11-28-2007, 05:45 PM
I thought I would clear thing up a little. This change was identified in the spring RAC informational in concept: I cut and pasted exactly what was presented at that RAC below.
nFishing Contests/Tournament Regulations –Consider changes to accommodate live-weigh bass fishing tournaments on size-restricted waters. »Option 1: Relaxation of possession standard (ww only). »Option 2: Changes in limits to allow possession of some of the larger sized bass (i.e. standardized bass regulations). –Consider an increase in the $500 prize restriction for fishing contest COR requirements. –Reduce fishing contest COR processing time from 60 to 45 days. –Make changes to contest rule to correct administrative error for Echo tournament grandfather clause. –[#000000]Consider separate rule for fishing tournaments and tagged fish contests![/#000000] [#ff0000][/#ff0000] [#000000]The intent was for the UDWR to not issue a preference either for or against and let the public weigh in and let them drive the process.[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000]Just prior to the fall RAC at which the DWR presented the fishing proclamation changes, Brett Prettyman wrote a lengthy article again discussing the potential changes to the fishing tournament rule. He wrote this I would suppose to excite the public and inform them to potentially what was coming down.[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000]At the fall RAC the following is a cut and paste of exactly what was presented:[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000] Purpose:[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] •[#000000]To solicit advice and input from the public on Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) direction concerning the following: Fishing Tournaments, Fishing Contests and fishing clinics.[/#000000] [#000000] [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000] [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]These are Primarily social issues and would be best suited for discussions in a public forum. [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000] [/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000] [/#000000][black][size 4]Should the DWR:[/size][/black] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]Reinstate historical rules at Flaming Gorge and Echo Reservoirs where there were no limit to the number of contestants or the amount that can be offered in total prizes. [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]b) Reinstate the statement in the rule that there may be a contest/tournament held on Echo Reservoir on Free Fishing Day. [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]c) Not allow live weigh tournaments or contests [/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000] [/#000000][black][size 4]Should the DWR:[/size][/black] [size 2][black]maintain the requirements of coldwater fish tournaments as they are currently? This would entail very little control over the specifics as to how the tournament would be conducted except for the number of contestants and the amount of cash or prizes that could be awarded. [/black][/size] [#000000] [/#000000] [size 5][size 2][black]Warm water fish tournaments (Option 1): [/black][/size][black][size 2]Should the DWR?[/size][/black] [/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5] [/size][#000000]allow tournament participants to temporarily possess fish protected in length restricted waters for the duration of specific tournaments? This would allow high publicity events comparing catch at the end of the tournament.[size 3]
[/size][/#000000] [#000000][size 3] [size 2][black]Warm water fish tournaments (Option 2): Should the DWR? [/black][/size] [black][size 2]specify methods to weigh or measure fish at the site of [/size][/black][size 2][black]capture. This would eliminate the need for participants to temporarily possess fish protected under special regulations, and still enable the contestants to weigh fish under DWR guidelines. [/black][/size] [size 3] [/size] [size 5][black][size 3](Option 1): Should the DWR?[/size][/black] [/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5][/size][black][size 2]establish a list of waters where tagged fish [/size][/black][size 2][black]contests could take place and establish guidelines to control those and other types of contests? [/black][/size] [size 3][black]Tagged fish contests (Option 2): Should the DWR? [/black][/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5] [/size] [black][size 2]leave the tagged fish contest as is, which allows [/size][/black][black][size 2]DWR to authorize fish tagging but no oversight [/size][/black][black][size 2]on how the contest is conducted?[/size][/black] [size 5][black][size 3]Option 1): Should the DWR?[/size][/black] [/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5] [/size][black][size 2][black]clearly separate clinics from all other fishing[/black] [/size][/black][black][size 2]tournaments and contests and make every attempt to encourage these types of events as well as reduce the requirements necessary for them to hold a Clinic? [/size][/black] [black][size 2][/size][/black] [size 3][black]Youth Fishing Clinics (Option 2): Should the DWR? [/black][/size] • [black][size 2]control clinics and manage them as contests or [/size][/black] [black][size 2]tournaments?[/size][/black] [black][size 2][/size][/black] [size 2]I attended the spring informational RAC and presented at the fall RAC and will present at the December RAC again, a final rule concerning tournaments. I saw very little attendance at any of the RACs by anglers and at all the RAC's and Wildlife Board there were only two people in favor of liberalizing the possession laws for tournament anglers. There was a high level of support of the concepts within the rule that will be presented in December by the public, RAC's and Wildlife Board. The rule represents those concepts and nothing more. The tagged fish contest portion of the rule was viewed by those same individuals as a mechanism to entice new anglers to go out and give it a try. As far as the resource damage the list and the fish species on that list were created with our DWR regional aquatics folks to target fish that we could replace or supplement (trout) or the species of fish could withstand and perhaps benefit by additional harvest.[/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]I am still attempting to understand how to guage public opinion on aquatics issues. Like a said before I saw very few and in some cases no anglers attending the fall RAC or Wildlife Board meetings. If you have an idea what other public forum do you have to voice your opinion to the DWR? [/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]If you guys still think this topic did not go through the public process correctly please help me understand what I can do better next time.[/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]Thanks[/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]Drew Cushing[/size] [size 2]Warm Water Sportfish and Community Fisheries Coordinator[/size] [size 2]801-538-4774[/size] [size 2][url "mailto:andrewcushing@utah.gov"]andrewcushing@utah.gov[/url] [/size] [/size][/#000000] [#ff0000] [/#ff0000]
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nFishing Contests/Tournament Regulations –Consider changes to accommodate live-weigh bass fishing tournaments on size-restricted waters. »Option 1: Relaxation of possession standard (ww only). »Option 2: Changes in limits to allow possession of some of the larger sized bass (i.e. standardized bass regulations). –Consider an increase in the $500 prize restriction for fishing contest COR requirements. –Reduce fishing contest COR processing time from 60 to 45 days. –Make changes to contest rule to correct administrative error for Echo tournament grandfather clause. –[#000000]Consider separate rule for fishing tournaments and tagged fish contests![/#000000] [#ff0000][/#ff0000] [#000000]The intent was for the UDWR to not issue a preference either for or against and let the public weigh in and let them drive the process.[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000]Just prior to the fall RAC at which the DWR presented the fishing proclamation changes, Brett Prettyman wrote a lengthy article again discussing the potential changes to the fishing tournament rule. He wrote this I would suppose to excite the public and inform them to potentially what was coming down.[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000]At the fall RAC the following is a cut and paste of exactly what was presented:[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000] Purpose:[/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] •[#000000]To solicit advice and input from the public on Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) direction concerning the following: Fishing Tournaments, Fishing Contests and fishing clinics.[/#000000] [#000000] [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000] [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]These are Primarily social issues and would be best suited for discussions in a public forum. [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000] [/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000] [/#000000][black][size 4]Should the DWR:[/size][/black] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]Reinstate historical rules at Flaming Gorge and Echo Reservoirs where there were no limit to the number of contestants or the amount that can be offered in total prizes. [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]b) Reinstate the statement in the rule that there may be a contest/tournament held on Echo Reservoir on Free Fishing Day. [/#000000] [#000000]•[/#000000][#000000]c) Not allow live weigh tournaments or contests [/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000][/#000000] [#000000] [/#000000][black][size 4]Should the DWR:[/size][/black] [size 2][black]maintain the requirements of coldwater fish tournaments as they are currently? This would entail very little control over the specifics as to how the tournament would be conducted except for the number of contestants and the amount of cash or prizes that could be awarded. [/black][/size] [#000000] [/#000000] [size 5][size 2][black]Warm water fish tournaments (Option 1): [/black][/size][black][size 2]Should the DWR?[/size][/black] [/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5] [/size][#000000]allow tournament participants to temporarily possess fish protected in length restricted waters for the duration of specific tournaments? This would allow high publicity events comparing catch at the end of the tournament.[size 3]
[/size][/#000000] [#000000][size 3] [size 2][black]Warm water fish tournaments (Option 2): Should the DWR? [/black][/size] [black][size 2]specify methods to weigh or measure fish at the site of [/size][/black][size 2][black]capture. This would eliminate the need for participants to temporarily possess fish protected under special regulations, and still enable the contestants to weigh fish under DWR guidelines. [/black][/size] [size 3] [/size] [size 5][black][size 3](Option 1): Should the DWR?[/size][/black] [/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5][/size][black][size 2]establish a list of waters where tagged fish [/size][/black][size 2][black]contests could take place and establish guidelines to control those and other types of contests? [/black][/size] [size 3][black]Tagged fish contests (Option 2): Should the DWR? [/black][/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5] [/size] [black][size 2]leave the tagged fish contest as is, which allows [/size][/black][black][size 2]DWR to authorize fish tagging but no oversight [/size][/black][black][size 2]on how the contest is conducted?[/size][/black] [size 5][black][size 3]Option 1): Should the DWR?[/size][/black] [/size] [size 5][/size] [size 5] [/size][black][size 2][black]clearly separate clinics from all other fishing[/black] [/size][/black][black][size 2]tournaments and contests and make every attempt to encourage these types of events as well as reduce the requirements necessary for them to hold a Clinic? [/size][/black] [black][size 2][/size][/black] [size 3][black]Youth Fishing Clinics (Option 2): Should the DWR? [/black][/size] • [black][size 2]control clinics and manage them as contests or [/size][/black] [black][size 2]tournaments?[/size][/black] [black][size 2][/size][/black] [size 2]I attended the spring informational RAC and presented at the fall RAC and will present at the December RAC again, a final rule concerning tournaments. I saw very little attendance at any of the RACs by anglers and at all the RAC's and Wildlife Board there were only two people in favor of liberalizing the possession laws for tournament anglers. There was a high level of support of the concepts within the rule that will be presented in December by the public, RAC's and Wildlife Board. The rule represents those concepts and nothing more. The tagged fish contest portion of the rule was viewed by those same individuals as a mechanism to entice new anglers to go out and give it a try. As far as the resource damage the list and the fish species on that list were created with our DWR regional aquatics folks to target fish that we could replace or supplement (trout) or the species of fish could withstand and perhaps benefit by additional harvest.[/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]I am still attempting to understand how to guage public opinion on aquatics issues. Like a said before I saw very few and in some cases no anglers attending the fall RAC or Wildlife Board meetings. If you have an idea what other public forum do you have to voice your opinion to the DWR? [/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]If you guys still think this topic did not go through the public process correctly please help me understand what I can do better next time.[/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]Thanks[/size] [size 2][/size] [size 2]Drew Cushing[/size] [size 2]Warm Water Sportfish and Community Fisheries Coordinator[/size] [size 2]801-538-4774[/size] [size 2][url "mailto:andrewcushing@utah.gov"]andrewcushing@utah.gov[/url] [/size] [/size][/#000000] [#ff0000] [/#ff0000]
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