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Show A MESSAGE TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE Concerning the plea the State Department of Fish & Game is making for more money Last week an article in this paper stated that $70,000 had been spent in this county to improve fishing conditions. Nothing was. said about how much had been spent to improve hunting. Maybe our hunting doesn't need improving, unless we can up our game bird population. I don't think our stockmen can stand much improvement in cur deer hunting. Their grazing rights have been cut too much already. Fishing is another matter. I think anyone who has fished' here over the past few years will agree that fishing could stand some improvement. Improvements take money so let's have the fishermen foot the bill, not saddle the hunters with most of It (local hunters at that). By fishermen, I mean ALL fishermen, both local and out of state. I doubt that many resident fishermen would complain too loudly if the fishing license was raised to $5.00 if he knew that fishing would be. improved; however, if we raise the resident license, let's also raise the out of state license. An out of state fisherman who purchases a five day license and spends tho five days on our lakes and streams,, will enjoy more fishing hours and catch more fish than many resident fishermen will catch in a year. If this same individual purchases a season license and spends one month (many of them do) on our lakes and streams, he will do more fish-ing and catch more fish than many local fishermen do in several years. I don't think a raise in the fishing license will keep many people from coming to our state to fish, especially if they know the fishing will be good. Even if it does keep a few away, let's not make the resident sportsman foot the entire bill just because he has his home and business in the State of Utah and can't afford to go elsewhere to hunt and fish. He already pays for it in other ways. One last thought: If the Legislature does see fit to raise more monev for Improvement of fish and game resources, let's spend it for improvements and not for more personnel to watch over what few we have. A Local Sportsman |