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Opening of the Brook Trout Fishery for Recreational Use
Great Smoky Mountains National Park » Opening of the Brook Trout Fishery for Recreational Use » Document List
Superintendent Dale Ditmanson announced the release of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Opening of the Brook Trout Fishery for Recreational Use at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The document is an assessment of the possible environmental consequences of opening the brook trout fishery for recreational uses. The park has completed a three year experimental opening of the fishery and found no adverse consequences associated with the program. Therefore, after a thorough evaluation and analysis of all data, the park currently proposes to consider a rule change that would permit the opening permanently and analyzes this and the no action alternative within this document.
Two alternatives are proposed, Alternative A where brook trout fishing and harvest would continue to be prohibited within the park according to 36 CFR Section 7.14 and Alternative B (the Preferred and Environmentally Preferred Alternative) where brook trout fishing would be restored or opened as an activity within the park. Under Alternative B, brook trout fishing and harvest would be permitted within the park and defined by the compendium. A special regulation change would be initiated which may take a year or more. Fishing and harvest would be generally open in streams throughout the park with the exception of newly restored streams, so as to allow for recovery of those newly restored systems. Resource management staff in cooperation with Resource and Visitor Protection staff would monitor and assess the viability of opening newly restored systems after a sufficient period of recovery and sound monitoring results that support such an opening. Each restored system would be evaluated on a case by case basis. Monitoring will also be used to assess whether a "catch and release" program should be initiated if at any time the populations appears to be at risk.
Matt Kulp
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Rd
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Two alternatives are proposed, Alternative A where brook trout fishing and harvest would continue to be prohibited within the park according to 36 CFR Section 7.14 and Alternative B (the Preferred and Environmentally Preferred Alternative) where brook trout fishing would be restored or opened as an activity within the park. Under Alternative B, brook trout fishing and harvest would be permitted within the park and defined by the compendium. A special regulation change would be initiated which may take a year or more. Fishing and harvest would be generally open in streams throughout the park with the exception of newly restored streams, so as to allow for recovery of those newly restored systems. Resource management staff in cooperation with Resource and Visitor Protection staff would monitor and assess the viability of opening newly restored systems after a sufficient period of recovery and sound monitoring results that support such an opening. Each restored system would be evaluated on a case by case basis. Monitoring will also be used to assess whether a "catch and release" program should be initiated if at any time the populations appears to be at risk.
Contact Information
For information on the technical aspects of this proposal contact:Matt Kulp
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
107 Park Headquarters Rd
Gatlinburg, TN 37738