I'm an avid fisherman. There's nothing more in this world that I love more than fishing, wildlife and nature. I have an immeasurable respect for it. I've been cleaning up many fishing areas before getting to throw my first cast, whether it's at the inlets, back bays or from the surf.
Every day there seems to be more and more trash at every location, and no matter how much my brother or I clean it up, there's always more.
This state has a carry-in, carry-out policy that's been in place for 30 years. Maybe it worked 30 years ago, but that's because people had morals then. Not so much nowadays.
The failed policy is a money saver for the state, as state park management calls it. It is a failed vision of the honor system and is damaging the environment and wildlife every day, and I'm fed up with it.
I clean up bags upon bags of trash from the same areas every day, spending the majority of my mornings doing this with no progress. State park officials greedily collect money and do not put it into anything that benefits the fish and wildlife that inhabit these lands and waterways. No matter how many emails, phone calls, face-to-face talks and complaints I've made, nothing gets done about it. It's time to hit them where it hurts – the banks and pockets.
By law, it is illegal to impose rules, regulations and/or policies that are non-beneficial in terms of the health, safety and conservation of the fish and wildlife, and as God is my witness, legal action is next.
This isn't for the people; this is for our beautiful wildlife that cannot speak up against the actions of lazy, despicable, careless and heartless scumbags that see no wrong in their actions.
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