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| C'mon Sportsmen. What's the dealy-o?
by flyfisher81 at 1/28/2008 12:16:33 AM
First of all, I consider myself a responsible outdoorsman. I agree that I should do what I can to have as little impact on the environment as possible, regardless whether I believe in "Global Warming" or not. I pick up my trash, don't throw out fishing line, use as much lead free as possible, and I certainly don't go around defecating in streams. I try to leave the outdoors as clean or cleaner than when I got there. That being said, I am sure that I do not know EVERYTHING there is to know about my responsibilities, to the environment, as an outdoorsman. Admittedly, my main concerns are: not getting injured, drowned, or lost; catching fish; and having fun. I know also that I should be aware of my impact on ecosystems that I traverse into but I owe it to the future generations to learn more. This is my concern...
My Father and I attended an outdoors show this weekend at the convention center. It was a quite an interesting event in which vendors and professionals, in the sportmans realm, demonstrate and advertise products and services. There are demonstrations on anything from house training your new retriever puppy to Czech-nymph fly casting for brook trout. There were guides and professionals from all over the world. African safari to Alaskan salmon fishing, trucks and ATVs to fly rods. There were vendors with samples of everything from buffalo jerky to chips and dip! There were people everywhere. I'd hate to have to estimate the number of people that were there but I'm sure the information is availible for the right price. Anyways, while we were there I noticed something. There were all of these "sportsmen", their wives/girlfriends, children, fathers, uncles, whatever. Tons of so-called "sportsmen" and "sportswomen" were at vendor booths. Not a soul at the conservation booths. No one was standing by or even looking toward the water conservation, tributary reclaimation, or watershed protection information booths. Is it because THEY are non-profit organizations with no goodie bags or bumper stickers to give away? Maybe because the didn't have the cute little key chain with a thermometer in it, like the Wyoming rafting guide booth did. I saw pamphlets there. Why were these people not picking them up?
I think the simple fact is that we are too preoccupied with self satisfaction than considering how we can make sure that our children can share some of these resources with their kids. I know it doesn't take much effort or intelligence to "Tread Lightly" on our environment, but isn't knowledge power?
I said all of that to say this. I'd like to see a little more involvement from the sports men and women out there. Not just in being more resposible but also in taking initiative to learn more about what we CAN do different. What Grandpa did doesn't necessarily work anymore. Sadly enough, we must share our public lands with more and more people. I'd like to see just a little more data acquisition and a little less floating beer cans. If we spent half as much time reading about taking care of our resources, as we do reading about the newest in rifle optics; our childrens children just might have a chance!
Justin Hood
Golden, CO
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