Richmond Road Runners

Supporting running in the metro Richmond area

Legislation Impacting Trail Running at State Parks!

These bills have been floating around but there is discussion of a major push to add hunting on Sundays for state parks, like Bear creek.  On the surface it seems of little concern, but it could limit the use and growth of trail running in VA. If you are concerned about the impact this will have please email the board and let us hear your ideas for tackling the issue!

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2012/jan/15/tdsport10-is-sunda...

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Permalink Reply by Running Goddess on January 26, 2012 at 1:43pm

Mr. Dog,

Hunting on Sundays is a concern of the RRRC, that is why when it was brought to my attention I asked that it be posted on the message board.  By posting on the message board the membership would be made aware of the issue, and if desired, contact their representative.  As far as I know RRRC has not participated in any advocacy efforts.  If this is the desire of the membership a formal request needs to be made at a club meeting for it to be discussed and voted upon.

I presented to the board the request to do the year-long food drive.  The food drive is a way for the RRRC to use its races to help others without any cost to the club.  One of my goals as President is to have the RRRC more involved in the community to increase its brand recognition.  By doing so will hopefully increase our membership, especially the diversity of it.  There are many people in the Richmond area that are not aware of the RRRC, and I want to change that.  The food drive is the first step towards more community involvement. 

Sabrina Adams

   

Permalink Reply by dog on January 26, 2012 at 3:12pm

Maybe I'm reading the club mission to literally?  Actually, I was more saying the Sunday hunting should be a club issue than I was saying the food thing not.   I personally would like to see the club behind this as membership includes many bikers, trail runners, etc., but that's up to officers and board to decide.   And I was following up on Chris' impression of the board.

 

I find it odd that a Norfolk legislator is pushing this.  I wonder if he resides in an urban area?  Licensed hunters are only 3% or less of the population, including out of state licensed hunters and some of those hunters oppose the Sunday hunting.  I would how many rural hunters favor it?    I wonder how the hunters will feel if a bunch of runners, bikers begin running through the woods on the other six days, scaring up their game?  Humm, that's an idea or just doing some target shooting nearby to make noise.

Permalink Reply by dog on February 9, 2012 at 10:00am

Looks like I hit on something with the Norfolk legislator.  Senate Bill 464 to allow Sunday hunting is sponsored by 5 senators, only one of which represents a rural area.  The others are from Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Fairfax and Tazewell.  Interesting.  Delegate Ware, representing rural areas, states that the majority of fellow hunters and constuent-hunters who have contacted him opposed Sunday hunting laws.  And many of us have hear the horror tales of inexperienced city slicker hunters coming to the country with the expensive guns and equipment.  Not all city hunters would be in this group and in fact some may be country born and raised, but they are out there.

Permalink Reply by Jillian on February 1, 2012 at 11:04am

Nice (shaking my head).  There is a new bill (SB 683, Sen. Black) that dropped in the Senate yesterday for Sunday deer hunting of the locality determines that deer-borne Lyme disease is a problem and they need deer control.  That's going to be a little tougher because of the health aspect.

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+SB683 

Permalink Reply by dog on February 1, 2012 at 8:36pm

Runners, hikers, horsepeople and hunters have an friend in Delegate Ware.  Link to his Opinion letter in Powhatan newspaper in opposition to Sunday hunting.

 

http://www.powhatantoday.com/index.php/opinion/article/move-to-allo...

Permalink Reply by Manuel Alvarez Jr. on February 10, 2012 at 10:55pm

My 2 cents... It's only 12 Sundays out of the year and it's on private property only.  Just saying!  It does not apply to parks.  By the way, I don't hunt, but a lot of my constituents do. 

Permalink Reply by Chris Harnish on February 11, 2012 at 10:33am

How do not hunt?

Will hunters use bullets that stop at property lines?

Why is 6 days/week not enough? It is only 12 Sunday's per year.

The 3% of the population that hunts could use the other 72 days, or trail users could avoid using any nearby trails for 84 days. Which one of these seems more fair?

Permalink Reply by dog on February 16, 2012 at 10:17am

Corresponding with my representative, I found that many of his rural resident hunters opposed the Sunday hunting.  As I mentioned before, most of the lawmakers backing Sunday hunting were from urban areas.  In reviewing this I found why many rural lawmakers complain of underrepresentation on General Assembly decisions.  But that's how it works. 

Permalink Reply by Chris Harnish on February 16, 2012 at 7:44pm

Well that's some good sleuthing! You always have to wonder who our politicians really represent.

Permalink Reply by dog on February 17, 2012 at 10:07am

From last redistricting, the idea representation based on population would be about 200,000 people per Senator and 88,900 people per House Delegate.   So N. Va, Tidewater and Metro RIchmond get a lot of votes. 

 

I will conclude my civics lesson now.  Thanks to all who supported opposition to this bill.  

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