Funding the Department of Fish and Wildlife

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is funded primarily by the license fees paid for hunting and fishing. But those activities are declining, a situation that calls into question how the department is funded. We talk with former Fish and Wildlife commissioner Steve Wright and Ed Gallo of the Vermont Hunters Anglers and Trappers Association. Also, how snarls of traffic are affecting the Upper Valley, and essayist Tim Johnson commiserates with fellow flu sufferers.
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Rules to prevent spread of fish disease prompt debate at bait shops

A big debate is brewing in an unlikely place – Vermont’s bait shops. Emergency rules adopted last fall have placed limits on the sale of wild bait because they may be infected with a fish-killing virus. That’s not sitting well with bait shop owners, who’ve been forced to make a critical business decision. AP Photo/Rob Swanson

Vt. pursues unique legal strategy to reduce mercury levels

Vermont has joined other New England states and New York in asking the federal government to cut mercury pollution coming from Midwest coal plants. The states are pursuing a unique legal strategy. They hope to use a provision of the Clean Water Act to reduce mercury levels in the region’s fish.