Sunday, July 8, 2012

STATE: Lake Tahoe Crayfish (CA vs. NV)

I might just move to Nevada to retire. That way I can pay zero state income tax and be able to visit all those great places nearby, like Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, etc. In the meantime, Gov. Brown is determined to raise our California taxes even further, while not denting the cash overspent on the Prison Guard Union. Stuff like this is a great head-to-head comparison of why California has it all, Nevada has nothing, but Calif. throws its advantages away, while NV does the best with what little it does have.

Just read the article below carefully, then weep for our California economy that will soon be experiencing even higher levels of taxation, plus environmental analysis every time we turn around, even if it is to remove an invasive species. The environmentalists seemingly play both sides of every issue: in favor of anything green, but trying to block anything green (solar power, invasive species removal, etc.) from actually happening.

Invasive Lake Tahoe Crayfish Banned by California. BACKGROUND: Nevada wildlife officials have issued the first ever commercial permit for crayfish harvest in Lake Tahoe, allowing the Tahoe Lobster Co. to go after some of the 220 million crustaceans living in the lake. The fishing is expected to be a boon for the economy, tourism, cuisine and lake clarity. Waste products from the nonnative crayfish – or crawdads – foster the shallow-water algae growth that clouds the lake's crystalline waters. The crayfish will be sold for local eating. Pulliam hopes to begin fishing this month.

Fishing will begin only in Nevada, but Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, R-Rocklin, would like to see it expanded to the California side [someday]. Current California code prohibits sale or purchase of any crayfish from Lake Tahoe, said Kevin Thomas, a senior environmental scientist for the state Department of Fish and Game. The possibility of exporting Tahoe crayfish to California is being explored. Fish and Game has taken the position that a full environmental analysis would be required to open fishing on the California side.

Wow! We can't import Crayfish from NV (because they are taken from Lake Tahoe), but we can import them from China. Hmmmmmmmmmm. How much global warming are we causing by shipping crayfish half way around the world, when we have 220 million crayfish surplus in our own state. Not to mention that these invasive crayfish are polluting what is perhaps the most pristine lake on the planet (prior to the crayfish invasion of the 1800s).