MOHA - Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance

The Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) is the largest coalition of hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation organizations in the state. Find out more about us and our accomplishments.

Federal Judge Approves MN DNR Plan to Protect Lynx

A federal judge has approved a plan supported by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR), which would impose additional restrictions on trapping in northeastern Minnesota. View Twin Cities.com story

Conservation Groups File Suit To Stop Spread of VHS

The spread of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) throughout the Lower Great Lakes, and into some inland waters as far west as Wisconsin, has been the topic of many news releases and media updates for the past several months. Apparently Lake Superior is still free of VHS, as are inland waters in Minnesota.

VHS acts much like Ebola virus does in primates, causing death through massive internal bleeding in fish. Thousands of fish, including substantial numbers of sport fish like Muskies, have been killed by VHS since it was first spotted.

One of the primary ways VHS is spread is through live, infected fish that are taken up and moved about in untreated ballast water of ships on the Great Lakes. According to a lawsuit just filed by The Izaak Walton League W.J. McCabe Chapter in Duluth, Trout Unlimited in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the Save Lake Superior Association, both the U.S. Coast Guard and the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have had authority to prevent this through the National Invasive Species Act since 1996, but have not done so.

The lawsuit requests that both agencies fulfill their mission to prevent further spread of VHS through the Great Lakes via unregulated ballast water. The plaintiffs are asking that anyone interested in supporting this suit call them for further information. Contact one of the following people:
Dave Zentner 218-724-3926
John Lenczewski 612-670-1629
Curt Leitz 218-464-1335
Gary Meier 218-525-9488
Grant Merritt 763-232-2702

MOHA Gourmet Wild Game Dinner

March 26, 2008
Taher Foods will be creating another culinary masterpiece reminiscent of MOHA's 2007 summer event at Walt and Darci Broich’s farm. Join us on May 22nd at the Saint Paul Academy Dining Room for the finest of North American wild game.
View event flyer for more information.

MOHA April Outreach Meeting

March 22, 2008
MOHA will be having an "event" at Stave Slack's Wildlife Museum near Dalton, MN on Wednesday, April 23rd. The event will begin at 6:30pm and will include a light meal prepared by "Chef" Don. Steve has the finest collection of animal species from all over the world in his museum. Believe me when I say that it is a very interesting venue for one of our meetings. More information plus directions will be forthcoming. Dalton is just North of I94 between Alexandria and Fergus Falls.

MOHA Says Citizen Council Critical to Passage of Dedicated Funding

February 15, 2008
“We applaud the hard work of the legislature, the citizens and stakeholders who supported the dedicated funding amendment yesterday,” said Don McMillan, Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) president. “This dedicated fund will guarantee that our children and grandchildren have places to hunt, and fish. It will ensure Minnesota’s outdoor heritage and our way of life.”

MOHA joined with Senator Bob Lessard and others in 1999 to secure a constitutional amendment to fund conservation of Minnesota’s game, fish, and wildlife. At the very beginning of this campaign, we set out three principals we believe to be essential to accomplish our objectives; a) A guaranteed income stream for fish and game management, habitat conservation and related programs, b) That this revenue be constitutionally guaranteed, and c) that there be a citizen/stakeholders council to manage the fund.” These elements have been in nearly every bill in the House and Senate since then.
View entire press release

December MOHA Board Meeting

December 12, 2007
The Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) Governing Board and Executive Committee met December 12th. Much of the meeting focused on strategic planning to help pass the constitutional amendment for dedicated funding, and the need for a citizen’s council to recommend spending programs and administer the nearly $100 million that will be generated each year through the sales tax process. A subcommittee will forward recommended statutory language to the executive committee by December 17th. Other topics covered included:

Finalizing plans for the Legislative Banquet February 20th
Establishing the procedure for the MOHA election for 2008 On January 9th – announcements will be sent to the full board within the next week.
Agreement to host a Dedicated Funding stakeholders meeting in conjunction with the DNR Roundtable January 4th in St. Cloud
Preliminary discussion for a MOHA spring fundraiser based on a wild game dinner
Development of specific procedure and topics for the 2008 Session Outdoor Caucus meetings.

This was the third meeting in a row with more than 20 Board members attending – some from as far away as SE Minnesota. The executive committee really appreciates the high level of interest in not only dedicated funding, but in all of MOHA’s program efforts.

SCI and MOHA File Amicus Brief in Minnesota Lynx Case

Over the opposition of anti-hunting and anti-trapping groups, SCI and Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA), a coalition of sporting and conservation groups, filed a substantive brief last week supporting the State of Minnesota's trapping program. View press release

MOHA at Viking Valley to Discuss Dedicated Funding

Viking Valley will host local sportsmen, Minnesota State Senate Enviornment and Natural Resources chairman Satveer Chaudhary, Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) leader Jim Klatt and Don McMillan, past president of Safari Club International. View Fergus Fall Daily Journal article

Hunters For the Love of the Land

Strong supporters of land and wildlife conservation, hunters in the U.S. are in decline. Will a new generation take the field? View National Geographic article

MOHA Helps Students Get a Chance to Hunt Pheasants

November 2, 2007
Watertown-Mayer Middle School held an "Exploratory Day" where several students participated in a pheasant hunting experience at Major Avenue Hunt Club near Glencoe. The event was organized by middle school teacher Bill McDonald with assistance from DNR Southern Region Director Mark Matuska, and others. A safety clinic was conducted and then a discussion followed about pheasant hunting laws, group hunting safety, and pheasant habitat. Each student was required to have completed a firearms safety course and have a parent in attendance during the hunt.

The DNR, Pheasants Forever, Carver County Soil and Water District, Federal Cartridge, and the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA) supported the event. Meiller presented a $250 donation on behalf of the Carver County Pheasants Forever Chapter and MOHA donated $80 while Federal Cartridge contributed 16 boxes of shotgun shells.

MOHA Selected by the State Sesquicentennial Commission

October 31, 2007
MOHA has been selected by the State Sesquicentennial Commission to be the designated hunting/fishing/trapping organization at the big 150 year celebration next spring.

MOHA's major responsibility will be to organize a pavilion exhibit at the Capitol in May that will focus on 150 years (and more) of hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation in this state. The goal will be to have each MOHA member organization create a display of their own history for the pavilion.

The Commission is planning a 2-day celebration at the Capitol, and will do extensive pre-event publicity. Jim Klatt, MOHA President, "This is an opportunity to really draw attention to what an important role hunting, fishing and trapping has played in the cultural and economic formation of this state." The passage of dedicated funding can protect these traditions for future generations.

For more information visit http://www.mn150years.org

Kinship and Pheasants Forever Partner for Youth

Kinship and PF work together to provide outdoor experiences
Saint Paul, Minn. – September 25, 2007 –Minnesota Pheasants Forever (PF)
and Kinship Inc are proud to announce a joint partnership. The new relationship is aimed at introducing "Kinship Kids" to hunting and the outdoors.

PF will encourage its local chapters to get involved with local Kinship affiliates to teach Kinship Mentors and Kinship Kids proper hunting safety and etiquette along with sound conservation practices. In return, Kinship will encourage its matches to get involved with the conservation efforts of PF. "PF is honored to work with an organization of Kinships reputation," stated Eran Sandquist, regional wildlife biologist for PF in Northern Minnesota. "What a great opportunity to pass on understanding and appreciation for hunting, conservation and the outdoors where there is a great need and desire."

View press release

Donate to MOHA

Find out more on how to support MOHA

Photo/Story Gallery

Submit photos to our webmaster of your memorable hunting, fishing and trapping events and add a paragraph about the event if you like. Great outdoor trips with kids are especially interesting. Photos/stories will remain up on the site for two months.

Become a MOHA Member!

Minnesota hunting, fishing and conservation clubs and organizations are eligible for membership in the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance. Find out more about membership.

Events

August 9
2nd Annual Mississippi Longtails Meat Shoot South St. Paul Gun Club, South St. Paul, MN

August 23 7th Annual NWTF/ PF Sponsored Family Fun Shoot

View event calendar

	Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA)
	“Our mission is to protect and guarantee the right to pursue the time-honored traditions of hunting and fishing, and related activities, for every Minnesota citizen, in perpetuity, through legislative action, public awareness and education.”