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Show Wildlife Resources Views Trout Stamp Proposal Utah trout fishermen may be purchasing a trout stamp in addition to their regular season fishing license next vcar. First proposed by the ' (iovernor's Wildlife Program Review Committee last August, Aug-ust, the stamp would provide a supplemental source of funding for the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) fisheries program. Among the recommendations recommenda-tions made by the 12-citizen review committee was this one: "...to assist in repayment repay-ment of bonds and for other reasonable expenses relative to acquisition, development, expansion andor rehabilitation rehabilita-tion of facilities, the Board of Wildlife Resources (should) utilize its existing authority to issue a series of stamps similar to the 1982 Panguitch Lake Ice Fishing Stamp or the Federal Duck Stamp." According to DWR spokesman spokes-man LaVar Ware, the pre-esent pre-esent fee schedule does not provide enough money for the fisheries program, 'in 1970 the cost of raising and stocking trout from hatcheries hatcher-ies was a little more than 50 cents a pound, but by 1981 the cost had gone up to $1.81 a pound. That's over 3 and one half times the cost for the same amount of fish." During this same time, the $10.50 license fee reflects only a doubling - not adequate to keep up with spiraling costs. Ware said funds from the trout stamp would help pay for building and remodeling fish hatcheries, for gaining public access to fishing areas, and for acquisition of conservation pools in reservoirs reser-voirs throughout the state. A conservation pool guarantees a drawdown water level necessary to keep trout alive. Park of the money would go toward the rough fish eradication eradi-cation program. "Without additional funding, the quality qua-lity of trout fishing in Utah over the next several years is questionable," Ware concluded. con-cluded. The proposed trout stamp will head the list of topics under disucssion when the Utah Wildlife Board meets Thursday, December 23 at 10 a.m. in the Division's Salt Lake office. Written or in person comment will.be accepted through December 22 at the Division of Wildlife Resources, 1596 West North Temple, 84116. Comments should be addressed to the Utah Wildlife Board. |
