ALERT – Committee Tomorrow!!!!

HB187 is up for committee consideration tomorrow: 2/20/09

Our Representatives will vote on whether this bill moves on. We need a strong showing of support. EVERYONE needs to be there.

This is more important than the rally!!!!

WHEN: Friday 2/20/09 @ 2:00pm

WHERE: Capitol Building – Room 445

Link– http://le.utah.gov/asp/interim/Commit.asp?Year=2009&Com=HSTNAE

ATTN: ALL WATER USERS

***RALLY @ THE CAPITOL BUILDING!!!!***

When: Thursday February 19 @ 10:00 am

• Meet on the East steps. Use East parking lot. As a group we will move inside the capitol building to the Rotunda area where we will hold a press conference at 10:30am.
• Specific meeting/parking/driving directions at the bottom of the page.
  

WHY: ALL RECREATIONAL WATER RIGHTS ARE AT RISK!

EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE THERE! EVERYONE!!

House Bill  187

Use of Public Waters

• CREATES CRIMINAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THE LEGAL ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY ON PUBLIC WATERS

• TAKES AWAY WATERS YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD ACCESS TO

• ALLOWS PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF PUBLIC PROPERTY

• SEVERELY DAMAGES THE ECONOMY OF UTAH’S OUTDOOR INDUSTRY

• PUTS PRIVATE INTERESTS OVER THE INTERESTS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC
• WASTES DOLLARS AND EFFORTS ALREADY SPENT ON IMPROVING FISHERIES AND HABITAT

• CREATES CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING RULES THAT COULD RESULT IN YOU GETTING CITED FOR PARTICIPATING IN A LEGAL ACTIVITY

• CREATES A COMMITTEE THAT CAN FURTHER REMOVE WATERS FROM PUBLIC ACCESS

Users of this resource have not had the opportunity to contribute or exchange ideas on this issue. Any proposed legislation should have the backing of an intensive planning committee, within the parameters outlined by the Utah Supreme Court’s ruling, with representation of all interested parties.

BOTTOM LINE –>This issue is too important–to landowners and sportsmen alike–to rush it through the session.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

DIRECTIONS

PARKING/DIRECTIONS - http://www.utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/visitors/parking.html

ROTUNDA DIRECTIONS - http://utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/visitors/virtualtours/index.html

FREE Rally flier for you to download in your efforts to help spread the word. Paste it, stick it, plaster it, pin it, tape it everywhere, make this public! (Universities, hotels, workplace, forums, websites, etc)

Free download –>flier_rally_v2

YOUR RIGHTS ARE AT RISK!

House Bill  187

Use of Public Waters

• CREATES CRIMINAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THE LEGAL ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY ON PUBLIC WATERS

• TAKES AWAY WATERS YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD ACCESS TO

• ALLOWS PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF PUBLIC PROPERTY

• SEVERELY DAMAGES THE ECONOMY OF UTAH’S OUTDOOR INDUSTRY

• PUTS PRIVATE INTERESTS OVER THE INTERESTS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC

• WASTES DOLLARS AND EFFORTS ALREADY SPENT ON IMPROVING FISHERIES AND HABITAT

• CREATES CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING RULES THAT COULD RESULT IN YOU GETTING CITED FOR PARTICIPATING IN A LEGAL ACTIVITY

• CREATES A COMMITTEE THAT CAN FURTHER REMOVE WATERS FROM PUBLIC ACCESS

As hard as we have tried to distill the extreme complexities, contradictions and vagaries of HB 187, we could do no better than the following letter submitted by a concerned citizen. It is a lengthy letter, but it touches very well on all the issues we are concerned with. And since we are doing our best to represent the citizens who have been left out of the creation of this bill, we hereby acknowledge this letter as our official position on HB 187 -  Use Of Public Waters.

Continued here –>our-position-on-hb-187

“lawmaker wants to close many of the state’s riverbeds to anglers and boaters”

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3805258

February 12th, 2009 @ 10:31am

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A lawmaker wants to close many of the state’s riverbeds to anglers and boaters.

House Bill 187, sponsored by Rep. Ben Ferry, R-Corinne, was released Wednesday. The bill would designate the beds of sections of 14 Utah rivers as open to recreational use by anglers and boaters but would close all others.

Last year the Utah Supreme Court ruled that anglers and boaters are allowed to walk on any stream and riverbed, even those on private land.

The bill’s opponents say it undoes the court ruling and puts rivers out of reach.

Ted Wilson, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council, says recreational river users will seek to change or kill the bill.

The bill also would create a seven-member board to make recommendations on adding to the list of open riverbeds.

LINK

—— Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)