St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-02-09

transportation laws which prohibit
the shipping of game out of the state.
Private Ranges Suggested
The multiplication of the states
herd of deer from 27 introduced
in 1878 to the thousands in
our forests today, and that
notwithstanding the annual har-
vest of the fast eighteen years. sug-
gests what may be accomplished on
private ranges when properly fenced.
The fencing of unproductive areas of
recently numbered forests should make
such lands productive while the new
forest is growing and the cost of
fencing is the only important expense
The leasing of wild and unproduct-
i've lands by clubs for nominal sum
and the maintenance of a game keeper
to kill the vermin and breed intro
duced varieties of game birds suited
to the covers will give sport to the
members of a club, who can afford an
annual outlay of from $25 to 500 in
such luxuries. and will increase the
amount of game in adjoining covers
which are open to the public.
Protect Our Natural Lakes.
But to come back to the subject OF
the states assets in fish and game, ]
regard the denizens of our waters as
the more valuable of these resources
The investments in summer camps,
especially along the shores of Lake
| Champlain and of our numerous in
land lakes, is enormous and constant
ly increasing.
In this connection, / must sound a
word of warning at the tendency Of
individuals and power companies to
use our natural lakes as reservoirs
raising and holding the water above
normal high water level and by ex-
cavating at the outlets, drawing it at
their convenience to an abnormally
low water level. Thus the lakes are
shorn of their beauty in the summer
time, the campers are Inconvenience
in getting their boats in and out of
their shelters and, worst of all, the
spawning beds are left high and dry
in some instances and when the water
is being drawn in the summer time
many young fish are carried out with
the current.
Is it fair to thus treat our visitors
from abroad who have come here al
your invitation or that of the State
Publicity Bureau and who have in
vested in a summer home on the
shore of some one of these lakes?
| At present, there appear to be no
laws regulating the control of the out
let's of the natural lakes in Vermont
As a result, it is quite natural that the
owners make such use of the waters
thus subjected to their control as will
be most advantageous to themselves
! No individual or corporation can
divert the water of a stream from its
course in front of your land or change
it's level without your consent. Should
the owner of lake shore property be
treated any differently?
! The public are permitted to take
fish at stated seasons only and by pre-
! scribed methods. To take them at
other than the prescribed seasons or
! other than by angling is subject to a
! penalty. Should an individual or cor
poration be allowed to destroy thous-
ands of fish or suck them out of a
natural lake by drawing the water al
abnormal seasons and to abnormally
| low levels?
/ Finally, no individual or corporation
can appropriate the right to boat or
fish on any natural lake or pond of 20
acres or over, even if he acquires all
the surrounding shore property. Is
it reasonable. then, that the owner OF
the land at the outlet of a natural lake
may at will interfere with the boating
and fishing privileges and the shore
rights of property owners by raising
and lowering the water?
The exploitation of the water power
resources of the state should be en-
couraged, but there should be some
regulative control and supervision OF
those who are miSuSing one of the
states most valuable assets and the
! individual Of al
erty should be protected. The natural
lakes and ponds of Vermont are the
peoples heritage which should be
kept inviolate.
Build More Fish Ponds.
Artificial fish ponds are increasing
the value of real estate. much OF
which is otherwise unproductive, and
} this is usually accomplished without
curtailing the public fishing. Let me
: here suggest that every landowner
who has on his property place which
can be converted into fish pond
without the sacrifice of land more val
liable for other purposes, be encour-
aged to do so. And 1 suggest to all
of you to be on the lookout for un-
productive real estate on which a pond
can be economically constructed and
to which the necessary amount of
water can be conducted. Such prop
erty can thus be made of productive
value and the demand for private fish
preserves is constantly on the increase.
Some of you will now suggest that
this means curtailment of public fish
| ing, but such is not the case. The
overflow from fish ponds almost in
variably results in improved fishing
in the waters to which they are tribu-
tary. The more the production of fish
in private preserves is encouraged.
the less will be the depletion of the
fishes in the public waters.
To foster and encourage develop
ment along these lines means the en-
couragement of a sentiment for sta
bility or a permanent legislative policy.
A permanent legislative policy can
best be secured through the fostering