A little more than a year ago, I began fly fishing in Northern Utah. Now that House Bill 187 is in front of the state legislature, my fishing experience could be very short-lived. As I read it, HB 187 prohibits fishing completely from all public waters. I honestly believe that this bill is a hasty reaction to the Utah Supreme Court decision Conatser v. Johnson (2008), which allows the public the right to touch the privately owned beds below those waters. I beseech our legislators to vote against HB 187. By passing this bill and prohibiting people from fishing, and the wide range of water activities — rafting, boating, etc. — we would be denying citizens from enjoying the austere wilderness that draws most people to the region. Furthermore, this bill could have serious complications to the businesses and industries that support and supply these activities. Additionally, this bill would decrease the number of fishing licenses purchased in the state of Utah, which in 2008 brought in some $10.1 million. There are many rivers and streams I have yet to fish, including those in the Tooele area, that if HB 187 passes I may never get to fish. I live in the Salt Lake City area and when I do fish in the Tooele area, I will have to stay in a hotel and eat in the restaurants in Tooele. If HB 187 passes, I won’t able to fish in the Tooele area, and won’t be able to spend any money in Tooele either.

Brian Schiele

West Valley City