.

[Kierran]

.

[AaronJasper]

They are proposing a seasonal c and r from the dam to Whittamore? Wow! let me mapquest and see how far that is from NJ.

[alanb_ct]

Please come out and support the meeting, and voice your support for Option #2.

We are going:
Magnet, AaronJasper, Nymphmeister, alanb_ct, zeek, Kierran

Hope to see other TPO members there.

Thank you!

[alanb_ct]

THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING THE MEETING!

In my opinion, it was a spectacular success! There were about 40 attendees, of which 15 or so spoke, including everyone from this forum. There was a unanimous consensus for Option 2!

This bodes well for the future of the Farmington, and I have a feeling these regulation changes will move forward, but will take time. The DEP representative expected the regulations change process would take at least two years, so look for something in maybe 2010 or so.

Thanks again, it was great to meet and see everyone from the forum.

TPO unite!

[Nymphmeister]

I was pleasantly surprised to see unanimous support for option #2. Quite a few people that spoke said that they supported it but thought it was too conservative and should add even more C&R water to the TMA. Neil Hagstrom (?) from the DEP, the primary Farmington biologist, did a great job giving a powerpoint presentation on the Farmington, the data they have on it, and the management paradigms. They took a lot of notes on the comments attendees made. I was impressed with how the DEP handled the meeting.

[Magnet]

I was pleased to be at the DEP meeting as part of the TPO contingent.To meet some of the folks who have helped me on this forum was very gratifying. It was apparent that all of the people in attendance had one common thread, the stewardship of a very precious Connecticut resource, the Farmington River. My hat is off to Aaron and Zeek for traveling as far as they did to speak at the meeting. There is a lesson there for all of us, that if you are really passionate about something, go the distance, because it really can make a difference. Anyway, I think the DEP is going about this the right way. They seem to be interested in getting their finger on the pulse of the fishing community. After all, what is the reality here. Is the reality based on all the data collection and charts? Or is reality when someone like Nymphmeister gets up and speaks about how the quality and size of the fish he has been catching had greatly improved over recent years. The latter, in my view, lends testimony as to how well the river has been managed and that the benefits of catch and release practices are substantial. Education regarding catch and release and further more aggressive expansion of the Trout Management Area would further enhance this resource and secure its future.

[AaronJasper]

I was pleased with the turnout. I met some nice people there. Thanks to the people from the site who came. It means a lot to me to see you guys there. I know that this is in the beginning stages. The overwhelming response last night is sure to push this forward. There was no one against proposal number 2. I also liked the father and SON that came. It is important that all types of people come to these events.

I am pretty sure that there will be one more public hearing in Hartford. I would like to see a large turnout for that. Even though its far into the future I am going to start getting people ready for it now. You can sign all of the petitions and argue back and forth on the internet all day. However, as they say actions speak louder than words so kudos to those who attended.

[paul young]

i agree that it was good to see and meet folks from TPO and Flyaddict! thanks to everyone who took the time to attend any of the 3 meetings. last nice we heard one voice speaking for their love of this great resource and it's associated fishery. this is what gets the dep's attention.

i agree with Aaron; the next public hearing will be in hartford near the end of the review process and we need to come out in force to get this done. this is probably at least a year from now, but make a commitment to attend today, please!-paul

[alanb_ct]

I will also be onboard the Hartford caravan. Thanks for your support.