Show f 'I 'IH ' V— t rox—rov1— nMnnnyn(ii ' I '' ' i' fr Leavitt taking right approach to wildlife issues When an important resource becomes Whatever the reason for the declining numbers of deer drastic action needs to be taken Cutting the number of deer licenses by 40 percent is just such a step The deer hunt is an important part of approach in deciding to seserely curtail Utah’s annual deer hunt the state’s culture Many family traditions For the past few years Utah's hunters revolve around going out together for the annual hunt It’s a time friends gather to have noticed a drastic decline in the number of deer in the mountains Hunting has plan their yearly ventures into the hills The hunt also has a considerable impact been so poor that last year the number of hunting licenses dropped about 27 per- - on the state’s economy According to the cent from previous years It's a sure sign governor’s office the deer hunt generates the problem is serious when thousands of about 1000 jobs and SSO million in sales hunters don't even bother to buy a across the state Leavitt said stale and local revenues from the hunt can exceed license The declining deer herd has been the S13 million But a healthy thriving deer herd means subject of much debate A number of factors have combined to reduce the number more than money — and is of interest to of mature deer in the state Drought hard more than hunters Many people enjoy winters and loss of traditional deer habitat simply seeing these animals in the wild are significant factors Overhunting and or just knowing they're out there If the hunt were allowed to continue increasing numbers of predators also have been blamed for reducing the number of without any restrictions those revenues and the enjoyment so many people expe- deer Our view scarce it usuall) is necessary to take steps to conserve it With that' in mind Gov Mike Leavitt has taken the right ' - ' - ricnce from the hunt — and from seeing wildlife in its natural element — would be lost to future generations The cutback is not permanent As the deer herds respond to reduced hunting pressure — as they are expected to do — the number of licenses will increase For the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reducing the number of licenses will mean a loss of revenue Leavitt will ask the Legislature to supplement the DWR budget to make up for money lost because of fewer license sales Leavitt's action is part of his continuing examination of the DWR Already the governor has reorganized the division to make it more efficient and responsive to the public Also planned is an April “wildlife sum- mit' to address a number of issues surrounding the management of all of Utah’s wildlife This recent attention to Utah’s wild animals is long overdue For yean the DWR has tried to manage this resource to meet demands of the state’s citizens These efforts have drawn fire from sportmen's groups environmentalists and others Though there is a wide variety of opinions about how the slate’s wildlife should be managed few would disagree that Utah needs to maintain a healthy population of wild animals The governor’s action to limit hunting licenses is only one step Now it’s up to often-conflicti- ng the state’s citizens to get involved — That sentiment was echoed in Logan last week when Don Peay of the Sportsmen for Wildlife and Habitat Conserva- tion urged local sportsmen to get organized and get involved to press their agenda with the state People with different interests may wish to get involved in other groups concerned with the future of Utah’s wildlife The discussion of how best to manage these animals is certain to be heated But everyone involved shares the same concern: that Utah maintain a healthy growing population of wild animals A thriving wildlife population means more than hunting opportunities or economic benefits It’s a sign of a healthy environment And it enriches our lives in ways that cannot be measured individually in groups and through their elected representatives — in deciding how Utah’s wild inhabitants will be aged in the future man- 'thaHeraMJoumaTa'OurViatifrapraaartama opinion of tha nowspapar Editorial Board: Pub- lisher Brueo Smith Managing Editor Pat MeOdchaon and City Editor JannriatHne Letters to the editor Wildlife division needs more money To the editor: Attention sportsmen! In the past year several newspaper articles have detailed the budget woes of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (L'DWR) Their problem actually started several years ago when the Legislature started cutting the portion of the budget that comes from the state’s general fund It has been as high as 12 percent in ’93 was 2 percent and is heading this year for below 1 percent This percentage is out of a S26 million budget (Apparently someone on the hill doesn’t like wildlife or biologists) The rest of the money comes from hunting and fishing licenses These cuts combined with a poor deer hunt has left the UDWR deep in the red For as long as anyone can remember the hunting and fishing license buyers in Utah have' been the major source of revenue for managing the state’s wildlife Having a budget based upon the quality of hunting or fishing is not right It isn’t fair to the division or the wildlife to have a with weather and wildlife patterns budget that A good portion of the budget goes to managing nongame wildlife like the desert tortoise river otters and various endangered species This responsibility should lie with all Utah residents not just sportsmen There is also mounting pressure on the UDWR from environmental groups wilderness associations etc for more nonconsumptive uses of wildlife The problem is they want the sportsmen of Utah to pay for it It is time for the state to start coughing up a much larger percentage of the UDWR budgeL Sportsmen in Utah spend SI billion annually pursuing their interest Of this 623 percent ($62 million) comes bade to the state in the form of sales tax Utah state government makes a tremendous windfall profit on the pursuit of wildlife They put very little in and get a huge amount back C’mon state budget makers Wake up and hear the call of the wild What's good for wildlife is good for your budget also Gov Leavitt’s original budget proposal was to only give the UDWR $500000 but under some extreme pressure from outdoorsmen he is now proposing $16 million Not a bad investment — $16 million in $88 million total back We're still getting ripped The state has over $200 million extra sitting in the bank The UDWR needs more of it As sportsmen we should get involved and let our representatives know how we feel Most sportsmen seem to be apathetic to the plight of the UDWR but no matter what your opinion is of them they along with us hold the key to our outdoor future We need to get off our butts and try to help Call your representative now! yo-yo- ’s Wayne Iverson Millville 752-101- self-defen- se Gun control doesn’t help To the editor: Would you pay a plumber for polishing the chrome when you needed the drain unplugged instead? Would you call the media and praise them for doing something to stem clogged drains? I hope not! That is what gun control is It looks like something has been done but it doesn't help Statistics show that areas with easier legal access to guns have much lower crime rates To reduce' car accidents would you: A) ban the sale of all black vehicles with fuel tanks larger than six gallons which look fast B) lock up people who keep driving drunk If choice “A” sounds stupid then congratulations you are now ready assault rifles to read the bills to ban There is no way to mechanically distinguish the type of gun which want to ban from many very popular and numerous the hunting rifles That is why the language is just as stupid and misdirected as the Mack vehicle ban of choice “A” above These weapons are used in less than 1 percent of all crimes But lawmakers are wasting much time and money to ban them Anyone who says “nobody wants to lake away all your guns just those guns with no sporting purpose" is a liar or a fool If you own any gun even a single shot 22 rifle there is a bill or a law somewhere to ban it or make it so expensive and difficult that it may as well be illegal Read that again! Many gun grabbers want to ban all guns They know that most people (so-calle- d) gun-grabbe- The cost if tickets are bought before the event are $30 a person $40 are not that extreme so they divide the gun owners and conquer them one at a time a couple and $3 for students The (nice includes lunch Please plan to Do not fall for the “sporting use” test to decide which guns are all attend if you wish to be counted as an active decision maker in your right to ban The Cbnstitution does not guarantee the right to hunt or county affairs 3 Call Robin Elliott target shoot If we hang our gun ownership rights on sporting use we concerning tickets or other information will lose all our guns eventually The Constitution was created in a revolution by people who rightly Robin Elliott feared the power of government Most of its writers wrote elsewhere Logan that they wanted every individual to be armed to balance the power of the government That is why we have the Second Amendment Sporting An efficient way to give use and are just bonuses To the editor: The fear was that putting too many rights on paper would in effect As the director of United Why of Cache Wiley I wanted to thank the limit any rights that weren't included (which has happened) businesses and individuals who support this community through many The criminal justice system is like a clogged drain Clogged with the United Way and the sooner we quit polishing endless appeals The repeat offenders I also wanted to extend an invitation to the people of Cache Valley to chrome (pushing gun control) the less time we will spend knee deep in visit me in United Way’s new location on the second floor of the Whit— crime tier Community Center at 290 N 400 East Logan I’m always eager to answer any questions you may have regarding the United Way of Cache John Gossner Valley and its local participating agencies Logan Contributing to the United Way of Cache Valley is one of the most efficient ways to get your dollar where it’s needed the most Because we use a diverse group of people from Cache Wiley to decide what the County land movement under way To the editor community needs are every year we are able to address Cache Wiley’s constantly changing weaknesses when they need to be addressed — There is a movement going forward in the United States which is when they first appear As an individual you also have the option to designate directly to any effectively stemming the tide of federalism and providing for sound sorts of talks between the people and agency of your choice United Way's sole purpose is to maximize your dollar and support this community by offering a wide variety of options federal agencies This movement is called the county land movement In effect it profor you to get your donation to local citizens who are less fortunate vides for the use of current federal laws already established to balance Please when you give give through the United Way 7 If you wish to contact me by phone my number is If you power between the local fabric of county life with that of endangered would like to make a contribution to United Way of Cache Wiley our species wetlands etc How this is accomplished will be the subject of a local conference mailing address is PO Box 3281 Logan Utah 84321-328- 1 being held at the Brigham City High School on Feb 19 Speaking will be Rep Jin Hansen and Sen Orrin Hatch Also speaking'presenting Mary Sorensen will be several other experts Executive director United Way of Cache Valley rs 753-031- New defense chief doesn’t discount North Korea WASHINGTON — The next US secretary of defense faces a "nightmare scenario” in North Korea which has violated international law with its nuclear weapons development program This is how Defense nominee William Perry described his new job last week during Senate confirmation hearings Perry alluded to the most vexing dilemma of enforcing nuclear inspections a cornerstone of Clin- ton’s North Korea policy Some intelligence sources believe the secretive nature of North Korea's extenhas not factored into Ginton’t sive diplomatic bargaining as much as it shmld Several classified Defense Imefiigcnce Agency reports seen by our associate Dale Van Ana tell the story North Korean dictator Kim apparently became a convert to underground military sites in 1970 when the mdaary stepped up tout was Jtv cm!y a moderate defenwe program Since that time tunnel-buildin- g ll-Ss- lru it 0 Jack Anderson for example at leavl a dozen airfields have significant underground facilities supporting them Perry’s sober talk clashes wuh the Ginton administration's optimism regarding North Korea and its recent agreement to allow international inspection of its seven declared nuclear tors Unless the president and rimy can focus Mr a laser beam oa North extent of their Korea they’ll never discover the nuclear program “Lx tensive cposttwctina of hegt underground airbomb-matin- U g craft support facilities at well at hardened hangarettes and revetments has taken place" leads one DIA estimate "Virtually all major air bases have hardened or underground facilities or both" The North Korean navy is equally well protected At its principal naval installations according to a DIA report the North Koreans have “constructed underground naval facilities” Including "underground (or sheltered) berthing” for its fleet The same holds true for its army "Since at least 1970 North Korea has beta engaged in a program lo expand its materiel storage capacity" the DIA report states "(This includes) expanding its underground have also stored often in underground facilities more than "4 million barrels of POL and w ell over 1 million metric tons of other supplies including ammunition" — enough "to wage intensive combat for at least 30 days perhaps several months" Although some analysts continue to argue that North Korea has done all this to defend the country that same argument has never applied to the most infamous of all North Korean tunnels — those located underneath the DMZ These Infiltration tunnrls are offensive by nature they would supfmn a surever make rh prise invasion should Kim an decision In another classified report the DIA noted that these tunnels "couM be used to place specialized J facilities including sites for ammunition POL and food storage" The DIA has estimated (hat there art "several hundred storage fancies lend wehm 75 Itloroeierx of troops behind (South Korea's) forward defease the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)” lb buffer area Koreans between Norh and South Korea The N-SePtRRV no pug 9 (Tctrokuin-Oil-LfcbricaRfs- L h |