LIVeWeLL
fLW recoGnIzed for
contrIbutIons to
the outdoors
I
n late August, FLW was named the 2016 American
Outdoor Organization of the Year by the “Legends of the
Outdoors” National Hall of Fame in recognition of the
company’s contributions to the outdoors heritage. FLW
President of Operations Kathy Fennel, center, and Vice
President of Operations Dave Washburn, right, accepted the
award from Hall of Fame Founder Garry Mason. The presen-
tation was made during the group’s annual banquet in
Nashville on the General Jackson Showboat.
CALIFORNIA ANGLERS DODGE A BULLET
W
ith the help from a few friends in high places,
California bass fishermen were able to turn back
a proposal that would have opened the door to
eradication of black bass in the San Francisco Bay-Delta
estuary. A petition offered to the California Fish and
Wildlife Commission by a consortium of special-interest
groups would have changed recreational size and bag lim-
its for bass and other “nonnative species,” with their
removal being the ultimate goal. The petition was pulled
from consideration prior to a Commission meeting in late
August, presumably because the petitioners were assured
that their effort wouldn’t pass.
Opponents charge that the eradication of nonnative
species wasn’t the primary motive of the group calling for
the harvest changes. Get rid of the bass in the California
Delta, and eventually get rid of one major stakeholder – the
fishing community – that stands in the way of unfettered
access to the Central Valley’s most precious commodity:
water.
Besides local opposition focused against the petition by
Allied Fishing Groups, the proposal was assailed by heavy
hitters in the world of bass fishing including FLW, American
Sportfishing Association (ASA), B.A.S.S., California
Sportfishing League, Coastal Conservation Association
California, Coastside Fishing Club, Congressional Sportsmen’s
Foundation, National Marine Manufacturers Association and
Water4Fish.
The petitioners include Coalition for Sustainable Delta,
California Chamber of Commerce, California Farm Bureau
Federation, Kern County Water Agency, Metropolitan
Water District of Southern California, Northern California
Water Association, San Joaquin Tributaries Authority, The
Southern California Water Committee, State Water
Contractors and Western Growers Association.
Delta bass were spared from potentially
devastating new regulations.
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fLWfIshInG.com I october-noVember 2016