Representative Les Gara |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE · April 22, 2005 |
House Bill 37 Moves Out of 2nd Committee
Today Representative Les Gara's legislation to ensure future public access to Alaska's fishing streams, House Bill 37, moved from the House Resources Committee. House Bill 37 will promote access to important fishing streams inexpensively by encouraging voluntary land trades or purchases with willing landowners. Last week the bill passed the House Fisheries Committee.
"In other states people have lost public access to prized fishing streams, or have to pay large amounts of money to fish those waters. By working cooperatively with interested landowners now, we can to make sure Alaskans have access to our great fishing waters for generations to come," said Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage).
In some states significant public access has already been lost. For example, in Montana public access is greatly impeded along 180 miles of the Missouri River, and along the Ruby River, a noted trout stream. Montana is known for waters that cannot be accessed unless large fees are paid to lodge owners or ranchers.
House Bill 37 is supported by the Alaska Fly Fishers Association, the Alaska Sportfishing Association, and the Kenai River Sportfish Association.
·   Print  Forward this page·  http://www.akdemocrats.org/Documents/042205_gara_protecting_stream_access.pdf · Links: HB37 Representative Les Gara |
Putting Alaskans First · Moving Alaska Forward 2005 |