'Won't get fooled again'

In Minnesota's long, glorious history, no segment of the population has been ignored by more politicians than sportsmen and sportswomen, defined herein as hunters, anglers and other conservationists.

Bound by common passions, interests and pastimes, this bunch nevertheless is wildly disparate -- individualistic in its tastes, specific sporting undertakings and world views.

Small wonder, then, that sportsmen have been slow, historically, to rise up against generations of cretinous politicos who since statehood have sold out Minnesota's natural resources -- be they prairies, forests or minerals -- to the highest bidders.

Perhaps, thanks to technology, that era is ending.

Now, for the first time, beginning this evening, anglers in Warroad can meet with bow hunters from Winona and bird lovers from Worthington, all gaining access to the same information at the same time.

The free meeting, or "webinar,'' scheduled online for 8 tonight, will be repeated twice this week (see sidebar for days and times) and again next week and the next and the next, indefinitely.

The goal, says SportsmenFor Change.org executive director Garry Leaf, is twofold: To organize support for a citizens council to oversee hunting and fishing habitat money from a proposed dedicated conservation account, and to drive support for a constitutional amendment proposal expected to be on the ballot next fall that would fund that account.

"I've been traveling the state, going to banquets and meetings one at a time,'' Leaf said. "Everyone is interested in dedicated funding, and they're especially interested in making sure that any fish and wildlife money that would come from a dedicated funding account is properly spent.

"But it's just too difficult to talk to everyone in the state who wants information and wants to help. You can see why sportsmen in Minnesota historically have been so difficult to get on the same page.''

Leaders want council

The proposal to dedicate a fraction of the state sales tax to clean up the state's rivers and lakes, protect and restore its uplands and keep intact its northern forests has been debated for 10 years.

In the last legislative session, time ran out before the House and Senate could pass a conference committee report that would have placed the constitutional amendment idea on the ballot next fall. The plan would raise the sales tax 3/8 of 1 percent, dedicating about $300 million annually to fish and wildlife habitat, clean water, parks and the arts.

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher have said they will take up the measure early in the next session.

But Leaf, along with Dave Zentner, co-leader with Lance Ness of the Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water coalition, as well as leaders of the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA), say they believe establishing a citizens council to oversee spending from the proposed fish and wildlife account is paramount.

Legislation establishing the council would need to be passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Leaf said he believes that unless the Legislature establishes the citizens council in its next session, the constitutional amendment idea could fail in November among voters.

"Sportsmen in Minnesota might be difficult to organize, but they're not dumb, and they know the Legislature effectively robbed the lottery account that was supposed to be established for the benefit of the environment alone,'' Leaf said. "Sportsmen aren't going to let that happen again with dedicated funding.''

The rallying cry for the citizens council idea, said Leaf, is "[We] won't get fooled again,'' title of the onetime hit by the Who.

"My sense is that Minnesotans will not allow themselves to be fooled again over how conservation and environment money will be spent,'' Leaf said. "Dedicated funding for conservation is critical if we're going to restore our wetlands and in general clean up the state. But dedicated spending with the help of a citizens council is even more important.''

Leaf noted that a commission organized earlier this year by Pawlenty recommended that a citizens council oversee spending from any dedicated hunting and fishing habitat account.

Council not universally supported

Not everyone agrees citizens should play a roll in deciding how additional conservation money should be spent.

In fact, the issue is splintering the feeble partnership forged among sporting and environmental groups to organize the Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water rallies on the Capitol mall in 2005 and 2006.

Example: Some green groups and their supporters argue that asking the Legislature next session to establish a citizens council to oversee habitat money will distract from the more important task of drumming up support for the constitutional amendment ballot measure next November.

Many "Guns'' of the so-called Guns & Greens coalition, meanwhile, argue that the Greens are being disingenuous, that their real intent is to leave open the issue of how conservation funds will be spent so they can control those millions in future years.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Either way, Leaf and fellow SportsmenForChange.org leader Kevin Auslund say they believe online meetings will inform and organize sportsmen and sportswomen in ways never before possible.

They also say that support for a citizens council will follow among citizens and legislators.

As many as 1,000 people can attend a single online webinar, logging on from their homes or offices. Leaf or another spokesman will be live online, breaking down for those "attending'' the specifics of the citizens council and constitutional amendment proposals.

"The webinars are free, but people have to register in advance,'' Leaf said. "By giving us their name and e-mail addresses, we'll also be able to communicate to them as these issues come up at the Legislature.''

Perhaps then legislators will stop ignoring sportsmen and sportswomen -- and conservation in Minnesota.