5 Minutes of your time would be worth it
ok guys we need some help. We have a legislator (Mike Noel of Kanab) who is considering writing a bill that forces the state to purchase fish from private growers and at this point it hasnt been determined whether these fish will be tested for WD or not when they are planted. And frankly this same guy holds all the cards on the DNR/DWR since he is over state appropriations so they are scared of him. So, I think each of us should write a short letter to him to let him know there are a lot of fishermen in this state that dont want this and that some of you could vote against him, but to also show him we fishermen will stick together on this and not let him write a bill that forces the state to do something that could really hurt the resource.
Please take 5 minutes and write him and tell him you dont support any bill that would MANDATE the state to purchase privately grown fish and certainly you dont support any legislation that would allow any DEVIATION from current laws allowing WD positive fish to be put in any state waters of utah. Be NICE about this but firm, we need a real showing of some support about this or its going to get shoved down our throats.
his email address is [url "mailto:mnoel@kanab.net"]mnoel@kanab.net[/url]
at the same time please copy these letters to
Jim Karpowitz at Jim [url "mailto:jimKarpowitz@utah.gov"]jimKarpowitz@utah.gov[/url] and
Walt Donaldson at [url "mailto:Waltdonaldson@utah.gov"]Waltdonaldson@utah.gov[/url]
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All that Mike Noel needs to get his way is for good people like us to do nothing. I agree it is important for all of us to get involved. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
I just wrote him a nice e-mail expressing my feelings about such a bill that has the potential for crippling Utah fish stocking programs and affecting licensing fees for Utah anglers.
Wormandbobber, I would consider posting this on other Utah fishing forums to gather more support.
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Example
Guys, Here is a letter sent by a concerned angler to not only Noel but to the leader of the senate and teh leader of the house plus karpowitz and donaldson. Maybe you could use it as an example:
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Dear Representative Noel,
I am writing pertaining to upcoming legislation aimed at revitalizing private aquaculture in this state. To my understanding, this bill has not yet been released and thus its contents are hypothetical. But if what I have heard and read is true, then I have some concerns about this bill.
It is my understanding that this bill would require the DWR to purchase hatchery fish from private growers to stock public waters and that the health of the fish as a human food product would be the only consideration DWR could use to deny such a purchase. What this means, in practical terms, is that Whirling Disease infected fish (as well as other fish diseases) would be used for public stocking purposes. If this is true, then there are many reasons why this legislation would be inappropriate.
States in the west, with the best example of Colorado, have tested the effect of stocking public waters with WD infected fish: it has been a disaster. The spore loads of the parasite reach very high levels in such waters, insuring the loss of reproduction of wild rainbow and cutthroat trout, and diminishing the fitness of brown trout. From a anglers point of view, this practice would lead to a substantial degradation of the fishery. Colorado has repudiated its use of infected fish for stocking purposes as have all states that I am aware of. Utah would be the only state to actively support the stocking of such diseased fish in public waters. Anglers in Utah would not support this bill.
At this time, Utah is between a rock and a hard place regarding the listing of Bonneville cutthroat trout on the endangered list. Using infected fish for stocking Utah waters would increase the chance of introduction of the disease (either via fish, man or birds) in the pristine waters that the Bonneville needs for reproduction. Cutthroat's are very sensitive to WD and any expansion of this disease into spawning regions that these cutt's use would most likely insure the entry of the federal government to protect this species. I do not believe this is a goal that you nor the DWR has for the future of the Bonneville.
This bill would also set an interested precedent that could be termed "wildlife farming revitalization". Chronic wasting disease originated in a game farm in Colorado and was later transferred to other states (such as Wisconsin) through the transport of infected animals. At this time there is no case of a documented transfer of CWD to humans after eating infected meat (similarly there are no documented instances of humans contracting WD from eating infected fish). If this bill passes and I owned a game farm of deer/elk that I wanted to sell to the DWR so they could stock popular hunting areas, I would have a strong legal precedent to force the DWR to purchase my animals regardless of their disease state. I do not think that Sportmans for Fish and Wildlife and other hunting/conservation groups would be in support of setting the precedent of releasing diseased animals into the wild.
The fact is private fish farms in Utah operate in 2007 basically the same way they did in 1907. Times change and you either have to invest in the infrastructure to be competitive or not. There are certainly many examples of businesses that have failed because the market changed (and they did not) or they lacked a product of value, and the state was not expected to save their hides. To expect the state to take on this obligation is simply creating social welfare for the private fish farmers which, in the long term, will not serve anyone except to reward inefficiency. That seems un-American and certainly un-Utahn to me. Doesn't it to you as well?
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I might also suggest that concerned individuals write an email to the representatives of their own districts about the dangers (and stupidity) of this proposed legislation.
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That's some scary legislation that's being proposed. Here is a link to a Tribune article about it.
[url "http://www.sltrib.com/columnists/ci_7582459"]http://www.sltrib.com/columnists/ci_7582459[/url]
From what I've read about Mike Noel, I don't think he cares what fishermen, ecologists, or conservationists think. He's a major supporter of nuclear power, since his conservancy would benefit. He's raising license fees "for the benefit of sportsmen", while at the same time supporting legislation that would increase the problem of whirling disease. The only good thing he's doing (I believe) is creating the new Jackson Flat reservoir, although the Piutes and Sierra Club would disagree.
http://www.coloradowater.org/documents/N...20UTAH.pdf
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Guys: the single most important thing is to contact YOUR OWN state senator and state legislator and, say, in essence, the following (please use your own words; if you just cut and paste someone else's email they will disregard the email):
(1) YOU LIVE IN THEIR DISTRICT,
(2) YOU ARE AN AVID ANGLER/FLY FISHERMAN,
(3) YOU'VE HEARD THAT THERE MAY BE A BILL INTRODUCED DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON PRIVATE FISH FARMING THAT COULD FORCE THE DWR TO BUY INFECTED FISH FROM PRIVATE GROWERS
(4) YOU THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA AND YOU EXPECT THEM TO OPPOSE ANY BILL THAT DOES THAT (the more nuanced point is "I don't have any problem with private growers, but I have BIG problem with whirling disease positive fish being stocked ANYWHERE in the state").
(5) ASK THEM to please keep you informed if they hear anything more about this bill.
In short, you want to lay out very quickly WHO you are, WHY you care, WHY they should care about you and your opinion, and WHAT you want them to do about it. Consider calling them (they get tons of email and some of them don't read them). In all cases you should be unfailingly polite. I'm serious about that. A rude or ill-considered contact can do far more harm than good
If you don't know who your legislator is, you can type in your mailing address at the following website and find out:
[url "http://www.le.state.ut.us/maps/amap.html"]http://www.le.state.ut.us/maps/amap.html[/url]
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Thanks for the heads up I just sent my letters. This whole thing makes me sick to my stomach [:|] and I want to know what happens with it. Please start a new thread when this thing goes through or is tossed out so we know what kind of an effect we have had.
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TO SHOW EVERYBODY HOW EASY THIS IS:
CLick on this link to find your representative
[url "http://www.le.state.ut.us/house/DistrictInfo/NewMaps/State.htm"]http://www.le.state.ut.us/house/DistrictInfo/NewMaps/State.htm[/url]
Then a picture and description of your representative will come up with an e-mail address for you let them know about your concerns. Piece of cake, plus it feels good to be part of the democratic process.
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i just sent my letters tonight. [cool]
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I want to bump this thread and urge all of you to do this!
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