Show federation Ion speakers air wildlife problems at meet meek y t y t f t 4 DON SMITH Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Director stresses a point during his speech which was entitled Not Me and You Us I I Smith presented his speech during the Utah Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Federation State Stale Convention which was held In Vernal last Friday Saturday and Sunday The fishing opener was changed from June 4 to toMay toMay toMay May 14 4 The Utah Wildlife and Outdoor Out Out- door Recreation Federation State Convention had a number of guest speakers take part in last weekends weekend's activities in inVernal inVernal Vernal Some of the guest speakers were Don Smith Division of Wildlife Resources Director Gordon E. E Harmston Department of Natural Resources Executive Director and Dr Douglas Gilbert Region 10 National Wildlife Federation Director SMITH SAID SI last Saturday that if sportsmen think the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is not looking into the best interests interests in in- of the sportsman then the Wildlife Resources and the sportsmen have a problem Issues like predator control and no predator control and three five or nine-day nine long deer season are of no consequence in inthe inthe inthe the long run stated Smith Smith told the sportsmans sportsman's organization that is spen spends too loo much time worrying about season lengths and bag limits and not enough time addressing the states state's major wildlife problems Sportsmen are poorly organized and whether we like it or not environmental groups group have done more in the past five live years for hunting than sportsmen sportsmen spore have done Smith urged the group to work with and not against the The anti anU- hunting issue is very real stated Smith Smith said to get involved in instate instate instate state and national legislation to improve communication with each other in the news media to establish habitat improvement improvement im provement programs to develop good land lanct owner relations to protect endangered en en- species of wildlife to work with federal agencies to get involved in education to help law enforcement in the wildlife to get involved in community service projects Continued on Page 16 1 11 w J. J tf to I I I al r rb rd r d t b y 4 1 LL LLY Y f I Ir EIVA IVA WILSON and Merle present the Current Topics Club check for 1000 to Norman Powell president of Emergency Medical Technicians Wildlife problems ems Continued from Page 1 and to improve Indian relations throughout the state Smith said that the biggest problem is the water conditions We are co concerned but we haven't panicked stated Smith Pheasant habitat is critical We are losing pheasant habitat in the Uintah Basin These communities Vernal and Roosevelt have really rally expanded remarked Smith The clubs here Vernal Rod and Gun Club Roosevelt and Duchesne have been active and have been willing to do some letter writing and express themselves on some some vital issues commented Smith The 1977 fishing opener has hasteen been teen officially changed to May 14 The Utah Wildlife e Board ga gave ve the Division of bf Wildlife Resources permission at a meeting last Saturday in Vernal to change the opener which was origin originally lly set for June 4 The change to May 14 was made because fisheries biologists reported that drought conditions conditions conditions con con- could mak extremely difficult ter in the summer and fall faU A check with regional officers around the state indicated indicated indicated in in- wildlife managers will willbe willbe willbe be ready to go and the state game game department was proceeding to get lakes and streams stocked stacked earlier than expected The date dale change was brought about because of drought conditions in Utah Most reservoirs and streams are currently in Tine fine fishing shape and the board decided to take advantage of that fact The board also granted the the power to set emergency fishing regulations during the summer In other board action last Sat Saturday Leland Swaner of Salt Lake City was elected to a year two term as chairman of the man five-man board The board also approved the purchase of a conservation pool in Bullock Reservoir near Gusher Gordon E E. E Harmston a former native of Roosevelt delivered the keynote address to members of the Utah Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Federation last Saturday morning The drought is a real problem and it is so time consuming We have problems and it is all over the state There is no ground moisture any place In 1961 we had a similar situation All our effort has been directed toward the culinary water problem in the cities remarked Harmston UINTAH COUNTY has just fabulous oil shale The disappointment disappointment disappointment has been the snail pace we have taken stated Harmston Harmston said that Utah gained people last year lie He said that Utah is the fastest growing state in population We cant can't have additional people without pressure on the wildlife Harmston said that it took years to gain one million million mil mU- lion people in Utah and it will probably take 15 to 20 years to reach two million use Land-use planning in Utah is occurring according to Harmston Harmston Harmston Harm Harm- ston because of organic acts directing the Bureau of Land Management the US U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service to do so Dr Douglas Gilbert followed Harmston with a speech on the effects of oil shale development on wildlife habitat Most Wildlife populations will be affected If the habitat is not there we are not going to be beable beable beable able to solve the problem stated Gilbert Gilbert said that if the mining destroys the habitat then some of the population of the animals will decrease Gilbert suggested that roads should be built only when necessary and that they should be paved Gilbert said habitat rehabilitation should be an on on- going process Dave Wallace president John Nagel Law Enforcement Division of Wildlife Resources Alton Frazier Chief Information Information Information In In- formation and Education and Larry Dalton biologist also presented speeches during the state convention in Vernal last Friday Saturday and Sunday Bill Gibson Vernal City Councilman welcomed members to Vernal Other activities held during the state convention were trap shoot at the Vernal Rod and Gun Club movies door prizes dinners and various other events |