Laserfiche WebLink
<br />~. ELLIOTT: <br /> <br />MR. STAPLETON I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />MR. ELL:!:O'l'T: <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />U~~~ <br /> <br />"Let me comment on that if I might, <br />please." <br /> <br />"Go right ahead." <br /> <br />"Mr. Stapleton, we didn't request that <br />the irrigators initiate this project nor that <br />any additional tax would be assessed to their <br />land by the virtue of having constructed this <br />project. As a matter of fact, we don't get <br />into whether it should be taxed or not taxed <br />on anyone in the conduct of having to manage <br />the wildlife reSOurces of this state. That <br />is our charge in the state agency. <br /> <br />This matter of whether or not the people <br />want us over there in Rio Blanco county or <br />any other county on the western slope, of <br />course, gets pretty hotly debated. I have <br />debated with my friend here on my left a <br />time or two about this business of our buying <br />lands and taking it off the tax rolls. But we <br />certainly put a number of capital improve- <br />ments in in Rio Blanco county for better fish- <br />ing and hunting by the purchase of lands and <br />construction of lakes for fishing. The Big <br />Beaver up there is one of them not far from <br />this. Rio Blanco Lake out east is another. <br />The fact that we collect license fees from <br />hunters and fishermen certainly is something <br />that's been established in law long before <br />any of us appeared and the matter of how much <br />goes into each county is something that you <br />can't sit down and arbitrarily apportion and <br />say that each county ought to have a rebate <br />in taxes out of Game and Fish fees that are <br />collected for hunting and fishing. <br /> <br />Our point in this, I think you gentlemen <br />understand this, is that the big-game range <br />in this state isn't getting any bigger. It <br />is getting smaller by considerable every year. <br />We have seen it happen here at a rather accel- <br />erated rate on this eastern slope. As far as <br />that's concerned, you might just as well mark <br />