Amendment E, one of the seven constitutional amendments on your ballot, has not received much publicity, but it’s important. It creates a state constitutional right to hunt and fish for Utah residents, and establishes hunting and fishing as the preferred way to manage wildlife. There are two problems with this amendment. The first is that the amendment does not address any of the other outdoor activities Utahns enjoy, such as hiking, camping or enjoying the scenery, for example. Singling out two outdoor activities as constitutional rights does a disservice to the truly essential rights enshrined in our state constitution.
The second is that the amendment ignores scientific research about how to manage wildlife. That research may not recommend killing predators or stocking rivers with non-native fish. All of Utah’s outdoor activities will best be preserved by federal, state and local protection of public lands from activities such as mining, drilling and livestock grazing, and by supporting wildlife preservation through science.
Please vote no on Amendment E.
Nicola Nelson, North Salt Lake