Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

369.0. "Kill Colorado HB 1187" by CSC32::G_ROBERTS () Mon Mar 06 1989 16:26

	All hunters and fishermen/women of Colorado, please be aware
	of House Bill 1187 that will increase and in most cases double
	our license fees.

	A bill is before the Senate that will double small game, fishing,
	and combination licenses.  Other licenses will see an increase too.
	Turkey licenses will double, and deer, elk, and antelope licenses will
	go up $5 - $10.  Habitat stamps are also being considered.  An extra
	tax on hunting, fishing, and related sporting goods is also on the
	table.
	
	I'm all for improving the hunting and fishing in this state, I 
	contribute to them on my tax return every year.  Yea, I know thats
	for non-game species but the game species have got to benifit from it.
	The DOW budget is too fat now and they are not spending the money
	they have in the right places.  Ever go by any of the offices?  Lots
	of overhead in them.   

	Last year they charged us an extra $3.00 per person to process our
	limited license applications.  Now $3.00 x a conservative 100,000
	applications = $300,000 for processing licenses.  Add that to the
	interest they earn while they have our money for 3 - 4 months, we're
	talking $500,000 +.  This is money over and above what they are
	budgeted.

	The last 3 or 4 winters have been so mild that they haven't had to
	pay out for game damage or to feed the wildlife.  Haven't seen any
	big stocking programs going on in the lakes around here.  Where is
	the money going?

	There are two locations in town, Shoot'n Den and Suters Gun Shop,
	that have petitions to sign, if you are against these increases.
	They have to take them to Denver this Wednesday, 3-8-89, to the
	senate hearing.  If you want your vote counted get by one of these
	locations today, or call your Senator.  They are:
		District	Name			Phone
		  9		Mike Bird		594-9206
		  10		Ray Powers		596-1055
		  11		Jeff Wells		471-4110
		  12		Mary Ann Tebedo		471-2561

      Just a curious observer.... but how much are they "soaking" you
    for a resident license to hunt and fish (include add-ons like primitive
    weapons licenses or bird stamps).  One obvious problem that you
    folks must have as opposed to New Englanders is that there are fewer
    sportsmans dollars per square mile of habitat that needs to be managed.
    Or is this not the case?
    
    Dave

    What we don't put in licenses we put into the economy.
    
    
    
    	reprint with out permission:

 Sportsmen add $79.3 million to '88 economy

 More hunters and fishermen live in El Paso County than in any other
county in Colorado.
 Although 90 percent of them pursue their sport outside the county, 
hunters and fishermen added $79.3 million to the county economy in 1988,
according to a report prepared for hte Colorado Division of Wildlife.
..
 Hunters and fishermen contributed more than $1.2 Billion to the Colorado
economy in 1988, said Ford Frick, project director.
 Tourism brought $5. billion to the state last year and skiing made up 1.9
billion of that, said a spokeswoman for the Colorado Ski Country USA.
...
Almost one in every 12 county residents in 1988 had license to hunt big
game, such as deer and elk. Ninety-five percent of these 30,726 local 
hunters went elsewhere, but not before contributing the lion's share of
the $8.01 million that big game hunters spent here in 1988.
...
 The department of Wildlife spent $870,000 in 1988 to administer its
hunting and fishing program in El Paso County.
...
 

 License break down:

 El Paso County:  116,448 licenses
 Denver County:   100,137 licenses
 Arapahoe county:  93,659   "
 Boulder County:   59,838   "

   El Paso County break down:

    Fishing:    71,568
    Big Game:   30,726
    Small Game: 14,154