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