Executive summary

The Blue Ribbon Fishery Advisory Council (BRFAC) has conducted monthly public meetings with members of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources aquatics, habitat, and regional staff. Recently we have been conducting evening "open houses" to solicit further opinion from the general public.

East Fork, Sevier River

We have found that over 95 percent of anglers that we have talked to support this program. The few that have voiced opposition are generally those that have not attended any of our meetings and do not have a full understanding of what we are trying to accomplish. Some of the questions that we have been asked include:

Why only a $1.00 per angler license fee increase, why not $5.00 or $10.00? We have generally felt that the $1.00 increase is sufficient for this program to work.

What about oversight of these funds? The BRFAC will have complete oversight of how and where these funds will be spent.

Why didn't we do this 10 or 20 years ago? Our process has been methodical and detailed. There are still a number of issues that we feel need to be addressed. These include but are not limited to the following:

• Legal protection for these waters and their fisheries
• Special enforcement of regulations on these waters
• How to prioritize projects for funding
• Develop a supplemental funding strategy utilizing outside sources
• Management strategies for these fisheries
• Developing a boiler-plate angler access agreement to meet the needs of the landowner
• Establish a "Dedicated Angler Program"

The individuals serving on this council are dedicated to the development, restoration, and the future of these waters and their fisheries.