Had the editor done some research before writing the 4/23/17 editorial “Let’s start getting the lead out of ammo,” he would have found that the use of lead shot was prohibited for waterfowl hunting in 1991.
The editor might also have discovered that the eagle restoration project was funded by hunting licenses and an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition.
There are other sources of lead which, discharged to the environment, enter the food chain and are eaten by eagles. Bald eagles are riparian birds; most of their food comes from lakes and streams. The lead in drinking water goes into waste water and into our lakes and streams. Lead paint removal sends lead to the landfills and then into our ground and surface water.
The Gazette in the past has had an issue with hunters.
I suggest that the editor consider writing about the significant contributions of New York’s sportsmen in this restoration work and in providing several thousand acres of wildlife management areas, which are used 10 months a year as if free public parks.
The sportsmen also asked that the state hire “game protectors,” which it paid, and who now do vitally important work, not just protecting wildlife, but in protecting the health and safety of all our residents. If the editor and the public are interested in wildlife restoration and protection, perhaps it is time for you to put your money where your mouth is. Till then, not to worry. We (the sportsmen) got this .
Art Henningson
Scotia
Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion
