LAST EDITED ON Mar-24-05 AT 11:56AM (MST)[p]I can't possibly understand the theory behind these new tags. The number is now 200 hundred additional tags will be allotted for the 'Big Convention'. The tags will come out of the general LE and OIL tags. The money raised is 'supposed' to be for wildlife and habitat restoration. But Alan Clark, DWR acting assistant. director, stated that no where in the proposal rule does it guarantee that the money (application fees) will be kept in Utah, for Utah projects. They (SFW, Wildlife board and others) figure that the potential influx of revenue that will be generated by the convention, revenue that will be added to the local economy mind you, not directly going to wildlife issues, will produce somewhere in the neighbor of $5 millions in tax money. This money will supposedly by funneled into the appropriate places to benefit wildlife. Now, to generate that much revenue, the groups listed above must be banking on the fact that thousands of nonresidents will be pouring into the state for this 3 or 4 day convention. But at the same time we were assured last night that the amount of nonresident tags will not be more than the percentage already given out.???? I can't understand this. They want all these people to pour into our state for an opportunity to draw a convention tag, in turn generating millions of dollars in tax revenue, but the nonresident draw odds will not increase?
As I understand it, the convention draw will allow people that have already drawn a OIL tag to become eligible for another tag. Also if there are 15 different LE deer units, one can put in for all 15, along with every other hunt available at the show! "But our drawing odds will be the same", Alan Clark.
He stated that the only way drawing odds will decrease for resident hunters is if we don't put in for the hunts at the convention. To do so you have to apply in person. Think about the logistics of it all...As previously stated, they plan on thousands upon thousands of people flocking to this show for this opportunity to draw these permits. Oh did I mention that these permits will come out of the general pool of permits? Yeah that right, less tags in the early draw, and as bad of odds as the ID state lottery for the second draw. And this is my favorite part...The money generated by all of these $5 application fees is not guaranteed to stay in UT!!! I asked them that question, and they wouldn't give me an answer. Dennis said I needed to submit a comment card. Then right before the close of the meeting, the RAC members all got on their soap box...Wait let me back-up here. When the proposal was first presented last night, out of the seven RAC, five of them had numerous concerns about the document and the way in was written. Two RAC members, which happen to be Steve Perry, SFW and John Bair, SFW were the only members that didn't have any concerns about the proposal...Funny how that works. Well, in the hour or so that it took to come to a vote, which was after 'The Don' spoke, only one still had concerns! Only one! I haven't witnessed that much waffling since last years presidential election...Ketchup anyone? Now, at this point, it was painfully obvious that the proposal had already been signed sealed and delivered, and I couldn't take it any more! I shouted out "make sure the money stays in Utah first", meaning to keep the $5 application fee from all of these theoretical applicants. At which point I was told and any further out bust would result in my removal from the meeting. So, I opted to save them the time and trouble and I left. Oh, what's that, you guessed it. The proposal passed 5:1. And it wasn't just the theory of the draft that passed, the way it was presented last night is the way it's going to be! No if ands or buts, no revision. Now unless something miraculous happens at the rest of the RAC meetings, I'd say it's a done deal.
I'm not all that concerned about the extra tags being taken out of the general pool. If they are going to appropriate tags for another give-away, I'd rather them be taken from the existing permit numbers. Heaven knows our herds need al the help they can get. But the thing that does bother me is that no where and at no time last night was the sportsmen of Utah guaranteed that the money generated by these tags would directly go to benefit OUR animals. One last thing, I didn't know it was the RAC, SFW, and Wildlife boards responsibility to worry about the local economy of SLC...I know, I know, tax money 'might' be appropriated for wildlife issues...what are the chances of this money being rearrange to fund, say, more education issues???
'It's all about the gut pile'