disrupted, etc. Oh, the investors on this served on various boards and even in the Obama admin.
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These are just a few items off the top of my head anti environment, anti public land and anti hunting.
This is how you post with example's!
 

wrkrig

FNG
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Feb 23, 2021
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I’ve been a member for about 5+ years or so, seemed like a decent organization and values. I’ve been to a bunch of pint nights and made a couple friends from the group. I’ve volunteered and currently serve on a “habitat watch” committee.

During the Trump admin, BHA delved in to politics like i’ve never seen. They targeted Trump’s picks incessantly with negative articles and what I considered personal attacks. Biden has picked the new USDA chief and he is the old USDA chief that served under the Obama/Biden administration. This guy and his policies are largely responsible for the mismanagement of our western forests and loss of access and habitat for hunting.

BHA is “all-in” for this guy and it bugs the heck out of me. Never once do I remember them offering anything positive on Trump’s people. I think I am now truly done with the org and will never give another penny or let them use my membership for political clout.

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Good Read
 
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This thread has been very enlightening. I've been thinking of joining this group. However I've been on the fence for sometime over it. I never could put my finger on it but there was just something holding me back. Call it a vibe I got or whatever but I just never could pull the trigger. I'm starting to think there was something to it. Maybe I need to go to a pint night or contact someone on my states board in get first hand info. Just to get a better feeling of where they stand and address some of my misgivings.
 
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mtwarden

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yeah I definitely wouldn't join; my local chapter emailed me no less than two dozen times during our legislative session wanting me to write senators and representatives on bills that were detrimental to sportsmen and wildlife

I'm certain that their influence (and me and others writing) helped turn back several bad pieces of legislation.

but yeah, they suck
 
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Apr 11, 2021
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Political influences within this organization vary widely. The majority of the members are average guys and gals looking to make a difference in their local public use areas. Advocating for access and science-based management is one of the pillars of BHA which inherently becomes political. That being said, like most organizations they pick and choose their battles. I will continue to support the organization.
 

crossone

FNG
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
73
Listened to one interview with Land Tawny and figured out that he was a political hack who happened to find a place in a group of hunters and fishermen. When I learned that he was the leader for Sportsmen for Obama in Montana I knew he wasn't one of us. Yes, Democrats do protect the land from logging and mining. However, in North Idaho, no logging means no elk or deer and you can only save a tree for so long and some patches of forest are train wreck and need to be thinned out in order to save them from having to be burned out.

Nosir, Land Tawny can't have my money. He's a damned Portland liberal hippie. No wonder he found a home in Missoula.
 
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