Delta Urges Support of FL and PA Bills; News on CA Wetlands and Firearms Bills and Ontario Program to Simplify Federal Firearms License Course

Vigorous Duck Production, HunteR3, and other Delta-supported efforts continue across the United States and Canada 

United States

Federal:

Delta Waterfowl Election Center: Election Day 2024 is just over a month away here in the United States, and early voting has begun in most states. From the top of the ticket on down, there are important races and ballot amendments all over the country, and ultimately, the leaders we elect and initiatives we vote for will impact the issues we care about—like waterfowl hunting and conservation.

Just like setting a decoy spread early in the morning, voting requires some thought and planning…

Before you head into the voting booth this year, use Delta Waterfowl’s Election Center as a your one-stop-shop resource. Check to see whether you’re registered to vote, where your polling place is, and who the candidates are that are running to represent you. Make a plan for voting, then take another duck hunter with you to the polls.

State:

Pennsylvania Sunday Hunting: Recently, legislation to repeal the antiquated prohibition against hunting on Sundays took another major step forward when it passed out of the House Game and Fisheries Committee 15-10 on Oct. 1. Senate Bill 67, introduced by Senator Dan Laughlin, seeks to overturn the unjust restriction that prevents Pennsylvania hunters—particularly waterfowl hunters—from enjoying the outdoors on Sunday mornings. After having already passed out of the Senate with a 33-17 vote on July 3, SB67 is one step away from the Governor’s desk.

Delta policy staff submitted a letter of support to the House Game and Fisheries Committee prior to their Oct. 1 vote, and we have been encouraging our members and duck hunters in Pennsylvania to reach out to their elected officials through our Duck Hunters Action Alert System. Constituent outreach in the days leading up to a floor vote could prove beneficial for Sunday hunting advocates. Make your voice heard now!

Florida Yes on 2: In Florida, Delta Waterfowl is encouraging our members to support Amendment 2—the Florida Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment—this election season.

“RIGHT TO FISH AND HUNT – Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife. Specifies that the amendment does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Section 9 of Article IV of the State Constitution.”

Dozens of other states around the country already have constitutional protections for sportsmen and women codified into law. At a time when the rights of hunters are constantly under attack, ensuring that hunting and fishing continues to be the preferred means of managing wildlife species is critical to maintaining the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Amendment 2 will safeguard the rights of Floridians to hunt and fish, all while ensuring that regulations from the Florida Wildlife Commission are guided by the best available science.

The economic benefit of hunting and fishing in Florida is more than $14 billion annually, and sportsmen and women directly contribute millions of dollars each year to conservation efforts in the state through licenses, stamps, and tags—yet the threats to hunting and fishing, and with it, wildlife conservation across the country, are persistent.

By supporting Amendment 2, Floridians have the chance to ensure that future generations of sportsmen and women have the ability to take part in our time-honored traditions in the outdoors, in addition to protecting natural resources and promoting conservation.

California Wetlands:
Assembly Bill 828: Unfortunately, this month Gov. Newsom decided to veto Assembly Bill 828. This bill would have added the term “managed wetlands” to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. In turn, this language would have prohibited a groundwater sustainability agency from imposing fees upon a managed wetland. The other benefit of this bill was a sweeping commitment to the “no net loss policy” for wetlands, ensuring regulatory protections for some of the most sensitive areas in the state. The Delta team is surprised and disappointed by the Governor’s decision to veto this bill, particularly because it cleared the California State Legislature with little difficulty—passing through the Senate 29-10 and the Assembly 53-17—and would have had long-standing positive effects for California’s environment. Read our full press release on AB 828 here.

Assembly Bill 2875: This month, Gov. Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2875. This legislation supports and protects California wetlands and passed the California state legislature with a unanimous vote in both the Senate and Assembly. AB 2875 codifies into law “no net loss and long-term gain in the quantity, quality, and permanence of wetlands acreage and values in California”. This policy has been in effect since Gov. Pete Wilson signed Executive Order W-59-93, but AB 2875 officially establishes it as law.

The Delta team collaborated closely with the California Waterfowl Association’s advocacy team to refine the bill language. Initially, the bill sponsor did not include the phrase “no net loss,” which was crucial for ensuring that wetlands protections are prioritized by state and local governments without exception. Overall, this is an excellent bill that promises positive long-term benefits for our wetlands and waterfowl, and our team is happy to see it signed into law.

California Firearms: Our team is disappointed to report that Gov. Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 53 on Sept. 24. This bill has serious negative implications for all California firearm owners, with bill language that is left intentionally vague and up for interpretation. SB 53 states that a firearm must be “securely stored when the firearm is not being carried or readily controlled by the person or another lawful authorized user.” The vagueness of this language is intentional, and there is no clear definition of the requirements for a “readily controlled” firearm.

In addition, any infraction of this law may result in the inability to own, purchase, or transfer firearms for up to one year. The Delta team worked hard to prevent this bill from becoming law and sent multiple letters in opposition, but, unfortunately, Gov. Newsom continues to deprioritize the values and rights of gun owners in the state. Read our full press release here.

Colorado Mountain Lions and Bobcats: Recently, the Delta team joined 38 other conservation organizations—including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and more—in signing onto a letter urging Colorado voters to vote NO on Proposition 127. This proposition mischaracterizes the legal, regulated harvest of mountain lions and bobcats in Colorado as trophy hunting and would prohibit these activities in the state. Proposition 127 seeks to undermine the professional wildlife managers employed by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. The experts at CPW use the best available science and work tirelessly to manage and conserve Colorado’s public trust fish and wildlife resources.

Although this issue is not waterfowl-related, “ballot box biology” is a concerning ongoing trend that affects all of us in the conservation community by allowing voters to make decisions that should be handled by state biologists. This trend is not limited to big game-related issues; our team has seen it affect migratory bird management as well.

National Park Rumors in the Midwest: Delta Waterfowl has been closely following a proposal from a group out of Alton, Illinois—called AltonWorks—who have been openly pushing for establishing a National Park at the confluence of the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers in Missouri and Illinois. This large swath of land would encompass several state and federal refuges that are currently open to waterfowl hunting including BK Leach National Wildlife Refuge, Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge, Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area, and other protected sites.

Delta’s policy staff have engaged with state, regional, and federal wildlife agency officials who have all expressed doubt that this proposal is a feasible idea. It is worth noting that a National Park can only be created by Presidential Executive Order or by legislation passed and enacted by Congress, neither of which are happening at the moment. Delta will continue to monitor this situation and will have staff members onsite at a townhall-style meeting in October to learn more. 

Canada

Provincial:

Ontario, Municipal Discharge of Firearm By-laws:
Township of Ramara: With waterfowl seasons now in full swing, the Township of Ramara is once again fielding complaints from a short list of residents living along the shores of Lake Simcoe. Delta Waterfowl staff had previously met with the Mayor, a local councilor, and members of staff (including by-law enforcement) concerning these very complaints that are resurfacing once again.

We have already reconnected with the councilor who has been fielding these calls and reaffirmed our commitment to attend and speak at an upcoming meeting, should it be required. Ramara is a very rural-based community with residents who have been and continue to be very supportive of their hunting heritage.

Ontario, Sunday Gun Hunting:
Haldimand County: On Tuesday, August 27, county staff presented their long-awaited staff report with the objective to pass a Council resolution approving gun hunting seven days per week in Haldimand County. Unfortunately, despite staff’s recommendations to approve Sunday gun hunting—which was supported by 60% of respondents who participated in a county survey (approximately 250+ individuals)—council voted 4-1 against proceeding with the initiative, claiming that the people they spoke with did not want it to be approved.

Particularly, two councilors and the Mayor each mentioned that they spoke with several waterfowl hunters who explicitly stated that they were not in favor of Sunday gun hunting because they would lose the late Canada goose season (a biproduct of adding Sunday gun hunting in southern Ontario which Delta is currently leading efforts to rectify).

As of Sept. 1, 2024, southern Ontario boasts 195 municipalities in southern Ontario who have passed resolutions to approve Sunday gun hunting. Delta’s team will continue to advocate for increased hunting opportunity for those in Ontario who do not yet have access to gun hunting seven days a week.

Ontario, NEW Firearms Education Administrative Online Portal: Late last month, the Firearms Safety Education Service of Ontario (FSESO) announced the launch of a new pilot program that will eventually facilitate all administrative elements of the federal firearms license course through an online portal. The physical course will continue to be held in person, but all other elements will be electronic, which is welcome news and something that has been long advocated for.

Currently, once an individual takes and successfully passes the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC), they must wait a minimum of four to six weeks to receive their official, stamped copy of their course forms—which is needed not only to apply for a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL license) but is also a requirement to hunt with a firearm in Ontario. This time frame could be even longer, depending on workload. The implementation of this new online portal will essentially eliminate that waiting period. Once an applicant successfully passes their course, they will exit with a “new course form,” indicating successful completion of the course.

As a result of this modernization, Delta has already reached out to the Ministry of Natural Resources to confirm that they will make the necessary amendments to the hunting regulations to ensure this new form is recognized, since current hunting regulations make specific reference to the traditional, stamped CFSC forms.

The pilot program for CFSC was launched on Sept. 16, 2024, and now has 50 participating instructors, with plans to extensively expand it in 2025 and eventually become mandatory for all firearms instructors.

Migratory Game Bird Technical Committee Meetings: Later this month, Delta staff will be participating in the Atlantic Migratory Game Bird Technical Committee Meetings, which are scheduled to take place on Oct. 29 and 30 in Sackville, New Brunswick. We will then be participating in the Ontario Waterfowl Committee Meetings in Ottawa, Ontario, in November and will provide updates following these events.

Manitoba Shallow Wetlands: The Delta Waterfowl-inspired habitat conservation initiative—Manitoba’s Shallow Wetlands Incentive Program—aims to support and maintain duck production in at-risk wetlands throughout prairie Canada. Shallow prairie wetlands serve as territorial pair ponds that drive carrying capacity for breeding ducks and provide important food resources for nesting hens. Studies show that 10 one-acre wetlands attract 20 breeding pairs of ducks, while one 10-acre wetland attracts only seven pairs. Take a look at our full press release on Manitoba shallow wetlands here.