League of Humane Voters Newsletter/Important for all animal lovers -

April 16, 2008

League of Humane Voters

NewsletterApril 2008

The Mission of the League of Humane Voters is to Create, Unite and Strengthen Local Political Action Committees Which Work to Enact Animal-Friendly Legislation and Elect Candidates for Public Office Who WillUse Their Votes and Influence for Animal Protection

Dear Melanie,

.. Please review our recent progress and plans to provide for legislative protection for animals. We have made solid achievements along several fronts in assuring animal protection where there was none before we intervened. Look at our overview reports in our newsletter and get a deeper explanation by linking to a more detailed report on our website, http://humanevoters.org/

LOHV's undertaking takes your help. We are completely dependent on donations from individuals and organizations who agree with our approach. Won't you visit http://humanevoters.org/contribute/index.htm and support The League of Humane Voters.

In This Issue

Legislative Breakfast in Albany 2008

White Deer at the Seneca Depot

New Affilitates Launched

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Legislative Breakfast in Albany 2008

On March 18, 2008 our Legislative Breakfast in Albany was well received; we had a total of over fourty legislators and/or their staff in attendance. At the breakfast we went over The League of Humane Voters' pending bills with the attending legislators and aides. After the breakfast we had meetings scheduled with the leadership of the legislative bodies and the committees that would hear our bills. I would like to express my appreciation to all of you who came to help make LOHV's breakfast a success; More pictures of the event can be seen at: http://humanevoters.org/events/LegBreak2008/Pics.htm The League of Hume Voters' 2008 bills are:

1) The Canned Hunt Bill (S00784 and A02612) has an excellent chance of passing this year. For more detail on this issue see: http://humanevoters.org/issues/CannedHunts/CannedHunt.doc

2) Ban Shooting Contest Bill (S0156 and A02614) This bill has no opposition from the Legislative leadership.For more detail on this issue see: http://humanevoters.org/issues/ShootContest/BanWildlifeShootContests.doc

3) Dissection Notification Bill (S05408 and A00585) This bill also has no opposition from the Legislative leadership. For more detail on this issue see: http://humanevoters.org/issues/DissectionNotification/DisectionNotification.doc

4) Home Rule for Trapping Bill (S01461 and A07991) This bill is also stuck in the Senate Encon Committee. For more detail on this issue see: http://humanevoters.org/issues/trapping/trappingpresent.doc

5) Prohibit Foie Gras Production Bill (S01463 and A06277) This bill unfortunately has little chance of moving forward this session. The Farm Bureau is totally opposed to it. For more detail on this issue see: http://humanevoters.org/issues/foiegras/foiegras.presntation.doc

For more information on the progress of these bills go to:http://humanevoters.org/events/LegBreak2008/2008_legislative_breakfast_Report.htm

White Deer at the Seneca Depot

About 65 years ago the US Army needed an ammunitions depot in the area. To establish such a depot, the army seized over10,000 acres of farmland near Seneca Falls by right of eminent domain. The Army enclosed the entire area with 24 miles of 12-foot high fencing. A herd of deer was entrapped within that space.Deer have a recessive gene that can turn their coat white in color instead of brown. In nature, the recessive gene is rare among deer. The herd enclosed in Seneca Depot evidently had more than the normal share of the white-color recessive genes. Since the herd has been inbreeding for over 65 years that trait surfaced. Today there are an estimated 200-300 white colored deer in the herd of about 700 animals. Many of the brown-colored deer also carry the recessive white-color gene.

When the Army decided to decommission the depot several years ago and publicly announced that they would turn the property over to Seneca County. One of the first proposals to the county came from a local company which proposed to establish a canned hunt facility at the site.

We succeeded in publishing an op-ed article in the local paper arguing persuasively that establishing a wildlife watching area at the site instead of canned hunt facility is of far greater economic benefit to the community.

The facility proposed was entirely within the Town of Varick. We found the town supervisor, Joan Teichner, very receptive to our ideas. Within weeks the Town of Varick passed a zoning change creating a special "eco-zone" in the area where the Army depot had been sited in which only limited uses were permitted - canned hunt facilities were not among the permitted uses. The town, additionally, took measures that assured the town planning board would be the final arbiter reviewing the environmental impacts of the canned hunting proposal should it go forward.

New Affiliates Launched

In the past three months LOHV launched three new affiliates!

Orlando, Florida

Tampa, Florida Chester County, Pennsylvania

Marianne Bessey, Esq., LOHV Greater Philadelphia, Elisabeth Anderson, Marcia Gordon