Ice Fishing Seminars in the Uinta Basin
Vernal – You can learn how to catch fish through the ice by attending two free ice fishing seminars. And you might even win a prize.
The Division of Wildlife Resources and Sportsman’s Warehouse have teamed up to offer the free seminars. They’ll be held at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 2015 US-40 in Vernal.
A Dec. 21 seminar will cover the basics of ice fishing. An advanced seminar—aimed at helping you catch burbot and lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir—will be held Jan. 5. Each seminar runs from 5 – 7 p.m.
To attend either seminar, you must register in advance at http://bit.ly/NE_icefishing. The number of spots is limited, so please register as soon as you can.
Tonya Kieffer, regional outreach manager for the DWR, says the seminars are open to anyone who has an interest in ice fishing. “The seminars are a great opportunity to ask biologists and ice fishing experts what you can do to improve your success on the ice,” she says. “And the best part is, they’re free.”
Kieffer says the Dec. 21 seminar is aimed at helping beginning anglers gain the skills needed to help them feel comfortable getting on the ice and catching fish. The Jan. 5 seminar will provide advanced tips and techniques to those who are already familiar with ice fishing and are ready to try something new.
"When you’re prepared,” she says, “fishing through the ice can be the best time to fish. That’s the goal behind the two seminars: to help you prepare for the upcoming season so you can get outside and reduce your cabin fever this winter.”
With temperatures in the Uinta Basin consistently dipping below the freezing mark, Kieffer says lakes in the area are freezing fast. In fact, ice fishing has begun at many of the higher elevation waters in the region. “It’s time to get prepared to ice fish,” she says.
Basic seminar – Dec. 21
The Dec. 21 seminar will help beginning anglers catch fish at six local waters: Pelican Lake and Big Sand Wash, Brown’s Draw, Red Fleet, Starvation and Steinaker reservoirs. Basic ice fishing techniques, ice safety and lure selection will all be covered.
At the end of the seminar, a prize drawing will be held. You must be present to win. “Last year, we were able to give away two ice augers,” Kieffer says, “so there’s no telling what’s in store this year.”
Advanced seminar – Jan. 5
The Jan. 5 seminar will focus on teaching you how to catch burbot and lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. “The annual Burbot Bash and Burbot Classic are coming up at the end of January and the start of February,” Kieffer says. “This will be a great opportunity to get stocked up on the information and gear you need to catch burbot this winter.”
Ryan Mosley, the DWR’s lead fisheries biologist at Flaming Gorge, will be among the DWR biologists who provide information that night. “This seminar will focus on catching the more specialized or difficult-to-catch species in Flaming Gorge,” Kieffer says. “Ice safety, essential fishing gear, baits and lures, where to go, and tips and techniques for catching burbot and lake trout during the winter months will all be covered. The biologists will also be happy to answer any questions you have."
If you have questions about the seminars, call the DWR’s Vernal office at 435-781-9453.
Basic ice fishing tips
Before the seminars happen, Kieffer shares the following ice fishing advice:
· When heading onto the ice this season, always drill a few test holes to determine how thick the ice is. “The ice should be at least four inches thick before heading out to fish,” she says.
· For beginners, any fishing rod and reel you have will work for ice fishing. A small, inexpensive rod and reel, designed specifically for ice fishing, is something you might want to consider buying, though.
· Wear warm clothes and dress in layers. "Your clothes should include warm socks; warm, waterproof boots; a hat; gloves; and insulated coats and pants," she says. “It’s especially important to make sure your kids are wearing warm boots that are waterproof. They won’t have much fun if their feet are cold and wet.”
When heading out on the ice, it’s also a good idea, especially if you’re bringing your family, to have a supply of snacks and drinks on hand.
“Ice fishing is a fast growing sport in Utah that should be shared with family and friends of all ages,” she says. “Watching your kids catch their first fish through the ice is one of the best memories you’ll ever make.”
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New data shows Utah’s criminal justice system on the right track
State has safely lowered prison population by 11 percent while
strengthening community supervision and increasing treatment resources
SALT LAKE CITY (Dec. 15, 2017) – A new report by the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) confirms Utah’s criminal justice reforms are on the right track. Over the past two years, Utah has safely lowered its prison population from 7,026 to 6,276, a decrease of 11 percent, while strengthening community supervision and increasing treatment resources in the state.
The prison population decrease is a result of Utah’s efforts to focus its relatively scarce and expensive prison space on more serious and violent offenders, while offering lower-level offenders better opportunities to succeed in their communities. Today, violent offenders make up 68 percent of the population, up from 60% in 2015, a relative decrease of 20 percent in nonviolent offenders since reforms were passed. Read the full report here: https://justice.utah.gov/JRI.
“This data shows we’re continuing to head in the right direction for Utah’s criminal justice reforms,” said Doreen Weyland. “This progress is encouraging and shows that Utah is improving public safety through better use of prison space for more serious and violent offenders, holding offenders accountable through improved community supervision, and providing critical treatment by investing in community-based programs at historically high levels.”
Background
Utah embraced a new direction for its criminal justice system in 2015 because the state faced the pressing challenges of unsatisfactory recidivism rates, unsustainable growth in the prison populations, and skyrocketing correctional costs. After a year of bipartisan review of Utah’s sentencing and corrections data, policies, and programs, we embraced research-based policy solutions to improve public safety.
CCJJ Second Annual Report: Key Findings
Improving Public Safety Through Better Use of Prison Space for More Serious & Violent Offenders. Utah’s criminal justice system is focusing its most expensive correctional resource—prison—on more serious and violent offenders. The prison population is 18% lower than was projected without reforms, and now contains a higher proportion of violent offenders. (Figures 17-18)
Holding Offenders Accountable Through Improved Community Supervision. We’ve adopted evidence-based community supervision practices to reduce recidivism while holding offenders accountable, and improved and expanded treatment options for appropriate offenders. Overall, we are better targeting more intensive supervision and treatment strategies toward offenders who need them most, and we’ve seen a nearly 20% increase in probationers and parolees who have Case Action Plans within 90 days of beginning supervision.
Expanding Treatment Programs to Historically High Levels. We’ve made historic levels of investment in community-based treatment options, and we’ve seen a 21 percent increase in justice-involved clients served in mental health treatment, as well as increases in the number of residential treatment beds and admissions to substance use treatment.
The 1983 Legislature created the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice. The Commission is comprised of 22 key criminal justice leaders throughout the state. The Commission was created to: Promote broad philosophical agreement concerning the objectives of the criminal justice system in Utah; Provide a mechanism for coordinating the functions of various branches and levels of government concerned with criminal and juvenile justice; and coordinate statewide efforts to reduce crime and victimization in Utah.
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Secretary Perdue Applauds President Trump’s Leadership on Reducing Regulations
(Washington, D.C., December 15, 2017) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue hailed President Trump’s release of the Unified Agenda and the results of regulatory reform efforts undertaken since the Executive Orders on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs and Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda were signed nearly a year ago.
“President Trump has shown great leadership on reducing burdensome regulations,” Secretary Perdue said. “Here at USDA, it is my goal to establish ongoing communications to give producers and consumers a voice on the implementation of new regulations and avoid unintended consequences associated with undermining our science-based approval process. The deregulatory actions announced yesterday generate measurable cost offsets in annualized savings and help ensure USDA’s programs are delivered efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service. No longer can we afford onerous red tape that simply serves to hold American agricultural producers back from feeding and clothing the world.”
Background:
Regulatory reform is one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strategies for creating a culture of consistent, efficient service to customers, while reducing burdens and improving efficiency. USDA has identified 27 final rules that will be completed in FY 2018 and result in $56.15 million in annual savings. USDA’s 2017 Fall Statement of Regulatory Priorities was developed to lower regulatory burdens on the American people by implementing and enforcing regulatory reform. These regulatory priorities ensure programs are delivered efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and a focus on customer service; they maximize the ability of American agricultural producers to prosper by feeding and clothing the world; and they provide all Americans access to a safe, nutritious, and secure food supply. You may click HERE to view USDA’s 2017 Fall Regulatory Agenda.
