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Obama will protect interests of sportsmen
By STEVE DOHERTY, JIM POSEWITZ, LAND TAWNEY and KENDALL VAN DYK

As Montanans who take advantage of our state’s unique hunting and fishing opportunities, we believe strongly that the next president must respect our right to own and use guns, expand access to public lands, reward private landowners who open their lands to sportsmen and protect the habitats that make our state so rich in wildlife. We believe Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is the leader who will best represent sportsmen on these non-negotiable issues.

While critics try to distort his record, one thing is clear: Obama respects the rights and traditions of Montana’s sportsmen. He has repeatedly and consistently said that he has no intention of taking away our Second Amendment rights. Obama understands that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual’s right to possess and bear arms. And Obama realizes that Montana’s gun laws shouldn’t necessarily be the same as those in Chicago, where he served as a state senator. We all agree that we need to do what we can to prevent criminals from obtaining guns, and Obama will do this by working to ensure that illegal guns do not fall into the wrong hands. However, Montana residents who obtain firearms legally will see no changes in their traditional lifestyles.

And Obama’s record shows that he understands the Second Amendment. As a U.S. Senator, Obama stood up for gun owners by supporting Sen. David Vitter’s (R-La.) bill prohibiting the federal government from confiscating guns during a declared state of emergency. Obama’s opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, threatened our gun rights by voting against the amendment.

We agree with Obama’s assertion that we must do more for sportsmen than just protect gun rights. Obama understands that hunters and anglers are losing access to Montana’s wild places. He supports Open Fields Incentives legislation, which provides incentives for landowners who voluntarily open their land to sportsmen. Obama also knows that climate change threatens our fish, wildlife and natural habitats. He supports common sense solutions, endorsed by dozens of America’s premier hunting and angling organizations (including our very own Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation), which will reduce the effects of climate change on wildlife. He will work with state fish and game agencies to aid their conservation efforts and teach our young people about hunting and fishing, hunter safety and the basic principles of fish and wildlife management.

We urge Montanans across the state to join us and over 50 other members of Sportsmen for Obama in supporting Obama in the June 3 primary. You can be confident that you are voting for a leader who understands and respects our rights and traditions as sportsmen. We know that under his leadership, we will be free to maintain our culture and preserve our rights. It is our responsibility to make sure our leaders give us the opportunity to pass down these rich traditions to our children, and that is why we support Sen. Barack Obama.

Steve Doherty is a former Senate Minority Leader and chairman of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission. Jim Posewitz is a lifelong sportsman, member of Helena Hunters and Anglers Association and retired biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Land Tawney is a lifelong, avid sportsman, and Rep. Kendall Van Dyk is Democratic chair of the Montana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
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