Bill to Revoke Anglers Rights and Access Unveiled to Public

Paranoid Bill Slams Door on $700+ Million Industry

Representative Ben Ferry, R, released his controversial legislation, House Bill 187, to restrict stream and river access for Anglers, river runners and other outdoorsmen for the first time publicly today. The bill restricts public access from streams and rivers crossing private lands except for a handful of rivers specifically included in the bill. Those rivers Representative Ferry has decided to allow angler access include only sections of:


The Bear River
The Little Bear River
Logan River
Price River
Jordan River
Duchesne River
Strawberry River
Sevier River
Weber River
Provo River
Ogden River
South Fork Ogden River
Lower Sevier River
White River

All other Utah streams and rivers crossing private lands would be completely restricted to anglers and all other members of the public. This means the scores of other rivers the public has fished for decades that are not listed above would now be illegal to fish upon. People who use sections of these or other rivers outside of this list would be subject to a Class C misdemeanor.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources estimates recreational fishing provided $708 Million to Utah’s economy in 2006 through both tourist-related and resident expenditures from fishing activities. No one has quantified how much Utah fishing occurs on streambeds that would be restricted under HB 187 or what effect it will have on Utah’s economy during this fiscal crisis.

Many anglers are up in arms about the bill and hundreds of people have contacted their legislators to complain about the measure. Earlier media reports of the bill generated concerns from out-of-state anglers from as far away as Michigan, California and even Switzerland.

“House Bill 187 undermines one of Utah’s golden nuggets -- tourism dollars – and he’s doing it during the worst financial climate in three decades” Said Ted Wilson, Executive Director of the Utah Rivers Council. “Why legislators would propose to make it illegal for anglers to walk on scores of rivers they’ve fished for decades is baffling to me” Said Wilson.

Trout Unlimited also expressed their displeasure with the Bill. “We feel the bill is not just to the 400,000 Utah anglers and ignores revenues from out of state anglers who fish our waters.” Said Robert Dibblee, President of the Utah State Council of Trout Unlimited.

The measure was meant to respond to a unanimous Utah Supreme Court decision in July granting the public the right to walk in riverbeds across the State. But the bill reduces public rights and access that have been in place for decades, long before the Supreme Court handed down their decision.

For more information contact Ted Wilson, 801-486-4776 or 913-2637.