NABF Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By Brian Bachman, President/CEO, NABF

Where Does Your
25 Dollars Go?

Summer 2007

When we started the North American Bear Foundation there was a need for responsible bear management as anti-conservationists were getting a foothold. The antis continue to gain momentum and their funding seems endless. The main goal of the NABF is education. Through education we can insure the future of bears and all wildlife in this country. Just recently Brian Hanson from the St. Croix Valley chapter and I had the opportunity to speak about bears and bear hunting at the Boy Scout Rendezvous at Camp Ripley. There were over 10,000 scouts at the event. There was a lot of interest in bears from the scouts as well as the parents. As I give these talks around the country I am amazed on how little the public actually knows about bears, but there is a great interest to learn.

At the present time the primary educational tool we have is our publication, which brings us back to where your $25 membership goes. The magazine printing, layout, postage and the fees paid to writers and editors comes to just under $30 per membership, a deficiency of nearly $5. Bill Hilts and the writers have done an outstanding job on putting our quality magazine together at a cost much
less than they normally would charge. For this I cannot thank them enough for their contributions. This may seem like putting the cart in front of the horse, but we believe a quality publication is expected from our membership and is necessary to give the NABF credibility. Our chapters have done a great job in raising the funds to make up the difference and assist with operating funds. I have never
taken any of the NABF funds as salary. To the contrary, I donate between $20,000 and $30,000 per year and this does not include most of my travel expenses as I continue to pay them as well. I also make personal donations to other groups and organizations in the name of the NABF. I do this because I believe in the cause and I do not take the position that someone else will fight the fight or do what needs to be done. We all need to work together to insure responsible wildlife management, as there is a growing number of people that want to see hunting ended and they are making progress, almost always at the expense of wildlife. I want to insure hunting remains part of our heritage.

Throughout the year we receive many requests for the funding of projects and most are worthy and in need of funding. At this point we do not have the funds to participate with these requests. However we have been able to have an impact in other areas without financial input. For example, as members of the Association of Wildlife Conservation Partnership (AWCP) we have signed on to many letters that have been significantly influential in the passing or defeating of important legislation effecting wildlife and wildlife management. I am able to give seminars and I have had contact and have provided information requested by state game departments around the country. There have been a number of other
ways we have been successful with little or no money. We recently completed an education CD project in cooperation with Arkansas, New York and New Jersey at a cost of over $50,000. It is a high quality production that has won many awards and we need to get it out to our membership
and the public. We are presently looking for funding for replication and distribution. We can be far more effective with proper funding. Because we do not purchase in large quantities we do not get many discounts and often end up paying full retail. As we grow this will change. We are working with
North American Outdoor Marketing Group and Madeline Rafferty to secure advertising for the magazine and to increase membership and public awareness.

As with all non-profits the biggest challenge is fundraising and we need to get better at it. Money drives the world and we could do so much with additional funding to meet the requests we receive and have a greater impact and higher level of participation on bear issues. So please renew your memberships and ask your friends to join as well. If you would like to take a more active role please contact
me to get started. Be a leader. Together we can make a difference.

*****

Gloom and Doom - Winter/Early Spring 2007

Global warming seems to be the political catch phrase of the 21st century and the polar bear is its poster child. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking at listing the polar bear as threatened thereby halting the importation of them into the country. While there is a perceived threat that global warming may have an effect on polar bears and their environment,
stopping the hunting of them will most certainly have an effect.

The money brought in by hunting is used for research and management as well as being the driving force for many local economies. Polar bear populations are closely monitored in hunted areas and are doing very well. Hunting is highly regulated and licenses are extremely limited. Hunting has shown to have no detrimental effect on polar bear numbers. Emotional public outcry has never been proven effective in game management.

Back to global warming. While I am not that old there have been many gloom and doom predictions that have not come to be. We can all think of a few. I have tried hard to think of one that has materialized other than the events of 9/11/2001, but I am having difficulty. Not long ago the African elephant was the poster child to raise funds even though it was in no danger. Many believed the propaganda; I believed it. Now elephants are decimating their environment and now need to be culled as pests. While I am a positive thinker I do not consider myself an optimist nor a pessimist, but a realist. Being this way I look at both sides of the argument to determine where the truth lies, without
political agendas.

The earth has been warming since the last ice age, of which there has been many. This is nothing new. That is the cycle the earth has always been on. It warms up and it cools down. That is something we can not change. The point of dispute is that we are speeding up the process through the burning of fossil fuels. This may be true but we have greatly reduced wildfires, which historically released great amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. There is much argument on our net effect. There are events that are out of our control at work here as well. Volcanic eruptions have played a major role in the past and will most likely have an effect in the future. There is also the threat of collisions with large asteroids, although greatly exaggerated in the movies, it has happened and may happen again.
Conserving energy could help slow global warming, but will not stop it. I am not saying we should not conserve energy, we need to. We also need to work on alternate sources of energy, as it makes sense both environmentally and economically.

The Gloom-and-Doomers will always be here. It makes for good news and good news sells, no matter how bad it is, which brings us back to the polar bear. I don't think you will get much
argument with the statement that we want to continue to see the polar bear thrive. Bears are very adaptable animals and I believe the polar bear will adapt to their changing environment. The polar bear will continue to be the poster child for this movement right or wrong- it makes good news. The NABF will work responsibly to insure the survival of the polar bear so it remains the icon of the great white north.

*****

Education, Education, Education - Fall 2006

As some of you know, I am a real estate investor in my spare time. There
is an old adage in the real estate world: There are three things you
need, to be successful in real estate - LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION. Now there is a little more to it than that, but location
is very important. At the North American Bear Foundation we feel education is one of the most
important ways that we can have a lasting effect on how bears are viewed and managed.

I am pleased to announce that we are about to release our comprehensive educational DVD
on Understanding and Living with Black Bears. Dan Bertalan with Great Outdoors Multimedia
has been the driving force behind this project. Dan has been working on this project for almost two
years, collecting black bear film footage and interviewing wildlife professionals to bring you the most
complete education production on black bears available today. Our Partners include the states of Arkansas and New York as well as the New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen. All of which will have their own customized version.

Did you know that in many parts of the country there are more black bears today than there has been in the last 100 years? Keeping this in mind, it is understandable that more people than ever before are confronted with living amongst black bears. As you will see in the DVD, living with black bears requires three things. First, understand bears and their behaviors. Second, knowing the Dos and Don'ts of visiting and living in bear country. Third, using this information to minimize or prevent bear encounters. Now, more than ever, bears are in the news. It is unfortunate that they have often become political and media pawns along the way. Bears are usually portrayed as either comical backyard
entertainment that are completely harmless, or as man-eating monsters to be feared and hated. It is our
responsibility at the North American Bear Foundation to dispel myths and give people a better understanding of bears. As the public is asked to voice their opinion and in some instances cast their votes on bear management issues, it is imperative that they have the unbiased information to make
sound rational decisions. This is a major goal of the North American Bear Foundation. Our DVD
titled Understanding and Living with Black Bears is a big step in seeing this goal become a reality.

The DVD will be available on our website, and will also be used as a membership incentive in the
future. We are looking for sponsors to assist us in distribution and marketing. Quantity discounts will be available for groups and organizations that are looking for a tool to assist them in their fundraising efforts as well. It is our goal to get as many copies out to the public to help educate them about black bears.

We will be taking orders soon. They are valued at $19.95, but will be available to our members at a greatly reduced price. More information on how you can get your copy will be available in the next issue of the North American Bear or keep checking our website.

*******

A Call For Members - Summer 2006

Fall is rapidly approaching. Many of us are looking forward to a successful hunting season. Talking with old friends and hunting partners about past seasons and making plans for the upcoming one. There are many preparations to be made, almost a ritual. Going through our old equipment and getting it ready for another season. Looking through the magazines and walking the stores looking for new products. Watching hunting videos and the many television shows. Trying to find that new piece of equipment or bit of knowledge that will gives us the edge this year. The anticipation. The excitement. This is the time of year I look forward to. I have made it to another fall. This is my time of year, as it is for many of you as well.

It has been a good year for the NABF. Bill Hilts, our editor has done a great job with our
magazine. It continues to grow and improve. Many thanks to Bill and all those who have
contributed to the magazines success. We have many plans for the foundation and the expansion
of our publication. It is our intent to bring you more coverage of what is happening in the bear
world. Last year saw many successes in responsible bear management. New Jersey was allowed
to manage their growing bear population by holding their second successful bear hunt in the
last 2 years, and it looks like they will have another hunt this year. Referendums to restrict and
limit how game departments manage their bears were defeated in Maine and Alaska. Many more
attacks are sure to come and we intend to play a greater role in the defense of responsible game
management. This is where your help is so important. For the NABF to grow and have a greater
influence we need to increase our membership. If you are reading this and are not a member, I
can not begin to stress how important it is that you join the NABF today. If you are already a
member, I implore you to ask your friends and colleagues to become members of the NABF.
There is a membership form in this magazine or you can call us at 218-746-3774 or email us at
membership@nabf.org.

So as we prepare for the fall and look forward to many autumns to come I do hope you are
able to help us so we can continue to help you.
Have a great fall.

*****

Conservation Vs Hunting - Winter 2004

I am asked many times "How can you claim to be a conservation organization and promote hunting at the same time?" My answer comes quickly and is direct, "You can't have conservation without hunting." For those who do not understand hunting, this is a difficult concept to understand. Those that want to see hunting ended do so under the misleading information that by stopping hunting, wildlife will benefit. When in fact the opposite is true. President Theodore Roosevelt, himself a hunter and conservationist, saw the need for wildlife conservation. President Roosevelt was responsible for initiating many of our conservation programs.

Hunters through license fees and dedicated taxes on sporting equipment and ammunition, fund much of our modern day conservation efforts. A growing percentage of funding and hands on assistance is coming through organizations like the North American Bear Foundation. By eliminating hunting this funding will cease to exist and wildlife would suffer. We have the knowledge and the ability to manage wildlife populations. Hunting is the most efficient and cost effective ways of doing so. Hunters actually are paying through license fees for the opportunity to work for the state in managing their wildlife populations. Without hunting, some species would need to be controlled through sharp shooters or trappers and this is expensive. Some are saying that wildlife can be managed through contraceptives. In a time when the public is demanding less drugs and foreign substances in the environment, this seems a risky solution and is also unproven and very expensive.

Wildlife actually has two thresholds. The first being biological carrying capacity. When this is exceeded there are large die-offs due to starvation and disease. Through hunting we are able to maintain populations below this threshold and keep their numbers stable. The other threshold that is more important with bears is the social carrying capacity. This is the population level that people will accept and is exceeded long before the biological carrying capacity. The main goal of the North American Bear Foundation is to educate the public about bears. Through education the social carrying capacity can be increased as their fear of bears is reduced. As both human and bear populations increase, encounters and conflicts will increase as well. Bears are very intelligent and the fear of people in hunted populations is easily instilled. Bears in states that are not hunted lose this fear and are becoming serious nuisance problems in these areas.

The hunting of bears is easily made into an emotional issue and by doing so laws are enacted that limit the ability of states to manage their population of bears and in the end it will be the bears that suffer. So do not be afraid or ashamed to tell people you hunt. Hunters like you are the true conservationist.

North American Bear Foundation
9960 390th Street
Pillager, MN 56473
218-746-3774

Email NABF