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Show ; Game Director Cites Danger In Damage Resolution j The Big Game Control board. i comprised of members of the 1 Fish and Game Department, cat- tie and sheep interests, sports-j sports-j men and Forest Service, dumped r the big game damage problem f right back in the lap of the Utah ' State Legislature at a special board meeting in Salt Lake City I last week. The meeting, called when the Legislature suggested by resolution reso-lution that the Board go into action during the current cmerg ency, listened to numerous angles, an-gles, suggestions, complaints and charges. The meeting was open forum in session in which every- one was invited to air their i views. R. L. Turpin, Utah game director di-rector and board chairman, pointed out that the Big Game Control board is a group of men j. named to control the herds of the I state and set the numbers of animals to be taken in regular, S pre-season, and post season hunts. Without funds, the Board has no means of accomplishing anything in the current crisis except to ' order further destruction of the ; herds. "No one at the open forum session thought it was wise to kill off any more game this winter," win-ter," Turpin said. "Rather the sentiment was for helping the animals along and bringing as many through as possible." Tur- pin pointed out. i ' Commenting on the referring j of damage payments to the Leg-; Leg-; , islaturc, Director R. L. Turpin advised that the state stands to lose S700.000, or thereabouts, in j Federal Aid funds under the Pitt-j Pitt-j man-Robertson Act in the next I vtwo ya.s ii' the lcgiYuCi.irc or-1 or-1 ders payment. I The Pittman - Robertson pro-' pro-' visions hold that to be eligible for the Federal Aid, which is met by 25 per cent state monies, the state legislature cannot divert di-vert fish and game funds for any I purpose. "The current program of let- ting the state pay damages up to I S100 is within the boundaries," Turpin said. This does not take J the funds away from the depart-i depart-i ment. "As long as the Game depart- ' ment has the say in how the funds will be used and they arc i not diverted for other uses, we can remain eligible for the Pitt-man Pitt-man - Robertson funds. These funds are obtained through taxes tax-es on firearms and ammunition which are paid by the sportsmen themselves, and for this reason the sportsmen are entitled to these monies to be used in their own state," Turpin concluded. |