Chairman James P. Domagalski March 2007 Dear Sportsman: As Chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, I want to take a minute to update you on a matter that I believe will be of great interest to you. Recently, Governor Eliot Spitzer nominated Assemblyman Alexander ‘Pete’ Grannis to become the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conversation (DEC). Grannis has represented the Upper Eastside of Manhattan in the New York State Assembly for more than 30 years. This nomination has raised serious concerns all across Upstate New York, and they are concerns I share. In addition to protecting New York’s land, water, and air, the DEC is the agency that administers fi sh and wildlife laws and regulations statewide. That is why it is so troubling that Governor Spitzer has appointed a man who has shown a consistent and proven record of being anti-gun and anti-hunting. Assemblyman Grannis has: * Sponsored numerous bills designed to restrict fi rearms ownership; * Sponsored anti-trapping legislation; * Sponsored legislation that would extend the felony animal cruelty law to cover certain wildlife; and is * Supported and endorsed by several anti-gun, anti-hunting organizations. Clearly, Assemblyman Grannis is not the right person to head the DEC. And clearly, Governor Spitzer is out of touch with Upstate New York by selecting Grannis. Hundreds of thousands of outdoor sportsmen and women live in Upstate New York, many of them here in Erie County. Hunting and fi shing is a part of our culture and we should not allow an ultra-liberal, New York City politician with different values to curtail our rights and way of life. In addition, New York State’s natural resources attract sportsmen and women from all around the country. As a result, hunting and fi shing is an economic engine for NYS. Our economy cannot afford a DEC Commissioner who would look to place restrictions on hunting and fi shing. For Mr. Grannis’s nomination as DEC Commissioner to go forward, it must be approved by the NYS Senate. I have talked with our local Republican Senators and, as many of you know, they are also very concerned about this nomination. Senators Mary Lou Rath and Dale Volker have a long history of supporting hunting and fi shing in NYS and for standing up for the rights of our local sportsmen and women. I would also encourage you to let Governor Spitzer know how you feel about his nomination of Assemblyman Grannis to head the DEC. You can contact the Governor by calling his offi ce at (518) 474-8390 or sending him an email from the following page on the state’s website: www.state.ny.us/governor/contact. Please let him hear from Western New York. I hope you found this information helpful and informative. As Chairman of the ECRC, I am committed to bringing attention to the issues that matter to you. Hopefully our efforts will help block Assemblyman Grannis from becoming DEC Commissioner. Sincerely, Jim Domagalski Erie County Republican Committee Delaware Avenue Suite Buffalo, New York p: .. f: .. ecgop.com .