Number: 1976-05
WHEREAS, fishing long has been a desirable activity which enhanced outdoor experiences for many visitors to units of the National Park System; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to plant fingerlings to sustain fishable populations of trout in many lakes located within units of the National Park System, particularly those in mountainous areas of the West; and
WHEREAS, the National Park Service has adopted a policy to eliminate fish planting by States, thereby resulting in the losses of significant fishing opportunities in backcountry lakes of many western units of the National Park System; and
WHEREAS, there is no evidence that fishing activities have resulted in significant damage to park resources, impairment of wilderness values, or disruptions to resources management;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, in annual meeting assembled March 19-21, 1976, in Louisville, Kentucky, hereby deplores the curtailment of stocking of species of fish indigenous to western backcountry lakes and urges that the National Park Service re-evaluate its policy, cooperating fully with fish and wildlife resource agencies in the affected States to restore fishing opportunities for the benefit of members of the public.