# Impact of Property Owners on GR Waters



## Steelee (Aug 26, 2003)

New to this argument, to open everything up. When did extended GR waters happen? 

There are some heavy hitters owning property in some of those streams, including the Indian Club on the LM and Pere Marquette Rod and Gun Club. I would imagine some of these folks and others embrace and fund a move to have less fishermen on "their" river.

Are property owners a factor in keeping GR water?

Thanks


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

The extended gear regulations on trout streams took effect April 1, 2011.

Regarding owner groups, here is what I saw and is publicly verifiable. There was a representative from the Pere Marquette Watershed Council who spoke in favor of additional gear restricted water at the 1st NRC meeting, which if my memory serves me right was October 2010. Also, back around that time, a former PMWC officer was quoted in one of the papers that one reason they wanted to push bait fishermen out is "they tend to be slobs". 

FWIW, let's recap what went down specifically with the PM in 2010 for those who may not know what happened at that time. Pursuant to Fisheries Order 213, http://michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FO_213.10_317505_7.pdf, the DNR, in concert with the Coldwater Steering Committee, opened up to public recommendations for additional gear restricted waters. The original draft of proposed gear restricted rivers put forth for public comment, which was released sometime around January of 2010 and approved by the Cold Water Committee recommended no changes in the regulations on the PM.

After a set time frame for public comment via email which went through Feb 2010, recommendations from the public were compiled and a second draft of proposed gear restricted rivers was published for public view sometime around May 2010. Again, no changes to the regulation structure on the PM was recommended. http://www.glfsa.org/science/Review-Michigan-Trout-Streams-for-Gear-Regulations_322301_7.pdf

Next, there was a series of town hall meetings sponsored by the DNR, which mostly took place in June 2010. I attended one of the last meetings, held in St. Joe at the end of June. I only mentioned one of the last meetings as by that time, a lion's share of public comment had already been received at other meetings, with a lion's share of comments on the PM were already recorded, especially from the Bitely and Cadillac meetings. At that time, I and others in attendance at that meeting were told by the now Fisheries Chief was that*no changes in the regulations on the PM * were recommended. Just my observation, but to this day I still believe he was being totally truthful at that time. 

So everything is pretty straightforward, right?

Well, fast forward to sometime around August 2010. A respected member on this forum (Splitshot), had picked up on some information that the Pere Marquette somehow was to get additional gear restricted water. The details at that time were not exactly known, but the impression was this additional and surprise gear restrictions for the PM potentially could extend down to Walhalla.

Shortly after this, to verify this for my clarification, I placed a call to the DNR Fisheries Adminstration office. At this time, I was told, that they were recommending the flys only water be extended from Gleason's Landing down to Bowman's Bridge. http://www.glfsa.org/science/GearRestrictedWatersReview_332448_7.pdf This took me by surprise as the second draft published after the email public comment period recommended no changes, and the verification and others received face to face at the town hall meeting.

Another period for emailed comments (voting) was then opened up prior to the NRC meetings. During this second email comment period, a few shops started petitions against the additional gear regulations now being proposed for the PM, however, the DNR disqualified these petitions as unverifiable. After the second email comment period was closed, the matter went before the NRC board. The NRC heard public comment at the meetings for the next three monthly meetings on additional gear restricted rivers through December 2010 before making a recommendation to the DNR Director. As stated, new regulations recommended took effect April 1, 2011.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

The law just passed giving the NRC control of fishery's. Is the regulation you mention enforcable?


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