02-09-2010, 06:58 PM
Many fishing advocates support HB 80 and SB 267. Utah Water Guardians is telling everybody to email their representative and ask them to pass the bill. Fish Tech supports it too. I think they are wrong. Here is why:
I’ve read HB 80 and HB 290. SB 267 is supposed to be SIMILAR to HB 80, but the text has not been placed in the bill as of this morning (2/9/10). There are supposedly a couple of other bills being introduced too.
HB 290 is bad. I don't think HB 80 is that much better. I see a big problem with the way HB 80 differentiates between man-made obstacles and natural obstacles. This creates confusion. It should not matter if an obstacle is man-made or natural. A user should be able to go around any obstacle in order to continue navigating the stream.
Have you ever tried to walk down a stream without stepping out and onto the river bank above? It very hard to do. Users who float may have little problem drifting down stream, but fishermen will have a very difficult time walking in the natural stream bed all of the time, even if they are walking downstream. Going upstream is even more difficult. Can you imagine the damage to fish spawning beds if everybody had to stay in the natural stream bed?
This bill is still too restrictive. I urge you to ask your representatives to make fishing access more reasonable. We must have the ability to walk along the stream bank. Fishermen often walk just far enough away from the bank so that only their head is visible to the fish. Nobody want to bushwhack through the tall grass and bush. Mostly they stay on trails that already exist. Sometimes those trails are 100 feet from the stream. Floaters and Fishermen alike should not have to risk their lives trying to get through one type of obstacle, while legally allowed to go around another type. And remember, it will almost always be the landowner with a gun who decides if an obstacle is man-made or natural.
Last year there were four gunshots fired. None of the shots were fired by floaters or fishermen. Last year there was no law restricting access. If any bill passes, it will restrict access to a lessor or greater degree. How many shots do you think will be fired then?
If no bill passes, it will be better than passing a bill that does not fully protect water users rights.
Don't support this bill just because it is the best one so far, or because opposition claims we are really good at always saying 'no' but never agreeing to anything. Remember, they lost in the Supreme Court when they tried to take away river user's rights entirely. There is no reason we should settle for anything less than full unrestricted easement along rivers.
Fo goodness sake don't contact your representative until you have read the bill yourself and know what it says.
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I’ve read HB 80 and HB 290. SB 267 is supposed to be SIMILAR to HB 80, but the text has not been placed in the bill as of this morning (2/9/10). There are supposedly a couple of other bills being introduced too.
HB 290 is bad. I don't think HB 80 is that much better. I see a big problem with the way HB 80 differentiates between man-made obstacles and natural obstacles. This creates confusion. It should not matter if an obstacle is man-made or natural. A user should be able to go around any obstacle in order to continue navigating the stream.
Have you ever tried to walk down a stream without stepping out and onto the river bank above? It very hard to do. Users who float may have little problem drifting down stream, but fishermen will have a very difficult time walking in the natural stream bed all of the time, even if they are walking downstream. Going upstream is even more difficult. Can you imagine the damage to fish spawning beds if everybody had to stay in the natural stream bed?
This bill is still too restrictive. I urge you to ask your representatives to make fishing access more reasonable. We must have the ability to walk along the stream bank. Fishermen often walk just far enough away from the bank so that only their head is visible to the fish. Nobody want to bushwhack through the tall grass and bush. Mostly they stay on trails that already exist. Sometimes those trails are 100 feet from the stream. Floaters and Fishermen alike should not have to risk their lives trying to get through one type of obstacle, while legally allowed to go around another type. And remember, it will almost always be the landowner with a gun who decides if an obstacle is man-made or natural.
Last year there were four gunshots fired. None of the shots were fired by floaters or fishermen. Last year there was no law restricting access. If any bill passes, it will restrict access to a lessor or greater degree. How many shots do you think will be fired then?
If no bill passes, it will be better than passing a bill that does not fully protect water users rights.
Don't support this bill just because it is the best one so far, or because opposition claims we are really good at always saying 'no' but never agreeing to anything. Remember, they lost in the Supreme Court when they tried to take away river user's rights entirely. There is no reason we should settle for anything less than full unrestricted easement along rivers.
Fo goodness sake don't contact your representative until you have read the bill yourself and know what it says.
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