People make New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions but rarely keep them. Those resolutions come on the heels of the Christmas “wish lists” that bring joy to people, especially retailers.
So to switch things up, we present a 2008 “wish list” for sportsmen in South Carolina. I didn’t play Santa Clause or get it from just anyone; Ben Gregg, the director of the S.C. Wildlife Federation and one of the moving forces in the organization of the “Camo Coalition,” had access to a much better list.
First on his plate is the Camo Coalition, a loosely organized group of conservation organizations that pushes and promotes the interests of sportsmen across the state. Gregg said that an official charter for the group may be ready to release to the public as soon as sometime this month.
Gregg calls the coalition a “partnership” of conservation groups around the state. He figures there will be up to 25 or 30 groups on the list once the charter is inked.
“All of the major players will be on board,” Gregg said. “Every-one will maintain the sovereignty of their own group. We’ll all be working on the more universal conservation issues that come up.”
At the top of that list will probably be to work effectively with the S.C. General Assembly, which holds the purse strings and, often regrettably, involves itself in the drafting and passing of hunting and fishing regulations. Second, Gregg said, is to work to protect wildlife habitat and public access to said habitat. Third, he wants to get more young people in the woods and on the waters — and out from in front of computer monitors and television screens.
“We want to try and make an immediate impact with the legislature, to let them know that different groups will be working together,” Gregg said. “Each organization involved will still have its own issues, but as a group, they will be trying to impact issues that concern the entire community of sportsmen in South Carolina.”
Gregg said that water and climate concerns will also be issues likely to wind up on the Camo Coalition’s plate this year.
“Water is going to be a key issue — even if we get some rain,” he said. “We’ve learned this year that water is not a finite resource. We need to factor that into decisions on local and state levels. It is an important issue to the entire outdoors community and beyond.
“There are two national bass tournaments in South Carolina this year (the Bassmasters Classic on Lake Hartwell in late February and the FLW Tour Championship on Lake Murray in mid-August). If the water levels get too low for those, it will turn into a major economic development — not just an outdoors issue. It will start to go well beyond the sporting community, into tourism.
“Water quality will also be a concern, particularly in the Lowcountry and Pee Dee areas, places that will be affected by the Santee Cooper proposal to place a new coal-fired power plant. It’s right in the middle of what they’re calling the ‘mercury triangle’ because of the reports of the mercury showing up in fish.
“And climate is a concern. No matter what you believe about it, we have had a long drought and the hottest August on record last year. Our systems are pretty stressed. We need to start thinking about those things.”
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