Smith: Where do candidates stand on outdoors issues? This group cuts through the noise

For many Wisconsinites who love the outdoors, October is our favorite month.

The weather is cool but welcoming, the forests put on a color show and it features the peak of annual hunting and gathering opportunities. 

In even numbered years, however, a big fly spoils the autumnal picnic: We get deluged with campaign material in advance of the November elections.

The problem isn't candidates who aggressively ask for our votes. It's that, like a roll in wild parsnip, the messaging has become intensely nasty and negative.

And if conservation issues are of primary or at least high importance to you, they rarely are addressed in advertisements or interviews on television, radio, social media and print.

So what's a conservationist to do in election season?

The Wisconsin chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers undertook a project this fall you should know about.  To help inform voters, the organization submitted a conservation-centric questionnaire to Wisconsin candidates in local and statewide elections. 

The questions include: What issues are most important to Wisconsin hunters and anglers? Do you feel a need to adjust the funding model for the Department of Natural Resources? What is your philosophy toward the sale or transfer of public lands? What do you propose to reduce the spread of chronic wasting disease?

The responses are posted on the group's website. 

The information is meant to be shared with the public, Land Tawney, BHA chief executive officer, said Wednesday in a phone conversation from his office in Missoula, Montana. 

"Our goal is to let both our members and all voters know where these candidates stand," said Tawney, 43. "It's the time of year when it's critical for voters to see the clearest possible picture of the issues."

Formed in 2004, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is relatively new to the conservation world.

It is, however, fast growing (membership is on pace to nearly double this year to about 30,000) and has gained traction with outdoorsmen and women on a variety of issues, including the desire to protect public lands and waters.

It has chapters that cover 38 states and two Canadian provinces. 

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, BHA can't endorse or campaign for political candidates.  But it can help provide unbiased information during the election cycle. 

This is only the second time the group conducted a political questionnaire. The New Mexico chapter did a trial run in 2016. 

This fall, three state BHA groups took up the challenge. The Wisconsin questionnaire was prepared by state BHA members Liz Baker, Jeff Guerard, T.J. Hauge and Noah Wishau.

The work included a painstaking process to avoid political bias.

Each candidate, for example, had to receive the same number of requests to complete the questions. 

And if fewer than two parties in a given race complied, BHA didn't post the results.

"If we showed just one, even if it was the only response we received in that race, some people might perceive that as favoritism," said Guerard, president of the Wisconsin chapter of BHA. 

The organization crafted different questions for candidates for governor, Congress, Senate, Assembly, State Treasurer and Secretary of State.

It didn't receive responses from all candidates, but among the highest profile campaigns, did get returns from Tammy Baldwin and Leah Vukmir for the U.S. Senate seat and Tony Evers and Maggie Turnbull for governor. 

The organization's "above and beyond" efforts to be neutral should increase the public's respect for the group as well as heighten confidence in the information it's putting out.

The political season is heating up. I've seen a few Sportsmen for Walker signs in yards as well as a few hand-made Sportsmen Against Walker placards. Conservationists for Tony had a meeting last weekend in Madison; don't be surprised to see signs with that pro-Evers verbiage in the days ahead.

Before you head to the polls, though, take a minute and look through the information supplied by 2018 candidates to the Wisconsin chapter of BHA. 

It's as objective a treatment of candidate's views as you're going to find this election cycle.