Gas prices affect Game and Fisheries Department

By Jim Brewer For the News & Messenger
Published: July 24, 2008

Not only are ordinary consumers feeling the pinch at the pump, the Department of Game and Fisheries, along with many other government agencies, is also paying close attention to monthly gas card statements. The current thinking for future trout stocking is that if three times is good, twice would be better.
Beginning July 21, trout stocking at the daily trout fishing fee areas at Crooked Creek in Carroll County and Big Tumbling on Clinch Mountain in Washington County will be reduced from six times per week to three. Prior to this change, trout have been delivered and stocked daily, Monday to Saturday, at each of the streams.
However, there will be no net change in numbers of trout stocked.
“Each stocking will receive twice as many as usual,” says Assistant Fisheries Division Director Ron Southwick.
“This will cut our fuel costs in half, without affecting the number of fish stocked.”
“In fact, anglers making the trip to either of the areas should have better success with the increase number of fish stocked each time,” Southwick also observed, “The number of daily permit sales normally goes way down during the summer months and with the high price of gas, we are seeing even lower numbers of anglers than in previous years.”
Concerning the Game Department, high gas costs could affect the entire agency.
Each trip to check out poacher sightings will cost about twice what it did last fall.
And regular trout stockings will be that much more expensive.
Certainly Bob Duncan and his crew at VDGIF will be watching closely as oil prices fluctuate. What I fear – and what every outdoorsman should anticipate – is the coming raid on our funds by the state government.
Revenues into the state’s coffers are lagging due to a sluggish economy and you know what that means. The funds used by the Game Department – obtained almost exclusively from fees paid by sportsmen in the form of taxes and licenses - will be up for grabs.
It happens every year there is a downturn in the economy.
There are regulations that would prevent such raids, but regulations are meaningless to the many lawyers in state government.
I wish we had a constitutional amendment that said, “Absolutely hands off our money! If you need more, get it yourself.”
But be forewarned that the government raids will soon begin.

Jim Brewer writes about the outdoors for The Potomac News/Manassas Journal Messenger.