Monday, March 23, 2009

Get The Lead Out

NPS CLARIFIES LEAD POLICY
Well - Sort Of !
now what ?
.. A National Park Service News Release on March 10, 2009 stated it's position on lead shot for fishing, and bullets for it's officers. On March 18, it issued a clarification statement. Of course, this clarifies nothing. It's time for the NPS to be crystal clear about what it means.
.. The NRA has an article about the confusion and the need for a clear statement. There are 61 properties managed by the NPS that allow hunting. There are many more that allow fishing.
.. Yellowstone National Park has a 'no lead' policy in place for it's fishing tackle. It's unclear if the new clarification will rescind this ban.
.. The National Park Service has stated that the initial press release was intended to let the public know that the NPS was becoming 'lead-free,' and that the ban applied only to NPS personnel and operations, according to an article in The Outdoor Press Room.
.. The Washing Times has a note about how the American Sportfishing Association is just plain riled about the implied ban. It seems that they feel that the ban was made without the transparency promised by the new administration. . . . . . . Oh, get over it.
.. Let us be perfectly clear about our position. No lead of any kind for fishing of any kind. There, that's done. Now lets let the NPS be as clear.
.. As to the other concerns, 1] lead wheel weights will be hard to replace, some are coated - though, 2] solder is going to be a real problem, especially in roof preservation and restoration, 3] dispatching of sick or wounded animals should be expeditious and humane, lead or no lead, and so it goes.
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Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!
Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Canto vi. Stanza 17. Scottish author & novelist (1771 - 1832)
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.. Come on NPS, be clear and precise. Thank you.