From today's The State newspaper

Climate change worries sportsmen
By SAMMY FRETWELL
sfretwell@thestate.com
South Carolina sportsmen are increasingly worried that fish and wildlife populations will dwindle as global warming continues, according to a survey released Wednesday by two conservation groups.

The survey of 305 sportsmen said most are concerned about climate change, and many have seen signs of global warming on the landscape and waterways where they hunt and fish. Earlier springs, hotter summers and lost wetlands are among the conditions sportsmen attributed to global warming.

Commissioned by the state and national wildlife federations, the survey is the first of its kind in South Carolina. It examines what some of the state’s most conservative citizens — those who hunt and fish — think about global warming.

The National Wildlife Federation and the S.C. Wildlife Federation hope to use the results to sway politicians to adopt policies and laws that stop global warming. Most of the sportsmen surveyed identified themselves as Republicans, who voted for George Bush in the last election.

Global warming is occurring as heat-trapping gases increase in the atmosphere. Factory and automobile pollution contribute to the problem.

If global warming continues, it could heat up trout streams and keep ducks from flying south for the winter, officials said. It also could cause rising seas to flood wildlife-rich islands.

Tom McInnis, chair of the S.C. Council of Trout Unlimited, said Palmetto State trout are particularly vulnerable because they live at the southern end of the fish’s range.

“I’m encouraged by the poll results because it shows that sportsmen are getting it,” McInnis said. “It’s time for the policymakers to get it.”

South Carolina was one of a handful of states chosen for in-depth surveys. Of the sportsmen surveyed in South Carolina:

• 59 percent agreed that global warming is caused primarily by pollution from burning oil, gas and other fossil fuels.

• 65 percent agreed that global warming is a serious threat to fish and wildlife

• 90 percent favored a statewide energy policy that encourages the use of alternative energy sources, such as solar.

• 86 percent supported reducing power plant pollution that contributes to global warming.

The wildlife federation survey was conducted by Responsive Management, a Washington, D.C., firm that specializes in natural resource surveys. The survey has a 5.6 percent margin of error.

Reach Fretwell at (803) 771-8537.