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Show SPORTSMEN I OFFER BILLS TO I LEGISLATURE j. Although there seems to be ar ''. abundance of bills carrying the J blessings of the state sportsmen now on the docket in the stats . House and Senate, the proposed legislation actually breaks dowr 5 into about three major issues. ;" The big game board of coulrol, ; Both the Utah Wildlife Federa- tion and the newer Utah Sports- ' men's association have bills up ' for consideration. The Wildlife Federation asks (a) revision ol '. the big game board of control tc I include the fish and game direc- tor, a land owner to be selected from the Utah Horse and Cattle '. Growers' Assn., and the Utah 1 Woolgrowers Assn., a sportsman, : to be named by the Utah Wild- life federation; the U.S. Forest Service and the Taylor Grazing Service, (b) That the big game board make a scientific studies of the ranges in the state and decide de-cide fairly the carrying capacity of each range, (c) That open hearings be conducted in each district dis-trict in the state and that they be announced so that all sports-men, sports-men, landowners and stockmen may have a chance to speak his mind in his own district, (d) That the big game board, with the ex-ception ex-ception of the federal agency rep-resentatives, rep-resentatives, be given expenses and a per diem wage for riding the ranges and making personal investigations. The Sportsmen's association also has a big game board bill, which would abolish the big game board the present fish and game commission com-mission and the state game refuge re-fuge committee. It would replace the present five man commission with a nine man commission, chosen by the hunting and fishing license holders of the state. Both sportsmen's groups intend in-tend to seek a modification of the "no Sunday opening" law for pheasants, which was enacted by the 1943 leglisature. Both would give the director the power tc open any season on any day he saw fit. The Utah Wildlife Federation asks for the installation of the merit system for the fish and game department employees while the Sportsmen's association asks civil service for departmental employees. em-ployees. The Sportsmen's association asks legislation to make fish and game violations a felony instead of a misdemeaner. The Wildlife federation asks legislation banning the use of trash fish as bait in waters closed by the state. It would not apply to Strawberry reservoir and upots where the clubs already have a strong hold, but it would ban these trash fish from good waters. As trash fish were removed from the Strawberry and other hot spots, they, too, would be closed to such bait. v 1 I The Wildlife Federation , also asks that service men on fur-lough fur-lough and hospitalized servicemen service-men still in uniform the privilege of fishing in the state without a license. As the matter now stands, it appears several of these measurers measur-ers have a good chance of meriting merit-ing serious consideration, for this session of the legislature is very much fish and game minded. |