MAdcox
AH elite
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2017
- Messages
- 1,025
- Reaction score
- 2,344
- Location
- Oklahoma, USA
- Media
- 122
- Articles
- 1
- Member of
- DSC; DSCOK
- Hunted
- Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, South Africa (Limpopo, Northern Cape), Namibia
On September 12th-14th, Corey Mason (DSC/DSCF CEO), Erica Tergeson (DSC Government Affairs Director), and Tim Fallon (DSC Board President) organized a small group of DSC/DSCF Board members and staff to fly in to Washington DC and meet with legislators in conjunction with the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation banquet. Over a two day period the group met with many Senators, Congressman and their staffs to discuss current issues important to our efforts with conservation here in the US and internationally, such as the proposed Endangered Species Act rule changes and the ongoing problems with trophy imports for certain species. It was a whirlwind schedule including meetings with Senator James Lankford (OK), Congressman Tom Cole's (OK) staff, Senator Mark Wayne Mullen's (OK) staff, Congressman Jake Ellzey (TX), Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT), Senator Ted Cruz (TX), Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR), and multiple others at their offices or attending the banquet.
DSC leadership was well received and well known to many of these legislators and well-placed to continue fighting for conservation through hunting at the US Capitol. Many of the people we met with, like Congressman Ellzey, Congressman Zinke, and Congressman Westerman were very aware of the topics we were discussing and making every effort in their committees to aid sportsman, shooters, and anglers. In other offices I believe some eyes were hopefully opened to some of the overreach and harmful rule changes and practices of the current administration and USFWS.
For myself it was an interesting look at how our staff and board members in DSC are informing the people at the Capitol and the administrative agencies of the benefits of conservation-based hunting and the need to overcome some of the hurdles these very agencies are putting up to hinder those efforts. How Erica and Corey managed these meetings was mind boggling to me. With the number of people seeking time with these elected officials and the unplanned votes and committee hearings, Erica still got us in front of almost every legislator she had on the schedule and if not we met with their policy staffs. We were nearly in a jog all day from one office building to another on either side of the Capitol from one 30 minute meeting to another. I was somewhat of a fish-out-of-water, having never owned a suit in my life, but I enjoyed the opportunity to watch our people inform the Senators and Congressman of our positions and was encouraged at the responses we received. Obviously the outcomes will hinge greatly on future elections but it was nice to see such a mix of all parties in attendance at the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation banquet.
Mickey Adcox
DSC leadership was well received and well known to many of these legislators and well-placed to continue fighting for conservation through hunting at the US Capitol. Many of the people we met with, like Congressman Ellzey, Congressman Zinke, and Congressman Westerman were very aware of the topics we were discussing and making every effort in their committees to aid sportsman, shooters, and anglers. In other offices I believe some eyes were hopefully opened to some of the overreach and harmful rule changes and practices of the current administration and USFWS.
For myself it was an interesting look at how our staff and board members in DSC are informing the people at the Capitol and the administrative agencies of the benefits of conservation-based hunting and the need to overcome some of the hurdles these very agencies are putting up to hinder those efforts. How Erica and Corey managed these meetings was mind boggling to me. With the number of people seeking time with these elected officials and the unplanned votes and committee hearings, Erica still got us in front of almost every legislator she had on the schedule and if not we met with their policy staffs. We were nearly in a jog all day from one office building to another on either side of the Capitol from one 30 minute meeting to another. I was somewhat of a fish-out-of-water, having never owned a suit in my life, but I enjoyed the opportunity to watch our people inform the Senators and Congressman of our positions and was encouraged at the responses we received. Obviously the outcomes will hinge greatly on future elections but it was nice to see such a mix of all parties in attendance at the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation banquet.
Mickey Adcox
