Wildlife Watchers is incorporated today

We are pleased to announce that as of today, April 3, 2008, Wildlife Watchers is beginning operations.

We have incorporated in the State of Wyoming and have applied for IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit status. We are required to tell potential donors that we do not yet have our non-profit status, but anticipate receiving our non-profit status within approximately 180 days. As of today, all donations are fully tax deductible to the extend provided by law.

More importantly, we want to help you to help the wildlife of America, all the wildlife on our public lands and all the wildlife in your individual states. We want to be *your* organization. We want to hear your voice, the voice of over 71 million Americans who watch wildlife.

Next step: creation of our web site. Once our web site is up and running, and we can accept members, please join us. And please ask your family, friends, and associates to join us. As I’ve mentioned, if you cannot afford to make a donation, just send in a picture, story or poem about wildlife and you will be a valued member.

Following step: form a 501(c)(4) which will give us unlimited lobbying capability as well as the capability to support, or not support, wildlife friendly or wildlife unfriendly political candiates. If we want to change the laws, we must change the lawmakers.

Please feel free to correspond:

Wildlife Watchers
P.O. Box 8414
Jackson, WY 83002

wildlifewatchers@bresnan.net

Please feel free to distribute our Mission Statement far and wide:

Wildlife Watchers Mission Statement

The mission of Wildlife Watchers is to promote fair and balanced management of wildlife by relying on the Public Trust Doctrine. Our goal is to organize wildlife watchers into one powerful voice, while working with state and federal wildlife managers towards developing a system that promotes impartial wildlife management. Wildlife Watchers is pro-hunting and pro-angling. Wildlife Watchers will strive to develop partnerships at the federal, state and local levels to protect wildlife habitat, will help develop new sources of revenue for wildlife management agencies and will encourage and assist state residents to participate effectively in public policy decision-making. Through education of its members, Wildlife Watchers will encourage the ethically and socially responsible enjoyment of wildlife.

Dr. Ralph Maughan, we cannot thank you enough for hosting this very important public forum. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.

In other words, THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH US…!

Sincerely,

Mack P. Bray
Wildlife Watchers
Secretary/Treasurer


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Comments

  1. Don Riley Avatar
    Don Riley

    Ralph & Mack,

    Congratulations!!!!

    Don Riley

  2. Jack Bean Avatar

    Let me add my congratulations to both of you Ralph & Mack
    This is what has needed to happen for years. The only way we will ever have a “Fair” voice in how our Wildlife is managed is with a strong voice like this approach will have.
    Please, lets get behind this effort with 100% of our support “Wildlife Watchers”.

  3. Cindy Knight Avatar
    Cindy Knight

    Yeah! I think this will be the beginning of something profound that will give us all the voice we have needed to protect wildlife.

  4. Kathie Lynch Avatar
    Kathie Lynch

    Sounds like a great idea that has the potential to really make a difference!

  5. Devin H Avatar
    Devin H

    Just need someone in the high ups of the organization to start a facebook group to really get the word out. I’d be the first to join

  6. Mack P. Bray Avatar
    Mack P. Bray

    Thank you, everybody, for your kind words and support…!

    Because of your very vocal and justified outrage of the killing of #253M, your Wildlife Watchers board of directors has decided to start a fund in memory of #253M, “Limpy.”

    All monies contributed to this fund will be spent on the resolution of wolf issues.

    Should you decide to contribute, please make this memo on your check: In memory of #253M, “Limpy”

    When our web site is up and running, contributions will be accepted by credit card.

    Our mailing address:

    Wildlife Watchers
    P.O. Box 8414
    Jackson, WY 83002

    Thank you from:

    Brian Ertz, President

    Robert Hoskins, Vice President

    Mack P. Bray, Secretary/Treasurer

    Conor Black, regular member

    Jerry Black, regular member

  7. vicki Avatar
    vicki

    Woohooo, I am so ready for the next chapter. I am also excited about the board… strong thinkers. Congrats gents.

  8. Ralph Maughan Avatar

    Some folks have been congratulating me on this, but all I did was attend one meeting and help a bit on this blog.

    Credit should to Mack Bray and the list of officers above.

  9. Buffaloed Avatar

    This is great news!

    I’ll see many of you at Chico next week.

  10. vicki Avatar
    vicki

    Ralph,
    With out you making this blog so effective at reaching people, Mack and the guys wouldn’t have gotten so far so fast. I am quite sure that they’d have found a way, they are quite willful. But I am endebted to you for having given all of us an avenue to reach each other.

    Mack, Robert and my favorite Mellon(Brian),
    I am sure you guys are going to do great things. I hope to be there cheering you on. I appreciate your dedication.

  11. Chuck Avatar

    Mack, Brian and Robert, If I can ever get any good wolf photo’s, If you would like a copy of them to put on the wildlife watcher website, I would email you them or send a cd of them.

  12. Brian Ertz Avatar

    Chuck,

    thank you, I’ve admired your photos for some time. We’ll be in contact.

  13. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    I think along with a facebook group a myspace page would be awesome as well.. the buffalo field campaign has one
    as well as National Parks ect,, they seem to reach a lot of people.

  14. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    Although i live in Cincinnati Ohio, i spend a lot of time
    in Yellowstone and Jackson Wyoming, count me to contribute any photos i have of the wolves or the park in general. I’m also willing to volunteer and do whatever i can
    to help Wildlife Watchers. If anyone needs my email pls
    let me know via this blog. Thank You Everyone!

  15. Chuck Avatar

    I had a brain fart this morning Brian, Its wildlife watchers, not just wolf watchers, so you guys are welcome to any of the wildlife photo’s I have. Ralph can give you my email address and we can go from there. I have lots of photo’s of animals and am planning a trip to Stanley this weekend.

  16. Rick Hammel Avatar
    Rick Hammel

    Congratulations Mack and All,

    This has been awhile in developing. As soon as you get the website up and running, my wife and I will become Colorado members.

    Rick

  17. Catbestland Avatar
    Catbestland

    Rick Hammel,

    Are you near Grand Junction or Durango? If you are, Defenders of Wildlife is holding what they are calling a “Meet UP” in these towns to discuss the delisting issue and wolves in Colorado. The GJ Meet Up is on April 10th and the Durango is the 13th. I thought it might be a good place to get the word out about Wildlife Watchers. If you are interested and haven’t received an invitation from them I can send you one or you can probably get it off their website.

  18. izabelam Avatar
    izabelam

    Congratulations.
    I live in Utah (Sandy) and if I can help somehow here in Utah, let me know.

  19. Nathan Hobbs Avatar

    Hey I live here in Idaho Falls and I am also a student at ISU, although my resources are limited as far as cash is concerned I would be willing to pitch in and help with a donation of time. Please let me know if a contribution from me would be useful.
    NH

  20. Mack P. Bray Avatar
    Mack P. Bray

    Nathan Hobbs wrote “Also find establishments that have a prowildlife standpoint and give them our support, tell them part of the reason you are at there establishment is you have heard they are a friend of wildlife and you appreciate there support.”

    Nathan, perhaps Wildlife Watchers could create a window sign/poster that wildlife friendly businesses could display, something like:

    “We are a wildlife friendly business.

    We fully support Wildlife Watchers.

    More information inside.

    (WW URL)”

    We could follow up with brochures inside.

    Would Wildlife Watchers be willing to identify businesses in their home towns/cities that would support us? The businesses could or could not make a contribution; either is fine.

  21. Rick Hammel Avatar
    Rick Hammel

    Catbestland,

    I got the invitation from Defenders. I live in Craig, about 140 miles from GJ. The meeting is in the evening, with about 90 miles of heavy deer habitat. For a 90 minute meeting, I have decided to forego this one.

    Rick

  22. vicki Avatar
    vicki

    Rick,
    I am going to help organize things in Colorado, and am excited to hear of you and your wife intending to join. I hope that I can meet you both. I fish a lot in North Park. Maybe I’ll head to the Rifle area.
    What type of watching do you do?
    I hope that you will both be interested in helping to make folks aware of this organization.
    It is really a great opportunity for us to have a voice.
    🙂

  23. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Can’t wait for the website and I will be sending money! Thank goodness you are here.

  24. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Will you have brochures? One of your members lives in my area. Jerry? see you next week anyway…

  25. Mack P. Bray Avatar
    Mack P. Bray

    Thank you, Heather…! Heck, yeah, we’ll have brochures…! We need someone willing to design – any volunteers? What type of digital formats, such as .pdf, should we use? It would be great to email a .pdf so the recipient could either print a few at home or take it to a shop that would offer to print at cost (we’d pay once we generate some funds) and print larger quantities.

  26. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Fedex kinkos here will give a discount to non profits, at least they used to. I would be willing to pony up some money for copies and distribute them. table at farmers market etc.

  27. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Maybe someone on your board should design it… dont know if I have the expertise to do that…maybe.

  28. Catbestland Avatar
    Catbestland

    Mack,

    If you tell me what you want on the brochures, I will design some sort of artwork to put on the ones that I will get printed up for distrubution at the DOW meeting next week. I’ll send you a copy and you can use it if you like. I just need to know what they need to say.

  29. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Be sure to watch for the Footloose brochures – at the DOW conference. as well.

  30. Mack P. Bray Avatar
    Mack P. Bray

    Cat, many, many thanks. I’ll email ‘ya with copy for the brochures/fliers. I hope Defender’s “Meet Up” is a total success.

  31. Chuck Avatar

    Guys I am putting together a DVD with a bunch of my wildlife pictures on it. I will mail it to the address above, if thats not a good address let me know.

  32. Mack P. Bray Avatar
    Mack P. Bray

    Chuck, thank you very, very much…!

    Yes, the address is good, although Brian may want me to forward it to him. At least I’ll get to check ’em out…!

  33. Chuck Avatar

    I got the DVD out in the mail on Thursday, I hope you guys can some use out of the photo’s. Let me know if there is anything else I can help out with.

  34. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Hey mack
    do you have brochures for Wildlife Watchers yet? I am tabling at the farmers market this weekend…. can you send me a template and I will make copies?? Thanks.

  35. vicki Avatar
    vicki

    Mack or Brain,
    Any word on the website yet? How about the pamphlets? I am doing some hiking this weekend in Rocky Mountain Nationa Park, I’d like to give info to people I pass.

  36. Mack P. Bray Avatar
    Mack P. Bray

    Heather and vicki,

    Brian’s working on our website ~ wildlifewatchers.net ~ Brian, can you guesstimate when it might up and running?

    In order to produce brochures, we need a designer and a printer that will, hopefully, offer their services at cost. We also need money, of course.

    In the interim, please feel free to design and print brochures, flyers or handouts ~ be sure and include our mission statement, URL and contact info:

    Wildlife Watchers Mission Statement

    The mission of Wildlife Watchers is to promote fair and balanced management of wildlife by relying on the Public Trust Doctrine. Our goal is to organize wildlife watchers into one powerful voice, while working with state and federal wildlife managers towards developing a system that promotes impartial wildlife management. Wildlife Watchers is pro-hunting and pro-angling. Wildlife Watchers will strive to develop partnerships at the federal, state and local levels to protect wildlife habitat, will help develop new sources of revenue for wildlife management agencies and will encourage and assist state residents to participate effectively in public policy decision-making. Through education of its members, Wildlife Watchers will encourage the ethically and socially responsible enjoyment of wildlife.

    Wildlife Watchers
    269 West Broadway
    P.O. Box 8414
    Jackson, WY 83002

    wildlifewatchers.net

    Mack P. Bray
    Wildlife Watchers
    wildlifewatchers@bresnan.net

  37. Buffaloed Avatar

    http://wildlifewatchers.net/

    It is up and running but it is very limited so far (just one page and the ability to donate).

  38. Jim Macdonald Avatar

    Congratulations, you all! The more groups we have like this with such good people the more likely our cause will be successful.

    I applaud your efforts, and we’ll be in touch.

  39. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Thanks Mack – I will print out your mission statement and have those handy this weekend.

    also a wolf brochure… good things about them of course. I’m sure they will go fast.

  40. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Good job folks.

Author

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.

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