First . . . Those old enough to remember the $5 fishing license will remember Lee Robertson. Those who don't, probably won't.
He was the voice for wildlife here in Utah for some 27 years. He spoke for and about wildlife. He told people where, why and how. He was featured on radio and TV, and was the authority in print.Not so well known is that Robertson founded the Utah Hunter Education program. He educated young hunters on safety, and they in turn lived to be older hunters. His program lifted Utah from having one of the worst safety records to the best. Better still, other states copied his ideas.
Consider this: The year Robertson joined the department, in 1957, there were 126 accidents, 93 involving juveniles, and 22 fatalities. From that point on there was steady improvement. In 1958, there were 108 accidents, 82 involving juveniles, and 21 fatalities; in 1959, there were 71 accidents, 33 involving juveniles, and 12 fatalities; and in 1960, there were 52 accidents, 17 involving juveniles, and seven fatalities. During the 1980s, the average was about 10 accidents a year, with about half involving juveniles, and an average of fewer than two fatalities a year. In 1994, there were only seven accidents, three of them involving juveniles, and no fatalities.
The first year of the program there were 726 hunter ed students. Currently, the program passes between 13,000 and 15,000 students a year. Where Robertson was the only instructor in the beginning, today there are between 400 and 500 hunter ed teachers.
Lee Robertson, who retired from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in 1984, passed away recently. He fought cancer to the death.
Sportsmen, young and old, those who remember him and those who don't, owe Robertson a moment of silence for his sincere dedication to wildlife and towards making Utah a more safety-conscious state.
. . . Thank you, Lee.
They just couldn't do it. Lawmakers couldn't let wildlife go without getting in their last licks. Sort of a remember-who's-boss slap on the head.
From what was considered a break-even budget as presented by the governor, the ruling legislators cut $500,000 of the DWR's money.
Worried that the DWR might gain a little something on the sale of the new $5 habitat licenses, our elected few took away the half-a-million with no explanation.
What it means is that the DWR will, as it has for several years, be forced to limp along with existing programs. Sorry. Nothing new, nothing improved this year.
Some hope surfaced with the passage of the new license structure. It calls for money from the $5 habitat licenses to be placed in a dedicated fund. In 1996, about $2.2 million is expected to go into this fund.
The money must go towards enhancement of habitat and the acquisition of access for hunters and fishermen. Spending rests in the hands of an eight-member board (4 from the DWR and 4 from the private sector).
Wildlife needs habitat and sportsmen need access, pure and simple.
The downside is that next January, lawmakers may see this as an excuse to cut the DWR's budget, as they've done so many times in the past. This year is one more example.
Once again, the DWR is in position to get better only to be slapped back.
The bill calling for a new board system passed. Guesses are that by July the Utah Wildlife Board and the Board of Big Game Control will be disbanded and a new seven-member Wildlife Board appointed.
The idea is to simplify and improve on the current system. This, of course, will depend on who the magnificent seven are. We shall see.