Tom Wolf forwarded an interesting article a while back that relates to funding natural resources - the article written primarily about wildlife and hunting and the State of Wyoming - contains valid points that reach further than the noted content. This discussion applies to fish and all resources across all areas and is relevant to funding issues that all state fish and wildlife agencies face.
We here in the Pacific Northwest know that we can easily replace 'hunters' in this High Country News article with 'fisherman'....there is also reinforcement for your involvement and voice in policy-making!
Wyoming grapples with how to fund wildlife conservation
Hunters may lose influence as other groups are asked to increase their contributions.
As Wyoming grapples with how it will fund wildlife conservation, hunters may lose some of their influence as other groups and interests are asked to increase their financial contributions.
Hunters have been key players in conserving wildlife in the post-frontier era, a development that’s come to be called the North American Model of Wildlife Management. Wyoming Game and Fish Department says 55 percent of its budget comes from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses and fees, and that hunters contribute even more through taxes on guns and ammo.
Since 2005, however, the agency has received general fund money appropriated by the Legislature, now amounting to 6 percent of its budget. That opens the door for others to demand representation in wildlife management decisions......read the rest of the article linked below.
