SCI Leads the Charge Protecting Wildlife Management in Michigan

Yesterday, Safari Club International’s (SCI) Michigan Chapters worked in conjunction with the Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM) to submit over 350,000 signatures to the Michigan Secretary of State in support of the ballot committee sponsoring a citizen-initiated law called the Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act.

“The voice of Michigan hunters and conservationists cannot be ignored. We are proud of everyone who has worked on the campaign to ensure that fish and wildlife are managed with sound science.  Their work will be a lasting legacy to protect hunting and fishing rights from attacks by out-of-state anti-hunting organizations,” said SCI Past President and current CPWM Chairman Merle Shepard.  “I want to thank SCI for their leadership in helping to collect signatures, as well as its financial commitment to fighting for our hunting rights.”

The Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act is a citizen-initiated law to:

• Ensure that decisions affecting the taking of fish and game are made using principles of sound scientific management
• Provide for free hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for active members of the military
• Provide appropriations for fisheries management activities within Michigan necessary for rapid response, prevention, control and/or elimination of aquatic invasive species, including Asian carp

A citizen-initiated law requires over 258,000 valid signatures to present the law to the Michigan Legislature. If the Legislature passes the law without change within 40 days, then it becomes law.  Over 350,000 signatures were collected with over 150,000 of those signatures collected by the volunteer organizations that supported the ballot committee.

“This citizens’ initiative is indicative of our membership speaking out as the voice for hunters and conservationists in both the state of Michigan and around the world,” said SCI President Craig Kauffman.  “I am so proud that SCI’s membership in the state played such a vital role in getting this across the finish line and for truly being first for hunters.”

What Michigan hunters need now is the ability to fight dollar for dollar against outside anti-hunting organizations. Please consider making a donation today at
http://www.citizenswildlife.com/donate/. 100% of your donation will go to the fight in Michigan.

Safari Club International

Protecting hunters’ rights and promoting wildlife conservation, SCI’s two areas of focus, historically has been the interest of hundreds of individuals long before SCI was established. But how did SCI as an organization begin?

Forty years ago, there were many safari clubs across the country made up of local, unaffiliated groups of hunters. One such was Safari Club of Los Angeles, which was formed in April 1971 by forty-seven individuals. In early 1972, an out-of-towner from a similar club in Chicago attended one of the monthly Wednesday night meetings, and it was decided that the L.A. club should attempt to combine with the one in Chicago to make it an affiliated chapter. The founder of Safari Club of Los Angeles, C.J. McElroy, went to the Windy City and instituted the new chapter.

Eleven months after the formation of Safari Club of Los Angeles, on March 9, 1972, the name was changed officially to Safari Club International. SCI continued to reach out to other independent safari clubs throughout the United States in an effort to combine them into a single overall organization.

Today, interest in SCI’s two primary missions has grown a worldwide network. Subsequent involvement and promotion of these missions is rooted in each of our 55,000 members, supported through each of our 190 membership chapters found across the globe, and put into action by government representatives and personnel both nationally and internationally.

In this way, we can encourage an appreciation for nature and wildlife so that conservation efforts remain strong, while also fighting to protect our rich hunting heritage. Big changes can be achieved through the endeavors of many who are united in a mission – the mission of Safari Club International.