Friday, October 06, 2017

Michigan Greens Oppose Push for Hunting of Sandhill Cranes

From the Green Party of Michigan:

Green Party of Michigan
=======================
grassroots democracy  •  social justice
ecological wisdom  •  non-violence


For Immediate Release:  October 5, 2017


Contact:  John Anthony La Pietra, Media Committee/GPMI
            jalp5dai@att.net
        (269) 781-9478


Michigan Greens Oppose Push for
Hunting of Sandhill Cranes
==========================


    The Green Party of Michigan has come out in opposition to Michigan 
State House Resolution 154, which urges the opening of a recreational 
hunting season on sandhill cranes.

    GPMI's consensus decision matches its opposition to a similar proposal 
for hunting mourning doves, which voters rejected by over 2-1 in a 2006 
referendum.

    Hunting and loss of habitat almost wiped out sandhill cranes from 
Michigan in the mid-20th Century.  Sound, scientific non-game 
conservation policy has helped the birds recover to a stable population; 
hunting them is not a vital part of anyone's way of life or subsistence, 
and there are effective non-lethal means of preventing conflict with 
farming activities.

    Linda Cree, a longtime Green living in the Upper Peninsula, observes: 
"That awed sense of stepping back in time one feels when a crane flies 
over or calls from a nearby marsh isn't surprising. They're believed to 
be the oldest bird species on Earth, going back over 9 million years 
just as they are today!

    "It would be tragic if these great birds were to become simply trophies 
for hunters and a few more dollars for the DNR through hunting licenses!"

    Aimee Cree Dunn of the national Green Party's Animal Rights Committee 
points out:  "To the Anishinaabe, Sandhill Cranes are a symbol of 
leadership and a key clan animal.  To kill these birds for sport is not 
part of an honorable harvest and can't be justified."

    Wade Roberts, GPMI candidate in the 109th State House district special 
election in November, says he saw thousands of sandhill cranes flocking 
together just north of Trenary last fall.

    "Natives and tourists alike enjoy the opportunity to see these 
magnificent animals in their natural environment without having to go 
birding to find one.  But these migratory groupings would be interrupted 
by hunting – and these very intelligent birds, who frequently grace the 
roadside on the drive along Lake Superior, would be inhibited from 
showing themselves year round if hunted."

    And John Anthony La Pietra, a member of GPMI's platform committee, adds 
that CraneFest at Baker Sanctuary near his Marshall home draws thousands 
of visitors every October to come see and hear the iconic species. 
"Even economically, the bottom line is that a properly managed and 
protected population of sandhill cranes is good for Michigan."

    La Pietra communicated GPMI's opposition to House Resolution 154 to the 
House Natural Resources Committee, which considered the non-binding 
resolution at a meeting yesterday morning.

    To track the status of House Resolution 154, see


    For more information on the history of sandhill cranes, visit


    For information on this year's CraneFest October 14-15, see


    For more information on the Green Party of Michigan, its values, and 
its platform -- and how you can get involved -- please visit the party's 
Website at www.MIGreenParty.org, or the migreens Facebook page.


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Official Press Release of the Green Party of Michigan
    www.MIGreenParty.org
    www.facebook.com/migreens
    PO Box 504; Warren, MI  48090-0504