"I fully support the rights of sportsmen to own and use firearms."
-- Senator Paul Wellstone

Major New Conservation and Habitat Measures in the Farm Bill

Sweeping new conservation and habitat preservation measures pushed by Senator Wellstone in the Farm Bill that was recently passed and signed by the President, give strong incentives to Minnesota farmers to take marginal farmland out of production, create habitat, and protect wetlands. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is dramatically expanded under this new effort, and will lead to major new, healthy habitat for wildlife, and will improve the water quality of Minnesota's lakes, streams and wetlands. Paul Wellstone has long championed the CRP, working vigorously over the last decade to help farmers, fishermen and hunters through expanded conservation efforts.

Stopping Attacks on Minnesota's Duck Hunting Season

Paul Wellstone has fought back numerous attempts to short-change Minnesota's duck hunting season. In November of 2001, Paul Wellstone stopped U.S. Senator Trent Lott from trying to extend duck hunting season in Mississippi. The special favor for Mississippi duck hunters would have lowered bag limits and could have shortened the hunting season in Minnesota. Wellstone persuaded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to extend duck hunting season in the South.

This wasn't the first sneak attack on Minnesota duck hunters. In October 1998, Paul Wellstone blocked a last minute favor for Mississippi duck hunters that Senator Trent Lott snuck into the omnibus budget bill that extended the Mississippi duck-hunting season. "Senator Lott's rider is arbitrary and only benefits the Southern states," Wellstone said at the time. "Harvest distribution within and among the flyways could change and Minnesota's hunters would get the raw end of the deal."

Stopping the Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease

Paul Wellstone helped secure increased funding in the Senate, to study Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a deadly illness in the deer and elk population that is showing up in other states. CWD could threaten Minnesota sportsmen's deer hunting season. The disease is marked by chronic weight loss and is always fatal. Wellstone worked to secure 15.9 million dollars to combat the disease, nearly double the amount requested by the Bush administration. The money will be used to detect and control this potentially devastating disease.