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Show New DWR Director solicits solicits sup port (Editor's Note: The following is an open letter to all Utah sportsmen from Don Smith, director of the Division of Wildlife Resources.) Dear Sportsman: The new year is upon us giving me a chance to take a moment to talk vith you about Utah's wildlife. It also provides the opportunity to reflect briefly on the sportsmen of our State and the part they play, and should play, in maintaining and managing our wildlife resources. To begin with, let me say that I am pleased I had the chance to meet and talk with many of you in the series of Community Forums held throughout the State. I believe we shared many good ideas and investigated some important questions about our resources. The interaction has given me a better feeling for your needs and interests. The questions posed at the forums have not been set aside and forgotten. We are in the process now of categorizing them and compiling a summary of the multiple concerns you expressed. ex-pressed. We are also compiling -a, summary of suggestions offered for changes in Division programs for future examination. Current Division programs are designed to accomplish a variety of results. One of our main goals is. of course, to meet the responsibility assigned by the Legislature of Utah to the end that we ". . . protect, propagate, manage, conserve and distribute protected wildlife throughout the state." Obviously, that is an extensive charge, and there are many ways of meeting the challenge. Our present approach, in terms of sportsman participation, par-ticipation, is to provide a variety of sporting opportunities, while attempting to fulfill, at least in part, our sportsmen's varying interests. Wild trout waters, muzzle-loader and archery hunts, as well as open bull elk hunting are good examples of the variety we are trying to provide. We have attempted to respond to our State's outdoor interests within the limits placed on us by finances and the resource itself. We will continue to make efforts toward providing variety in our outdoor opportunities. That effort, however, will have to be modified by future interests, in-terests, available income and changes in our outdoor environment. en-vironment. We are already beginning to feel pressure from some areas which will present real problems for future wildlife management. One of the problems we are facing now, and will have to face with increasing regularity in the future, is the loss of wildlife habitat. Housing, industry, agriculture, recreational interests in-terests and wildlife all have legitimate demands on space. Each has a real need for resources whether water, clean air or other raw materials. As sportsmen, interested in continuing our hunting, fishing, camping and, in general, our outdoor heritage, the future has one clear demand for you: You must be willing to be a part of the solution-to let your voice be heard, to protect wildlife interests, in-terests, to fight against interests that will destroy habitat and outdoor opportunities. Another area of concern, something we must begin to combat in earnest right' now, is the small group of "sportsmen" (and please note that I used the word in quotes this time) who behave unethically. These are the people who feel that wildlife regulations are meant for other folks, not for them. They are the people who not only take overlimits of birds and fish, who kill deer out of season, who leave their camps looking like a small city dump; they are also the people who will not take the time to be safety conscious, who will not stop to consider what effects their actions have on the reputation of the general hunting populace. You need to be and can be a part of the solution to these problems. The first thing you must do is set high standards of behavior for yourself and your family. Take the time to teach your children how to behave in the outdoors. Show them how to conduct themselves. If you have not already developed it, learn about the wildlife you pursue. Study them and their habits until you build an abiding respect for nature's ways. Continue to be more of a solution by insisting that those people who hunt or fish around you know how you feel about unethical conduct concerning our great out-of-doors. Take a deep breath if you have to, but tell the guy who takes a 400-yard shot with a 30-30 that you disapprove because the chances of making a clean kill are beyond reason. Policing every corner of the State during hunting and fishing seasons is impossible for Division employees. But if every iiunter was willing to be a part of the law enforcement team, we could put a stop to a large percentage per-centage of illegal wildlife activity. ac-tivity. Many times, an accurate description of persons involved, license plate numbers and other details are sufficient to help the Division obtain convictions against lawbreakers. You should be concerned. It is your wildlife that is being expooited. It is your hunting and fishing opportunities that are being taken away-from you, the law-abiding citizen. You and your family can help in other ways too. When you buy a hunting or fishing license, you are supporting sup-porting wildlife management. To date, sportsmen have been the backbone of financial support to wildlife in America. Those of you who are nonhunters or non-fishermen non-fishermen can also help. Contributions Con-tributions to the Division's Research and Development Fund are spent directly in learning more about and preserving the needs of Utah's wildlife. You might make it a family project for the new year. Nineteen Hundred and seventy-seven can be a real turning point for us all if we decide to make it that way. I "hope you will join me in taking the welfare of Utah's wildlife resources personally. I look forward to working with you in the new year to preserve our outdoor heritage, so our children will have the opportunity op-portunity to know our streams and mountains as you and I have known them. My warm wishes for a happy and productive new year. Donald A. Smith |