Reporter’s Notes

Hunting support

A new nationwide survey of Americans 18 years old and older shows that a strong majority of Americans support hunting and fishing.

The nationwide survey, conducted by Responsive Management of Harrisonburg, Virginia, found that support for hunting and fishing has remained strong over the past decade with approximately every three out of four Americans approving of legal hunting and more than nine out of 10 approving of recreational fishing.

“We have been seeing public support for hunting increase in several states over the past decade where we had data but this is the first nationwide study where we could verify that public support has increased over the past decade. In 1995, 73 percent of Americans approved of hunting while in 2006, 78 percent approved of hunting. Support for fishing nationwide, as well as in numerous states where we have conducted studies, remains very high,” said Mark Damian Duda, executive director of Responsive Management. Although approval of fishing has decreased slightly, dropping only 1.7 percentage points from 95 percent in 1995 to 93.3 percent in 2006, most Americans approve of recreational fishing.

Legislature

With the 2007 session of the Wyoming Legislature set to begin Jan. 9, committee assignments have now been made. Here’s where Sublette County’s legislators will be spending their time:

Representative Monte Olsen of Daniel will serve on the judiciary committee.

Representative Kathy Davison of Kemmerer will serve on the education and travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources committee.

Senator Pat Aulman of Thayne will be on the travel, recreation, wildlife and cultural resources committee and on the labor, health and social services committee.

Senator Stan Cooper of Kemmerer has three committee assignments: minerals, business and economic development; corporations, elections and political subdivisions; and agriculture, public land and water resources.

Town of Pinedale applies for WBCB grant

The town of Pinedale is requesting a $1 million Community Readiness grant from the Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors to replace a 10" sewer line with a 24" sewer line to the west end of town. The town needs to install 9,415 feet of 24" sewer line from the town’s wastewater plant to the west end of the town where the town’s only developable commercial and residential properties are located. The increased capacity would make 50 vacant commercial lots business ready.

The board is considering 15 business ready community applications totaling $27.9 million on Dec. 7, 2006 in Laramie. The board’s recommendations will be forwarded to the State Loan and Investment board for consideration at their Dec. 8 meeting.

WLB meets

The Wyoming Livestock Board has scheduled a public board meeting for Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the Parkway Plaza located at 123 West “E” Street in Casper. The meeting will convene at 1 p.m. in the Champagne room.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will be presenting the Certificate of Brucellosis Free Status to the WLB. The board will be discussing rules that are out for public comment, and brand, animal health, and law enforcement issues.