UT HB80 Needs YOU Now!

ForkWest · Feb 2, 2010

Listen, I know this is a hunting site, but I know ALOT of you are fisherman too, and this has far reaching impacts!

This bill isn't about just anglers, although it's the fishermen who are mounting the battle stations and they need YOUR help NOW. It's as easy as becoming aware and sending emails.

As hunters we've debated on here several times the frustration of access to public land and the obstacles that some private lands have on that. Blocked roads, chained gates, big detours etc. You know the debates.

We'll here we are with House Bill HB80 that can really do something about that. This bill will secure access to what has been deemed by the supreme court to be public property. This Bill will have lasting affects on public rights for you, your children, their children, and so on.

Rivers are OUR?s and WE the public have the right to enjoy them.

Big land owners are fighting this bill hard. Especially big private ranches that make big $$$ off publicly owned water and publicly owned fish. Water and fish that we have a right to, but they want to block.

It should also be said, there is with out a doubt a responsibility to maintain the rights of private property owners. That's what this country is based on. This bill was written with input from all parties including private landowners. In no way does this bill take away from those rights.

Send your representative and senator and email TODAY!
Find their email address here.
http://www.utahsenate.org/map.html

And become more educated here.
http://www.utahonthefly.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=276

http://utahwaterguardians.org/

Your voice will be heard and can have a big impact.

There?s always talk on here about actually doing something about issues, here?s your chance

PleaseDear · Feb 2, 2010

Thanks 'Forkie,

I'll get mine sent off tonight.

Robb

ForkWest · Feb 2, 2010

Right on Robb. That's exactly what we ALL need to do.

If you want to focus your efforts on the Natural Resource Committee where it is being reviewed, here's a quick way to emial them.

Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair [email protected]
Rep. John G. Mathis, Vice Chair [email protected]
Rep. Melvin R. Brown [email protected]
Rep. Brad L. Dee [email protected]
Rep. Jack R. Draxler [email protected]
Rep. Kerry W. Gibson [email protected]
Rep. James R. [email protected]
Rep. Neal B. Hendrickson [email protected]
Rep. Michael E. Noel [email protected]
Rep. Patrick Painter [email protected]
Rep. Phil Riesen [email protected]
Rep. Christine F. Watkins [email protected]
Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox [email protected]
Rep. Bill Wright [email protected]

This should make it easier to email the entire bunch....
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Gorilla · Feb 2, 2010

Email sent...

fatherofthree · Feb 2, 2010

I've sent my emails to my reps, you all need to do the same. this is a big issue for all us 'little guys' that only have public land and water to do our fishing and hunting on.

Make the calls and emails, especially if your rep is on the rules committee or the natural resources committee.

ForkWest · Feb 3, 2010

There has got to be more than three of us on here who are willing to send a quick email to support our public right to access publicly owned rivers.

This is a very good bill that was drafted in the open. No back room deals, strictly due processes. It has a good amount of support.

Unfortunately, there are two other competing bills that were written in secret, with NO public involvement, and are being pushed through by dirty crony type politics. The kind of politics that gives it all a bad name.

This is going to be a close one and EVERY email sent will make a difference!

Takes all of about two minutes.

Change the wording up a little (legislatures don't like form letters) but it's as easy as copy/paste'n something like this.

As a constituent, I just wanted to send a quick note in support of HB80 Public Access to Streambeds. I understand the importance to uphold private property rights as well as clarify the Supreme Court ruling affirming public use of public waters. I believe this bill strikes that compromise and provides the needed public and private protections and definitions. As this bill progresses through this legislative session I'd ask that you support it. Thanks for your time.

ForkWest · Feb 3, 2010

Great editorial for education.

Mr. Paker here makes an emotional plea for the defeat of HB80. It sounds good and is full of rhetoric to envoke feelings of patrotism and distrust of the government. However, it is also full of half truths. Mr. Parker tries to imply that HB80 will extend access rights to anglers on it's own accord. This is not what this bill does.

HB80 simply defines the scope of the public easement that exists on Utah's PUBLIC waters. This easement was identified by a 5-0 vote of the Utah supreme court, one of the most conservative courts in the Nation. The Court correctly identified that this easement has always existed on Utah's waters and that the public's right to utilize the waters of the State includes touching the bottom of the stream bed for recreational purposes. HB80 simply answers the question left by the court as to how far those rights extend.

HB80 provides protections to both anglers and landowners. It identifies what is trespassing with regards to the easement and establishes that those who violate them are guilty of a class B misdemeanor. It states that the public may not damage private property (including littering) or harass landowners or livestock. It also states that access to public waters must be obtained from public property, ie anglers are not allowed to otherwise trespass across private land to access public waters. Finally it absolves landowners from liability from injuries that recreationist might incur while recreating.

Finally the Farm Bureau was present at many, if not all of the meetings this summer that helped shape this legislation. In short they WERE part of the process. They thought they could sway the process to be favorable, and in the end, they could not. This is because the problem they have, lies not with the proposed legislation, but with the existence of the easement itself. The would like nothing more than to shut the people of Utah off from using a resource that the founding fathers stated has always belonged to them. The next time Mr. Parker tries to evoke the spirt of the founding fathers, I suggest that he read up on public trust doctrine and the idea that certain resources belong to ALL the people not just a few to dictate control over.

If HB80 passes or not, the easement for the public to use public waters will still exist as it does to day. People will still be able to recreate on public waters. The difference will be that the limits of what is legal and what is not will still be undefined. This will result in continued confusion for the public, landowners and law enforcement. The solution is simple. Pass HB80.