Loveland Fishing Club position on public support of non-public waters

Following is a written statement by Club President Dave Johnson on the Loveland Fishing Club's position on Colorado Parks and Wildlife support of fisheries at Lonetree

Reservoir and other non-public bodies of water, and the response by Northern Colorado Area Wildlife Manager Kristin Cannon.  

  

 Subject:  Fisheries support at Lonetree and other non-public bodies of water.

The Loveland fishing Club, a nonprofit  of about 100 northern Colorado anglers, with a long history support for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other outdoor agencies, is concerned about CPW fish and other resources being provided at Lonetree and other bodies of water which do not provide adequate public access. To us, “adequate access” means free or accessible to the public for a reasonable fee.

As fishermen we are increasingly bombarded with fees everywhere we go. There are fees at Boyd Lake, fees at Horsetooth, etc., in addition to new related expenses such as aquatic nuisance inspection fees. Such fees are a significant part of a fisherman’s budget each year, so the fewer and more affordable they are the better. We specifically suggest that a fair fee for Lonetree would be significantly less than CPw and Larimer County charges at their facilities, as those cover multiple facilities and Lonetree would be for Lonetree alone.

Also, long term agreements are important to add stability to access. We feel it is a mistake to have agreements that have to be renegotiated every five to ten years. That puts all the power in the hands of the lessor to change the agreements. It is not in the public interest to use CPW resources to enhance a fishery and then have the lessor dictate unsatisfactory terms or cancel the lease leaving CPW no way to recover its substantial investment in the property after a relatively short period of use.

Lastly we feel that if CPW resources are used to enhance a body of water, all rules, fees, etc. , must apply equally to everyone using the resource. The fishing community anxiously awaits the results of negotiations regarding Lonetree.

Thanks for your consideration,

Dave Johnson

President, Loveland Fishing Club

Response 

July 30 

Hi David,

I am leaving for a week starting tomorrow and I don't think I will get to this before then but I will provide you with a formal response when I return. In the meantime just know that we are sensitive to the very valid points you make and are trying hard to get to a productive place on Lonetree. Because of the uncertainty we have not stocked Lonetree since spring of last year and in May we actively removed as many fish as we could and put them in public waters. If we cannot be confident that Lonetree will remain public we will not stock it. There are many things to consider and we will find a way to loop you into the process.

Thanks for reaching out and I'm glad we finally made the connection.

Kristin Cannon

Area Wildlife Manager