Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Inter-Mountain Western States Coordinator
On August 26, approximately 12 Utah Sportsmen’s Caucus members and 25 other individuals, traveled into the high country of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in pursuit of Tiger and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Inter-Mountain Western States Coordinator Ellary TuckerWilliams was also in attendance.
“Utah legislators and other policy makers took some time to fish together in Utah’s backcountry last week,” said Andrew Rasmussen, Utah Field Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. “This was an important outing for members to witness up close the consequences of forest and habitat management and to discuss potential policy approaches that will benefit fish, wildlife, and sportsmen.”
Utah is home to 488,439 certified paid fishing license holders and 236,656 hunting license holders. Through the American System of Conservation Funding, a “user pays – public benefits” program, sportsmen and women contributed $44.29 million to conservation within the state last year. Funds provided by Utah sportsmen and women contribute to funding the state fish and wildlife agency, managing over 130 wildlife management areas and recreation access points throughout the state, the Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit program, Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative, and countless other conservation projects. Utah’s hunters and anglers support the state’s economy through spending more than $2.0 billion while engaged in their pursuits, and support over 19,677 jobs, generating over $239 million in state and local taxes.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
