Show I FISH GAME IS BIG RIG BUSINESS IN UTAH SHOWS More than one half of the men in Utah over 16 18 years of age purchased a license to fish or hunt last year it was revealed today in a research report on the Utah State Fish and Game De- De Department De De- Department released by Utah Foundation the profit non-profit tax- tax study organization Other highlight facts in the report are Revenue of the Utah Fish and Game Department to to- to totaled totaled for the two- two year period ended June 74 percent coming cO from the sale of regular fishing and hunt hunt- hunting ing licenses Expenditures for the same period totaled Salaries and compensation for personal services amounted to 37 percent of total ex ex- ex expenditures operating expenses 31 percent capital outlay 23 percent and travel 9 percent 92 persons were on the payroll as asI I of November 30 1946 1948 Approximately was expended for fo game management of which two-thirds two or was for lor big game and was spent for pheasants and quail Approximately pheas pheas- pheasants pheasants ants were liberated on the uplands up up- uplands lands of the State during the year two-year period ended June 30 1946 Commenting in the report the Utah Foundation observed An tiAn important question relative r to t the the fiscal management of 11 the the Fish and Game Department in ht Utah relates to the extent to which its expenditures should be controlled through budgets submitted to and approved bythe by bythe the Legislature Utah Statutes earmark all revenues of the Fish and Game Department for activities ac ac- ac activities of the department The law states The state fish and game commission with the con con- consent consent sent of the governor may ex ex- expend pend any moneys which may maybe maybe be standing to the credit of the fish and game fund to do such work as is in its judgment may pertain to the protection and propagation of fish and game provided that all expenditures for construction in excess of shall be made by the Utah state building board While there seems to be general gen gen- general eral agreement that fish and game revenues should be used exclusively for purposes of pro pro- protection and propagation the rec rec- recommendation recommendation has been advanced by the Tax Study Committee that the department department should be I required to submit a budget outlining out out- outlining lining its fiscal plans and work program for the biennium for legislative review and that the Legislature should limit by ap ap- appropriation appropriation from the Fish and Game funds the amount which could be expended during the biennium rather than allowing the amount of revenues available avail avail- available able to be the only as to how much should be spent in a given iven period Expenditures for the fish and game program for the year two-year period ended June to- to totaled to to- totaled an increase of or 55 percent over the 44 1943 biennium Expenditures prior to July 1 I 1940 did not ex- ex exceed ex ex- exceed 61 in any biennium Since June the de- de departments de regular staff has al- al almost al most doubled Personnel num num- numbering bering 92 were on the payrolls as of November 30 1946 com com- compared pared with 48 on June 30 1940 Principal activities of the fish and Game Department both from the point of view of and the number of sportsmen interested is the rear ing and planting of fish Fisheries Fisher Fisher- Fisheries ies management expenditures totaled an increase of 72 percent over the spent in the preceding year two-year period ended June 30 1944 Maintenance and operation of the departments department's 12 fish hatch hatch- erles eries accounted for approximately I 80 percent of fisheries I management expenditures dur dur- during during ing the biennium Nearly 30 million fish were ere planted in Utah's lakes and streams by the department dur duro during ing the 46 1945 biennium Of this total were dis dis- distributed distributed as fry fish less than 2 Inches in length were fingerlings varying in length from 6 inches and were legal size ready for tor the fishermans fisherman's creel Approximate Approximate- Approximately ly third one-third the fish fists planted were native trout Other fish planted were rainbow trout brown trout eastern brook trout grayling catfish and mackinaw trout tr ut The Department estimates that only 20 percent of all fish smaller than 2 inches and ap ap- approximately approximately proximately 50 percent of the inch 3 fish planted will survive to reach legal size 7 in More I 1 than th 90 DO percent of fish which I II I have attained legal size when I planted survive to reach the fishermans fisherman's creel Game management expendi tures of accounted for approximately one-fourth one total departmental expenditures for forthe forthe the 46 1945 biennium Principal activity was the management of big game deer elk and ante ante- antelope lope which cost in- in including in ib eluding of Federal funds used largely for forthe the purchase of I land Game bird expenditures totaled of which 42 42 was spent at game farms for rearing pheasants and for the feeding and protection of pheasants and quail throughout the State State- Other disbursements totaling were were expended for the predatory animal control program Approximately phea phea- pheasants were liberated on the up up- upland uplands lands land of the State during the year two period ended June 30 1946 These birds were reared at a cost to the Department of approximately each The proportion of reared pen-reared phea phea- pheasants pheasants that live long enough after release to be hunted hunted is believed to be less than 50 per cent of the number liberated The actual I cost per bird surviving until the I hunting season would therefore exceed |