hawkeye,
you ask fair and honest question and you will get fair and honest responeses at the meeting where it can be explained in the detail required. thank you for your questions.
The grey area, that SFW members must calculate in their analysis if they want to be a member or not is this, HOw much money does SFW help actually put into the conservation system ?
by design, our model has never been to raise $1 million gross revenue, then after all teh fundrasiing expenses - banquet food, building rentals, splits on auction items and merchandise, travel, payroll costs to produce teh banquets, etc. end up neeting $300,000. A lot of groups put all this expense into "mission accomplishment" as it cost money to try and make money.
then, get a 3 to 1 match on the $300,000.
the SFW model was to get a large enough sportsmen group on a county by county basis to get enough money into teh conservation system to fix teh problems.
Specifically, as i spend two months a year "lobbying" if you will the Utah legislature for conservation funding. When SFW started, the DWR Budget was about $22 Million and it had been cut by over 10% or $2 million by legislators mad that the DWR had bought the ranches in teh Book Cliffs. The Senator who cut the funds said to me "if they have enough money to buy ranches to grow more elk, I'll cut their budget" and he did, and DWR employees got laid of. What message did that send to the DWR ? Try and do somethign good for wildlife and sportsmen, you get laid off. Since no other sportsmen group would get into this fight and defend the DWR becasue "we are a habitat group, not a political group" and my response to that was, in teh west habitat is politics. So, this reason, and the crash of the Deer herds when the DWR manager said "we are going out of the deer business and there is nothing we can do about it becasue we dont' have the money to fix it, and the Federal land agencies won't do habitat work, deer habitat is NOT on their agenda." as the DWR shot 500 doe deer south of Beaver because the ranges were in bad condition, and the BLM in 1996 said, "fixing deer habitat is NOT A PRIORITY".
AFter meeting with George W. Bush a time or two, somehow it became a priority and now over 150,000 acres of BLM and Forest lands are treated annually in Utah, and based on Utah's model of sucess, other states are trying to get the funding and projects going as well.
What role did SFW play in teh Habiat restoration program ?
Subject to debate.
The DWR gave SFW the first annual Kevin Conway Habitat Conservation Award for "helping get the watershed restoration project going - ie working with Bush Administration and BLM - and for helping establish the $12 Million a year funding source.
Most people in the know agree, without SFW, the habitat restoration effort is still just a few thousand acres a year effort, not the 150,000 acres, plus a year.
Specifically, now, i beleivce the DWR budget is upwards of $55 million a year. that is a $30 million a year increase. What percent of that is attributable to SFW efforts ?
Here are many of the specific programs SFW has helped work to establish that didn't exist, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, they are BUILT into the base budgets, meaning the money is there EVERY YEAR:
1. $12 Million a year total habitat restoration program, largest in teh nation by far. The "controversial" conservation permit program was the anchor of $1.5 million to get the $12 million. Although the $2.5 million state match is officiall called the Watershed Restoration Act, the main sponsor of the Bill said to a group of his colleagues, it ought to be the Don Peay watershed act - Ask Senator Valentine about that. I try to keep a low profile most of the time, it is a double edge sword as people don't know what you really get done, but the risk is, if you take credit, you are a bragger. I went to BYU when Jim McMahon was the QB, he said, "if you back it up on teh field, it ain't bragging."
2. $30 plus million fish hatchery restoration program
3. $2 million habitat enhancement program administed via DWR habitat council, various project
4. Additional funds for law enforcement
5. $500,000 a year for coyote control
6 Tens of millions of dollars for highway fencing and underspasses that allow for migration.
7. $500,000 for landowner compensation so landowners only solution wouldn't be just killing deer in teh fields, they could be compensated.
so, Is it worth it to SFW members to for a 4 person staff to make the group run, and in the end, annaul budgets for conservation are increased around $30 Million a year ?
Why were budgets being cut $2 million proior to SFW, and why is the budget up $30 million since ? WHat percent of that is attributable to SFW working on the Hill ?
The DWR gets a lot of credit now, as they should becasue they have listed to teh sportsmen and turned away from being anti- landowner and got away from teh spotted owl and desert tortise agency where they were headed, and are now focused on prducing abundant game and fish.
Here are some laws SFW helped change as well:
1. Trophy poaching bill, instead of the $500 slap on the wrist, $8,000 fine for poaching.
2. AFter one landowner is souther Utah killed 80 bucks in his 5 acre field and left them lay, as he could do by law, about 7 years ago, SFW lead the effort to change that law so that can no longer be done.
3. Proposition 5, requiring a 2/3 majority vote to stop hunting vial the ballot initiative.
4. Instream flow legislation that allowed the DWR to acquire water rights so they could release water into rivers in low flow times of year to keep fish from ding of in late fall.
SFW has been deeply inolved in the process of getting wolves delisted - taken of the endnagered species list.
SFW has spent - unfortunately - far to much money on attorney fees to be in teh court room to try and make sure states keep the rights to manage wolves.
So, to payroll staff.
As mentioned, there has beein $1 million invested by SFW into on teh ground projects on the Henry Mts. alone. Byron Bateman SFW president has made the Henry Mts. his project.
IN addition to teh money on the ground, Byron spends a lot of time - SFW money, not conservation permit money travleing to monthly meetings with the Henry Mt. grazers, meeting with teh BLM and DWR on projects, coordination of drilling wells, etc. etc. etc.
It costs money, to invest in people, to make it all work.
YOu can read somewhere on line all teh millions of dollars SFW has put on teh ground.
And it costs money to raise money, and it costs money to put the money to work. and it costs money to fight all teh land use and other battles to get good habitat projects on the ground.
Now to the Expo.
The staff and volanteers of SFW and MDF were worried sick all yaer long that the Expo could have been a bust, and we could have lost $500,000. There is RISK and REWARDS in a show like this.
the economy is clearly in trouble, people are laid off, one of our parnters left to go back to reno, many Exhibitors felt that the people of little old Utah - everyone knows now it is NOT JUST A UTAH SHOW, it is a NORTH AMERICAN OW - wouldn't come and spend money buying hunts, clotthign,etc.etc.
But, as we told the wildlfie board in teh public meetings to get the Expo tags - the Expo tags are just ONE componenet of many functions, exhibitors, auctions, meal events, facility rental, evening entertainment, computer drawing costs, sponsorhisp coordinators, etc - The Expo in total costs about $1 million to do.
We have to lease the Salt Palace Convention Center years in Advance, we have to guarantee certain number of hotel rooms. Part of the nock on SLC and people NOT WANTING to come to Utah is it is NO fun. so, we do some entertainment in teh evenings: Jeff Foxworthy, Montgomery Gentry, Alan Jackson, this year Jodee Messina fridy night and Josh Turner Sat. night.
both nights, and Sat. night were spectacular.
Now that the SHOW was a MONSTER SUCESS - inspite of all teh doubts and critics going in, it is easy for everyone to wonder where the money will go. and, we will be presenting that to teh Wildlife Board in a month.
Where would be the public outcry if we had not worked 30 hour days, calling in all kinds of favors from wealthy high end donors to make it all work, etc and we had lost $500,000 ?
Just one example. Sisel International, a Utah based health and bueaty care products company donated over $85,000 to sponsor the ladies luncheon. Many ladies said, "the BEST LADIES EVENT EVER" from any of the ladies events attended around teh country for the last 20 yars.
If the ladies are happy, the husbands get to come and spend a little money to.
that in teh end helps conservation.
So, to me specifically, since i am the lighting Rod apparently, what do i get paid from the 200 application fees - which was my idea and worked to get them ? ZERO, not a dime.
The Expo contracted with Peays Consulting for $40,000 to obtain sponsorships for the Expo, help bring high end clients, and hunters from around the world to our show, and do a whole bunch of otehr stuff.
in total, Peay's Consulting delivered around $400,000 in Sponsorhips, plus i did a whole bunch of other stuff that helped generate lots of otehr revenues for the Expo and make it an overall sucess.
The EXPO sucess is a GREAT team sucess of many staff of SFW and MDF and many, many volanteers, and of course teh 27,000 sportsmen who came out to support our conservation efforts. THANKS. many great things will continue to be done on a daily basis, thanks to the Sucess of the Expo.
And then, since you all want full disclosure, I just planed on keeping it quiet, so now i will tell you.
i told the 800 people who attended the First Full Curl Society meeting to help build additional sheep conservation efforts, and provide dream hunts to sheep hunters this that 20 years ago, i sold a very lucrative Engineering Consulting business in 1996, to start SFW. Taht money was never touched, it was invested for 20 years, and when i got to be age 50, my wife and i decided to spend teh annual interest income. She gets teh money one year, i get it the next.
This was my year, and it was a goal and a dream for me to shoot 4 sheep in my 50th year. Investmetn income from the sale of my personal consulting business 20 years ago would pay for it.
Rather than do that, i decided to say thanks to the sportsmen and women - all 800 that attended, and i donated my personal sheep hunting money this year to buy 4 dall sheep hunts and two stone sheep hunts to those who had never had teh chance to kill one of those animals. Those six sheep hunters are ECTSTATIC !
And, Tom Mower donated $100,000 to buy hunts and help bring more people to teh Expo next year. From his leadership role, lots of otehr people have stepped up, and we hope to provide 32sheep hunts in drawigs next year at the Expo.
Not a dime or benefit for Mr. Mower, he believes in the SFW Conservation mission and has donated over $1.5 million.
Isn't it kind of intereting how sportsmen complain the anti hunting groups have all these MEGA WEALTHY hollywood types and then when a few kind and generous sportsmen write teh big checks to help all of us and all of our wildlife, then the critics blast our people to ?
So, here is just a little insight into what SFW is really all about.
SFW members and leaders give a heck of a lot more than they take.
SFW creates long term sustainable wealth. Taht means not just shoot all teh bucks and bulls, then complain when they are gone.
And, since SFW membership is growing, it means that a lot of sportsmen who really take teh time to look at see where their money goes, and what SFW gets done, more and more sportsmen are joining the SFW team.
hawkeye, i hope this provides some insight and answers. You can see it is a very complex busines. there are no simple answers.
It is 3:30 in teh morning, i have lots of work to get done today.
I look forward to seeing you and all the other sportsmen sometime in late March or April, where i can explain to you with powerpoint pictures - as we can debte numbers and claims all day long, but pictures don't lie and piectures are worth 1,000 word.s
Thanks for asking important questions and seeking honest answers. I hope i have provided you with some information and answers and look forward to the meetings later.
And if you really want to know why i am up at this time of night, Marc And Debbie Bingham donated $4 million to SFW to help us acquire an interest in a million acre hunting operation in Canada. teh profits from that area will go to our conservatin mision, and EACH YEAR, there will be 4-8 hunters who will win these world class hunts in drawings. Just ask the guys who got the hunts this year, they are EXCITED !!
A friend of mine, who works in teh private sector told me i would have been paid about $400,000 to have put that total deal together. What did i get paid, ZERO, I worked day and night for two months to pull that deal off, and also help get the expo done, and keep teh Sporsmen's Voice at teh Capital. So, when i say it is 20 hour days, for 3 months out of the year, it is.
Making teh acquistion, It just gave me one more thing to worry and mange. But the LONG TERM benefits for sportsmen and wildlfie will be HUGE.
What did teh BINGHAMS get for $4 million ? Nothing.
MArc went up there this year with me for 5 days to look over teh place, we saw grizzly, caribou and dall rams. Marc didn't even have a hunting license, and when he left the little cabin built high on a lake that will be the base for dream hunts for generations for average income working people and our military heroes, all he said was, "keep it the best place on earth, where dreams will come true."
But, Mr and Mrs. Bingham are so pleased how it is all turning out they want to donate another Million to SFW so we can expand our conservation mision and generate more funds for on the grounds projects, fund transplatns and win teh anti-hunting wars.
I got to check on some currency exchange rates, and put together a bid package to secure another really neat place on earth for wildlfie and sportsmen.
Don
