# inside sfw's corruption



## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

Consider a 2010 Utah Wildlife Board meeting when SFW president Byron Bateman presented then-DWR director Jim Karpowitz with a check for $391,000 moments before the Wildlife Board passed a controversial proposal largely crafted and promoted by SFW to reduce the number of deer-hunting permits by at least 13,000.

I fear that the organization has become increasingly more about making money for its officers, commercializing Utah's wildlife and aligning itself with groups such as off-highway vehicle organizations and right-wing politicians intent on Utah taking over federal public lands. How these things help wildlife or the average hunter escapes me.

Some of SFW's fundraising efforts concern me — especially those taking advantage of hunters' mythical fears that the main reason for the decline in big-game herds, such as mule deer, is predation. **** the biology or the fact that the reasons deer herds are down are far more complex. Advocating killing wolves, coyotes, cougars and bears to save deer, elk and other big game is a great way to raise funds and gain members. No matter that wiping out predators is ecologically questionable and, except in a few specific units, not particularly effective.

The organization successfully lobbied the Utah Legislature to appropriate general tax dollars as well as raise hunting license fees to increase bounties on coyotes, encouraging the wanton killing of coyotes everywhere. I can't find a single reputable biologist who thinks this action will help deer herds. But the simplistic solution sounds good to uninformed legislators and hunters and helps raise money.

The Utah Legislature also gave an offshoot SFW organization called Big Game Forever a second $300,000 contract to lobby Washington politicians to keep wolves out of Utah. Though a few stray wolves may have wandered into northern Utah, there is no evidence wolves ever are going to be a major problem in the state. There has been no detailed report as to how Big Game Forever spent the first $300,000. The group is not registered to lobby in Washington, D.C.

SFW and its officers also donate money freely to dozens of politicians.

One of the recipients was State Sen. Ralph Okerlund, R-Monroe, who received $6,500 in campaign contributions from Peay and Ryan Benson, co-founder of Big Game Forever. Okerlund, the Senate majority leader, recommended spending $300,000 this year on Big Game Forever's anti-wolf lobbying campaign.

Figuring out just how much Peay and other officers make in salary or consulting fees is challenging. Money is moved back and forth from nonprofits to private corporations among groups such as Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Sportsmen for Habitat, Big Game Forever, Arctic Red River Outfitters, Peay Consulting, World Trophy Outfitters, the Full Curl Society, the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, seven state chapters of SFW and the Mule Deer Foundation — which is part of a major wildlife convention where the state gives conservation organizations wildlife tags to auction. The groups get to keep 10 percent of the proceeds for administrative costs. In the case of application fees raised at the 2012 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo, hunters pay in hopes of drawing a difficult-to-get hunting tag, SFW and the Mule Deer Foundation reported $613,572 in expenses of holding the drawing, with the remaining $443,417 actually going to conservation projects.

Has any of this helped big game in Utah? You be the judge.

The number of deer hunters afield dropped from 146,008 in 1993, when SFW was founded, to 80,425 in 2011. The number of bucks killed dropped from 23,024 to 21,291. The number of antelope, moose and bison that hunters and animals harvested also declined during that same time period.

The success stories are elk and bighorn sheep. Utah elk hunters have increased from 48,372 in 1993 to 57,241 in 2011, with the bull harvest going from 6,066 to 6,923. The bighorn sheep harvest jumped from 17 in 1993 to 54 in 2011.

While SFW and its many subsidiaries might do some good for wildlife, those who donate thinking they are helping big game should realize that many of these groups' officers have a heavy financial stake in the operation. And the continued commercialization of the public's wildlife should cause concern that herds are being managed not on the basis of sound biology but in ways to produce more cash.


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

[On March 19, 2013 · 27 Comments · In Politics, Wolves, Wildlife, Utah [/I]
*Big donations followed by big returns in policy and Utah government dollars-*

The salt lake tribune has been following the Utah legislature's big payout (or payback) to Don Peay and his hunting organizations. The stories presented by the _Tribune _are breathtaking in the showing close correspondence between him personally or his organizations giving a large contributions to the Division of Wildlife (DWR) and to Utah legislators' election campaigns, and then getting a favorable response to his preferred policies, plus the granting back of large donations from the State to Big Game Forever, supposedly so it could lobby to keep wolves out of Utah. This is a state where there never more than a scattered wolf or two.
In 2012, Peay and Ryan Benson got $300,000 of state money for anti-wolf-related lobbying. According to the _Tribune_, "Big Game Forever submitted the . . . bid to do this lobbying on July 28, 2012, and won the one-year contract four days later." Donations back to sponsors came quickly thereafter.
There was no oversight. What did they do with the money? Regardless, it looks like they will get the money again this year.
*Articles on this:*
*Salt Lake Tribune:*

*Just cry wolf. Your cash for the asking.* March 10, 2013.
*Anti-wolf group likely to get second $300,000 Utah payment:* Money is included in budget despite Dems' insistence project is a "waste." By Brian Maffly.
*Wharton: Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife about wrong kind of bucks*. By Tom Wharton. March 18, 2013.
*Paying Peay's handout.* LTE. March 19, 2013
Even more troubling was the 2010 donation of $391,000 given to DWR director Jim Karpowitzby by Peay's first organization, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (SFW) just "moments before the Wildlife Board passed a controversial proposal largely crafted and promoted by SFW to reduce the number of deer-hunting permits by at least 13,000." The Tribune's tells us that, in addition, SFW "recently wrote a check for more than $1 million to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources."
Peay and Benson do not have the average Utah hunter in mind either. They get donations to their non-profit organizations from rich donor hunters. Not surprisingly, Peay, recently repudiated the North American model of wildlife management in favor of a privatization of wildlife model. See, for example, "Sportsmen" stab Theodore Roosevelt in the back. _High Country News._ By Ben Long. Correspondingly, DWR is more and more giving preferences to rich hunters.
Utah elected offices in general have an air of conflict of interest and corruption about them - one of the worst in America.
Unlike some states, where you have step aside on a vote if you have a conflict of interest, in Utah you vote yes or no and do not abstain. If you think you have a conflict of interest on a vote, the state's law says you are supposed to say so at some point before or during the vote. What actually happens is a Utah legislator typical says "I have a conflict of interest on this mater and I vote (aye, nay) on the bill." He or she doesn't even have to say what the conflict is. See Utah criminal code on conflict of interest. 

Wildlife and quite a few other things suffer in a one-party, one-religion, law-making body where self-aggrandizement has become the guiding principle.
- - - - -
*See our earlier bit of sarcasm on money to lobby against wolves.* "Utah legislature likely to fund alternative education program using wolf fairy tales."


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Please, do not post copyrighted newspaper articles in their entirety. Use snippets of the article and then a link to the web page.

a couple of UWN rules:


_No copyrighted material unless the copyright belongs to the poster. (Brief excerpts are okay as long as credit is given.)_


_We reserve the right to remove posts that we deem to be inappropriate. We reserve the right to move posts that we feel are better located in other parts of the forum. We generally do not modify posts, and do so only to fix mistakes, remove copyright violations or to remove clearly offensive materials._

thanks


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

There you go goob cleaned up


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

The giant check delivered on the day of that vote was purposeful and antagonistic. It was SFW thumbimg their collective nose at anyone and everyone that had opposed them. 

They will continue to do so until they are stopped. How many people have reached out to their legislators since yesterday?


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## Old Fudd (Nov 24, 2007)

SFW Follow the MONEY. Crooked as my arthritic finger> Say Hey Don Peay how much cash have you brought in today..Does he still hate the Bowhunters. Only met him one time, thats enough for me.He and his backers agendas R $$$$$$$$$$$


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

Oh man, it's going to be a long winter!:-?


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

So I was talking to a co worker the other day, some of his buddies who are pretty tight with sfw and Don Peay,went hunting moose in Canada. I asked him how it was going, he told me they were on their way home. They flew up but we're driving home. I asked how did they get a vehicle up there and he said Don let them take his truck home. 
I thought it was strange and asked if Mr Peay also hunting with them. He said no Don owns the outfitter they went to. This was news to me I was unaware Don owned an outfitting company. 
He replied that SFW had purchased this outfitter and also Arctic Red River Outfitters. 
Now maybe you already knew but I was taken back. How does a non profit organization buy a business to make a profit? 
Now if it was bought using membership fees I could careless, I would be pissed if I was a paying member though. But knowing how much monies they get from pimping OUR wildlife, you have to think our wildlife bought this organization a buisness that they are making a ton of money off of.
My coworker is pretty smart and is not a member of SFW but does know quite a bit about their dealings
I can't think of the name of the other outfitter but here's some info on Arctic Red River businessprofiles.com/details/arctic-red-river-outfitters-ltd/CA-6734502/don-peay

Maybe it's nothing but it just seems wrong to me.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Interesting Mike..... 

This could be either a big conflict of interest or just a misunderstanding. I'd be interested in hearing more if you find out about it.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Bax* said:


> Interesting Mike.....
> 
> This could be either a big conflict of interest or just a misunderstanding. I'd be interested in hearing more if you find out about it.


I will try and find out more. My coworker has been gone to AZ hunting but I will talk to him when he gets back. 
I know on the link I put up it doesn't name SFW as the owner but it does list Don and a few other sfw officials.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Sometimes it won't list a parent organization, so you want to look at the officers (if listed) and potentially who the registering agent is with the state who filed the legal entity name with the state corporate commission/ business entity registry. 

I guess I've done this a few times...


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

They most likely put the outfitters license under someone else's name. But best believe utah's expo dollars is what paid for that sfw Alaskan hunting club


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## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

"Inside SFW corruption?"-----Not.

More like Inside Utah DWR corruption!

SFW is the tail, The DWR is the dog.


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## hawkeye (Feb 18, 2008)

Goofy, I agree that there is plenty of blame to go around. Unfortunately, the DWR (the dog) often allows SFW (the tail) to wag the dog.

Hawkeye


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## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)

More like SFW is the hand and DWR is the puppet. They are rather spineless and let SFW and others run them through corruption and crummy biding. One interesting note is that Utah as a whole seems to have troubles with bids and awarding the correct awardee. I put in a bid recently and lost which not a big deal but I basically offered to do it for free. There was nothing in it for me other than something to do. :?


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## GeTaGrip (Jun 24, 2014)

DWR is 95% bound by state laws and regulations, wanna change the laws? Gotta change the law makers!


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## SLCHunter (Dec 19, 2013)

hazmat said:


> [On March 19, 2013 · 27 Comments · In Politics, Wolves, Wildlife, Utah [/I]
> *Big donations followed by big returns in policy and Utah government dollars-*


Thanks for posting all of that. Very informative.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Here is RMEFs proposal in its entirety, strange RMEF doesn't mind is seeing all their proposal, SFW blacked half theirs out:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-wN_VDhjGeEQk5DUWh4ZmQ4X1k/view


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Hazmat, You nailed. Where is the return for all that money? With such an explosion of "conservation orgs" and money for wildlife over the last 20 years, where are the results? Where is the pay off?, besides the bottom line of Arctic Red River. We have already been shown the money, and the results are self evident. In all eras prior this one, real conservationists showed results. They increased hunters, and they increased wildlife. These clowns have done just the opposite. And don't forget, they took power because of wildlife declines, they made the case that what was being done needed to be fixed. Yet all they have done is made things worse while enriching themselves.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Lonetree said:


> Hazmat, You nailed. Where is the return for all that money? With such an explosion of "conservation orgs" and money for wildlife over the last 20 years, where are the results? Where is the pay off?, besides the bottom line of Arctic Red River. We have already been shown the money, and the results are self evident. In all eras prior this one, real conservationists showed results. They increased hunters, and they increased wildlife. These clowns have done just the opposite. And don't forget, they took power because of wildlife declines, they made the case that what was being done needed to be fixed. Yet all they have done is made things worse while enriching themselves.


Lonetree I'm hoping your taking the fight to some of these folks involved.


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> Lonetree I'm hoping your taking the fight to some of these folks involved.


1-I, you ever had one of those slivers you just could not find? That one you thought you got rid of, but festered a week later, and now every time you pick something up you know exactly where it is?....was?.....has been?....still is?


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Lonetree said:


> 1-I, you ever had one of those slivers you just could not find? That one you thought you got rid of, but festered a week later, and now every time you pick something up you know exactly where it is?....was?.....has been?....still is?


What amazes me is by law the 60% that is required to be spent within 2 years by SFW and MDF is far from accounted for. We are talking a couple hundred thousand dollars a year each that according to DWR records has not been spent. Where the hell is all that money? These two.... Sorry three (SFW,MDF,and the DWR) corrupt organizations aren't accounting for hundreds of thousands a year they are required to, and we are expected to believe they are spending the extra money they get is going to wildlife?


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## hazmat (Apr 23, 2009)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> What amazes me is by law the 60% that is required to be spent within 2 years by SFW and MDF is far from accounted for. We are talking a couple hundred thousand dollars a year each that according to DWR records has not been spent. Where the hell is all that money? These two.... Sorry three (SFW,MDF,and the DWR) corrupt organizations aren't accounting for hundreds of thousands a year they are required to, and we are expected to believe they are spending the extra money they get is going to wildlife?


oh its going to wildlife alright there private Alaskan retreat and their first class tickets to dropp them off at their 70k pickup trucks all paid for by us


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