My first exposure to H.B. 187 was an admittedly odd one - I was up at the legislature lobbying for a few of the Young Democrats bills when I noticed a rather large boat on the steps of the Capitol. Somewhat intrigued by the inner steps of the House being over-run by fishing poles and nets, I could not help but wonder what the hub-bub was about.Well it turns out that Representative Ben Ferry (R - Corrine, District 2) is running a bill that would do some rather interesting things to Utah's waterways.
As it stands, people can use public streams to fish, wade, and raft down even if the stream happens to go through some ones private property. So long as someone does not exit the stream and actually touch a persons property, the land owner has to allow the activity. Again, and this is worth noting, these are PUBLIC water ways. This bill would stand that concept on its head by making someone guilty of trespassing on PUBLIC waters it the water happens to flow through private land - not the moment someone steps off of the public water onto the private property, they are trespassing on public property.
Now does this make any sense to you - I mean how can you trespass on public property?
In fact, the bill would only make an exception for 17 streams - 17 out of how many rivers that run though Utah?
I have to wonder why Representative Ferry feels the need to pass this bill in the first place. Private interest perhaps? I don't know - what I do know is that this is a bad law that threatens not only the rights of outdoorsmen to use public land, but starts a slippery slope that allows the state to take away the rights for all of us to access public land just because a portion of a road or highway happens to go through someones land.
1 comments:
I think it will violate federal laws.
These issues were fought, and I do mean fought over 100 years ago at the cost of many lives.
That's one backwards man you have there in your state.
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