utah SITLA raises the fees. 2 million per year.

[jdubya]

You Utah hunters have been paying the school trust lands $200,000 per year to tresspass on their lands to hunt. Well get your checkbook out because SITLA has come back to the table and now want 2 million per year for you to walk their lands. Just so you know, this comes out of habitat funds. If this gets passed on to you count on an extra few bucks per license to go to SITLA, who then sticks it in the bank.

If you think this stinks, then contact the right people and let them know. SITLA doesn't have to use a dime of that money to improve the property or monitor access. They own it, so now it is time for you to pay.

 

[ForkWest]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-06 AT 09:49AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-14-06 AT 09:47?AM (MST)

Many may not know that jdubya is a member of the Central RAC. His comments carry insight, listen.

If you want a better idea of what hes talking about check out
http://www.utahonthefly.com/ search their forumns for SITLA, Little Hole Development, Fishing lodge on the Green River, etc.

If anyone cares about the presevation of the Green check out whats going on. Scarry! And it's setting presedece which WILL affect hunters!

I know I posted a link to another site but dont nuke this, it's not competition but useful.

 

[jdubya]

Well 2 million per year out of the habitat fund simply to go into SITLA's pockets is a lot.

Tell me, does SITLA do anything for hunters/anglers that use their lands for the hunting ?? Do they invest the 200K per year that they get now on habitat or guzzlers or anything? Or do they just bank it?

A 2 million tresspass fee to SITLA for hunting may just take School Trust lands out of the land available for Utah hunters to use. Would this loss mean anything to you all ??

 

[Packout]

I am not that educated on the matter, but if the lands do not generate revenue then they will be sold off and ALL the access and habitat would be lost. Lets take the piece out by Tabiona. It generates so little money that it can not meet the management costs. So SITLA has looked into selling the xx,xxx's of acres to private developement. So if paying the monies would delay or stop the sell of the State Lands then I think it may be a good fee. It all depends on the contract with the SITLA. I guess it really depends on the contracts and the length of the leases.

I will say that leasing the hunting rights on 250,000 (?) acres for $1 a year was a bargain over the last few years was too cheap. The monies asked for now are probably based on the increase of hunting prices.... which have gone up substantially over the past few years. Maybe since Hunters had to give up 200 tags for a convention which was sold as a boost to Utah's economy, the Utah Tourism Council could pitch in some monies to aid the Hunting Tourism.