Another grass root effort to save west coast striped bass generates over 600 letters

April 14, 2009 -- Another angler concerned about the impact of AB 1253, the bill introduced to wipe out west coast striper stocks, decided to up the ante for those willing to write letters opposing the bill. Angler Alan P. of Hayward started an on-line raffle offer of a high priced spinning reel and several custom made lures with the entry requirement a letter to the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife committee opposing the passage of the bill.

The raffle ran for a week on www.stripersonline.com and ended up netting over 600 letters, mailed to Alan and his friends, who purchased over $250.00 in stamps and re-mailed the letters to the committee members.

During the same period, another angler, Dave Sellers, with some technical help from Noel DeGuzman constructed a website, http://www.saveourstripers.org dedicated to the effort to defeat the Fuller bill and aimed at local merchants that would be harmed by the bill's passage. In less than 72 hours over 100 businesses signed an on-line petition asking that the committee kill the bill before it reaches the floor.

These two efforts compliment the letter writing campaign sponsored by CSPA asking individuals to write Jared Huffman, the chair of the Assembly Water Parks and Wildlife Committee, asking the bill be killed in committee. Letter writing instructions can be found at CSPA's website, http://www.calsport.org/3-31-09a.htm