Good News Items for Outdoor Community in Federal Budget
OFAH pleased at items targeting firearms fees and Great Lakes Protection
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, one of the largest nonprofit, conservation-based organizations in Ontario, applauds the inclusion of items in yesterday’s federal budget that will benefit the outdoor community across Canada, and in particular, Ontario.
“The government’s commitment in the budget to provide funding of almost $21 million to continue to waive firearms license renewal fees for all classes of firearms until May 2012 is good news and a sign of this government’s ongoing commitment to the legal, law abiding firearms community,” said Greg Farrant, OFAH Manager of Government Affairs & Policy. “The addition of funding to enhance Great Lakes environmental protection is another key item in the budget, which we hope will be supported by all members of Parliament.”
The government has long supported the elimination of onerous restrictions on legal firearms owners, including the abolition of the badly flawed long gun registry, which has failed to save lives and prevent crime. A waiver of the fee for licensing is one more indication of the government’s recognition that the current system isn’t working and needs to be scrapped.
As one of the leading conservation-based organizations in Ontario, and indeed Canada, the OFAH is also pleased to see the government’s commitment to addressing water quality issues in the Great Lakes, which are fundamentally important to the lives of millions of Canadians and Americans who live and work adjacent to them.
“By providing $5 million in the budget to protect water quality and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes, the government has recognized the importance of these water bodies as a source for drinking water, recreation and employment. As the largest source of freshwater in the world, the Great Lakes are critically important in terms of our overall ecosystem. This funding builds on the existing Great Lakes Action Plan and Action Plan for Clean Water, and will help to improve near shore water and ecosystem health and address the presence of phosphorous in the Great Lakes,” said Farrant.
The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, with 100,000 members, supporters and subscribers, and 670 member clubs across Ontario, is the Voice of Anglers and Hunters. Visit www.ofah.org for further information.
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