Quote Originally Posted by oldfrat View Post
Eric Peper posted the following elsewhere. I thought it warranted re-posting here.

This is potentially a major hit to one of the finest eight miles of trout stream in the world. If you care, please send an email expressing your disgust to this moron governor at gov@idaho.gov

http://www.islandparknews.net/atf.ph...ion=2010-01-07
I wrote the following reply to Eric on the original BB. Incidentally, you will see that Eric was one of the attenders at an bamboo rod event hosted by Nelson, http://clarksclassicflyrodforum.yuku.com/topic/26880

"Eric,

It is ironic that the Harriman Ranch property is at risk again. It was threatened about 10 years ago for the same reason, a lack of finances to run the property.

I know that you know my friend Nelson Ishiyama, owner of the Henry's Fork Lodge. Years ago Nelson proposed a plan to put the park on a sound financial footing by building a high end "private" lodge on the property that would be owned and operated by the park, or leased to be operated by an outside vendor much like the stores and private operators in Yellowstone Park. Nelson was literally crucified by his competitors, the loudest response coming from Mike Lawson, who at the time he still owned the HFA. Nelson received such flack for his proposal that he withdrew it.

What Nelson realized then and what is still true now is that the park needs to bring in more funds to pay for it's upkeep. Without that, finances would be an ongoing problem. My understanding is that there are already rental units on the park property which bring in some funds, so this is not breaking new ground, but it would have been a new scale of financial income.

In my view the way to bring in the most money at the lowest impact is to make the most money from the fewest anglers. Any other method of increasing visits would create a greater impact with less money to the park. The proposal as I recall it was for a small footprint lodge catering to about 10 - 15 anglers.

You have been at Nelson Henry's Fork Lodge and such a lodge on the Harriman Ranch would bring in considerable income for the park. At the time Nelson proposed the lodge, he already had built his lodge and the Harriman Lodge would actually have been a competitor to his private lodge.

Folks thought that Nelson wanted to make money from the Harriman Lodge which is ridiculous when you know that Nelson is independently wealthy and of his love for the Henry's Fork.

Nelson is one of the smartest people that I know. We went to school together. He has both a MBA and a Law Degree from Stanford University and has been the lead attorney on a case before the US Supreme Court. He gave up his Palo Alto law practice for his first love which is fly fishing and he built the Henry's Fork Lodge. He is on the board of the Asia Pacific Fund and the President of the Ishiyama Corporation. He is on the Board of the California Academy of Sciences and on the Board of the Stanford Law School. With his knowledge of business, law, science, and his love for the Henry's Fork, he was the perfect person to get the park out of financial trouble.

http://www.calacademy.org/newsroom/r...w_trustees.php

http://www.asianpacificfund.org/about/bbio.shtml

He is one of the stewards of the Henry's Fork, a member of the Green Drake Society, and the Henry's Fork Foundation. To think that Nelson would place his personal gain above his love for the Henry's Fork is just so much BS.

http://www.henrysfork.org/contribute_greenDrake.php

http://clarksclassicflyrodforum.yuku.com/topic/26880

http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly....PAADVTRE.html

I personaly think this issue need to be revisited to put the Harriman Ranch on a sound financial footing. No one wants a lodge on public waters but one must consider the benefit of insuring a source of income vs have some rich dudes have enchanced access to those waters."