A couple weeks back, while sitting with Jim Karpowitz, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and listening to his address on the state of Utah wildlife, he mentioned as one of his objectives his hope to involve nonconsumptive users in the wildlife picture. That is, to give those who've come to involve wildlife in their daily lives an opportunity to pay some of the bills.
The cost of trying to keep a balance between the land and wildlife is staggering. But paying the bill is also critical to the future of Utah's birds and animals.
It's the continuing saga: Habitat is continuing to shrink but animals keep having babies. And trying to keep a balance on the number of animals the land can sustain is not easy.
Utah is lucky in that thus far the process has worked. All of Utah's big game animals, for example, have increased in numbers in the past couple of years, due in part to an aggressive program to improve and increase habitat.
Utah was able, through partnerships and money from the general fund, roughly $8.5 million, to rehabilitate 122,000 acres of damaged land. The plan is to try to rehabilitate a similar number of acres this year.
Coming up with the money will be an ongoing struggle. Most of the bills are being paid by sportsmen through license sales and donations. It would help if those who do not hunt would be willing to contribute.
Earlier figures show that between 70 and 80 percent of the Utah public is involved with wildlife in a nonconsumptive or nonhunting capacity. That would include things like wildlife photography, bird-watching, wildlife viewing and simply sightseeing.
Roughly 20 percent of all Utahns hunt, fish or trap. It is this 20 percent that is currently carrying the funding load.
Yet state statutes mandate that the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources manage wildlife for everyone.
Nonconsumptive users have long challenged that if given an opportunity they would be more than willing to contribute.
But, as yet, nothing has become available that would cause them to open their checkbooks.
Back in 1994, the DWR, at the urging of some nonconsumptive groups, offered what it called the "Heritage" certificate. It was clearly stipulated that the funds collected from the certificate would go toward nonhunting programs.
Word went out, phones were manned in anticipation of a heavy call volume and hopes were high. The first year, a total of three certificates were sold. The next year sales increased to five.
Karpowitz said he has a committee in session that will be looking at creative ways to let the public share in the cost of maintaining a strong wildlife population.
Of all his goals and objective, this one, in my opinion, will be his most challenging. Yet if he were to unlock the vaults of the nonconsumptive user or nonhunter, life would be so much easier for Utah's wildlife.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com