Fishing Forum

[url "http://www.standard.net/Recreation/2016/02/10/Transparency-still-debated-around-2016-Western-Hunting-and-Conservation-Expo.html"]http://www.standard.net/Recreation/2016/02/10/Transparency-still-debated-around-2016-Western-Hunting-and-Conservation-Expo.html[/url]

Good read. Looks like it's business as usual for the good old boy government in Utah. With that kind of money laying around, I'm surprised the Utah Attorney General didn't get his hand out.

During the fall of 2015, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation submitted a bid to host the expo for the 2017-2021 period. The elk foundation included a provision in their proposal promising that 100 percent of revenue from expo permit sales, in addition to half the of gross revenue from the expo, would go directly back to DWR-approved projects.
But the [url "https://wildlife.utah.gov/pdf/2015-12-18_justification_statement.pdf"]Wildlife Board ended up choosing the SFW and the MDF to host the expo again[/url], citing a lack of detail from the elk foundation about how it would handle data security protocols.
On top of that, four of the seven current Wildlife Board members have direct ties to SFW, as either past presidents or committee members. While three of those people recused themselves from the vote, the fourth person, SFW member Donnie Hunter, cast the deciding vote.
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[url "http://kutv.com/news/local/allegations-of-corruption-surround-utah-hungtin-and-conservation-expo"]http://kutv.com/news/local/allegations-of-corruption-surround-utah-hungtin-and-conservation-expo[/url]

KUTV did a story on it last night.

SFW response is to get back to talking about how great the expo was.

I think they can do a little bit more than glorifying the expo and victimizing themselves.

They should be able to provide line upon line data about where all of their money is going from the program and I don't imagine that it would be that hard to do.

The only reason they would not come post the records is if they have something to hide or something they do not want the public to see.

They have two years to spend the money on conservation after the expo and they just need to provide the information.

They can't just make blanket statements anymore that we do spend the money, they only have to prove how they are spending the money.

It's simple, just show how the money is being spent.
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In light of all the negative press, I'm sure the powers to be with SFW are aware that they are being watched like a hawk and will be needing to insure that their poop is all in a group moving forward. Many folks who support this cause do not have large sums of money to throw away and will spend their hard earned money's in different places and ways.

I have talked to many sportsman in this state that just flat out did not attend this year. It was either not wanting to support them or else the cost to get in.

Time will tell for them to put up or shut up, but it sure looks pretty shady.
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Although the media sure did get things hyped up about this with their semi-reporting style, here is the info for people with any questions. If you have any questions regarding this process, then please send them to the UDWR so they can clarify things.
http://wildlife.utah.gov/utah-expo-permits-faq.html
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Great read Scott, thanks for sharing it with us.
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