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Show Boost fishermen's act The Dingell-Johnson Act, which has benefited millions of sport fishermen during the last 31 years, is in need of expansion. A bill has been submitted -'..to.: Congress to amend the Dingell-Johnson Act D-J Act) by extending the 10 percent manufacturer's excise tax to fish hooks. fishing lines and miscellaneous accessories, ac-cessories, plus a 3 percent per-cent manufacturer's excise tax on certain recreational boats boat motors and boat trailers. - According to Jim Johnson, fisheries research coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the D-J funds are vital to sport fishermen, because they give a boost to state fishery programs. Without the D-J Act, many state programs would flounder. Since 1950, the D-J program has provided an average of $11.3 million per year to state fish and wildlife agencies for developing and improving fish management techniques, protecting aquatic . ' habitat, providing public ; access to fishing waters and construction of new fishing lakes. . Last year, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources received $564,341 from the Dingell-Johnson Dingell-Johnson Fund. This money was the major support for regional fisheries program (with the exception of fish rearing and stocking), the Colorado River . 'Reservoir Management Investigations and Surveys (Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell), the Bear Lake Cutthroat Trout Enhancement Program, and the .Mountain Lakes Fisheries Survey (Uinta Mountains). Without D-J monies, these projects would have to be abandoned, aban-doned, Johnson stated. During the past year, the American Fisheries Society conducted a survey among all 50 states which showed that 116.8 million additional dollars are urgently needed to permit the states to properly manage their recreational fisheries resource. With an expansion, the D-J Fund would generate about $80 million per year. The proposed new excise tax would be paid by tackle, boat and motor manufacturers. The average fisherman would only pay about $1.50 per year through increased price of products. The D-J expansion is supported by every national recreational fishing organization and by most conservation groups. |