VT Public Hearing on the Battenkill Fishery Management Plan

VT's public hearing on the draft Interim Battenkill fishery management plan is NEXT WEEK - Thursday - 9/21/2006 - 7-9PM at Burr & Burton Academy, in Manchester, VT.

All concerned about the state of the fishery and the decision to either manage the Battenkill as a truly wild fishery or include stocking in the management plan are URGED to attend and let their voice be heard.

As proponent's of "keeping it wild" - we need to maximize the number of like-minded wild-trout enthusiasts present at this hearing. For those who simply can't attend, but would still like to contribute and let their voice be heard and added to the public record as being in favor of keeping the Battenkill wild, a brief and simple one or two sentence email can be sent to the email address: "Info@TUSWVT.org" and we will present these additional comments at the hearing, possibly reading them out loud, and get them entered into the public record. Such an email needn't be anything fancy - it could be as simple as the following:

"My name is J.Doe and I live in Anytown, USA. I believe the Battenkill is invaluable as a wild trout fishery and should continue to be managed as such."

Or,?
"My name is J.Doe and I'm from Anytown, USA.? I believe the scientific evidence has proven that:?
(a) the Battenkill can support a self-sustaining wild-trout population,
(b) the lack of in-stream cover is the primary reason for the population decline,?
(c) stocking hatchery-reared trout will lead to a further decline in the already threatened wild trout population."

Or,
"My name is J.Doe and I believe that stocking the Battenkill is akin to using a band-aid rather than addressing the real/fundamental environmental/habitat problem that is the root cause of the decline in the wild trout population."

Or,
"My name is J.Doe and I'm from Anytown, USA.? I travel XX hours to fish over the wild trout of the Battenkill and contribute to the local economy while visiting the area.? If the Battenkill were no longer a wild-trout fishery, I would have no reason to travel that distance as I could fish over stocked fish in my own back yard..." (alternatively -- if you dream of one day fishing over the wild trout of the BK but haven't made the trip yet, you could let them know you'd have no reason to come if the fishery were no longer wild)

Or,
"I believe that stocking will remove the public focus from the real issue at hand, which is protecting the resources (the fishery, the habitat and the environment) and lull the public into complacency by artificially inflating the catchable fish population and the angler-catch rates, and further, will be irreversible once instituted."

Or,?
"My name is J.Doe and I believe that introducing stocked fish during the planned-multi-year habitat restoration proect will make it impossible to gather any meaningful or significant scientific data that the habitat restoration project is having the desired effect on leading to an increased wild trout population."

For more information on this topic -- see our chapter site: http://www.TUSWVT.org

Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at the hearing.


The Southwestern Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited
"The Batten Kill - Keep It Wild!"
http://www.TUSWVT.org