A Touch Of Spring

BEARS WAKING UP

Bicycles On Roads

angling fees raised

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.. The Public Affairs Office at Yellowstone National Park has been more active, lately, than usual. That's a sure sign that they're waking up along with the bears.
.. The following news releases and information sources may be germane to your early Spring visitation.

1] Bears are awake, hungry, and dangerous, LINK,
2] Seasonal bear closures, LINK,
3] Bicycle travel prior to motorized travel, LINK,
4] Angling fees raised, LINK,
5] General Information page, LINK,
6] Child porn case prosecuted, LINK,
7] Yellowstone tweets, LINK,
8]  News releases, LINK,
9] Current road conditions, LINK.

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..  Since the instigation of a fee structure for fishing in 1993, charges for fishing in Yellowstone National Park have continually escalated to keep pace with inflation and caprice as time has passed.
.. The current $5.00 increase is justified as a way to raise additional funds to ". . . help enhance the park's fisheries management program and to begin implementing conservation actions that were outlined in the 2011 Native Fish Conservation Plan."
.. We support the Native Fish Conservation Plan; but, taxing only fisher folk is a terribly inefficient way to raise a bit of cash. How much money will be raised by the $5.00 increase, ($200,000/year?)
.. If the thrust of the plan is ". . . primarily focused on the recovery of the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem through the restoration of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout."  then, the burden of ecosystem management should be shared by all visitors.
.. A simple $1.00 tax, (call it surcharge if you like,) on entrance fees, for the duration of the project, would raise a lot more cash and spread the burden to all visitors who enjoy the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem. How much money would be raised by this method of taxation, ($1,000,000/year - $2,000,000/year?)
.. How about a boating tax? Back country tax? Sales tax increase for the duration of the project? Concessionaire levy? Donation boxes? Just who does benefit from the Yellowstone Lake Ecosystem?
.. We doubt that fishing permit fees will be reduced when the project is completed: what a silly thought! Such duplicity is a standard bit of linguistic legerdemain that is used when justifying  actions detrimental to one group and to the advantage of another group. Such is life!

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