Buy a license, save a fish

Anglers visiting Cabo San Lucas and other popular fishing destinations in Mexico have an added incentive to buy sport fishing licenses: The money will be used to benefit local marine conservation.

Money from the sale of licenses once went to Mexico’s general fund. Under a new law, it will be returned to the Mexican states where the licenses are sold or used, provided the states have signed an agreement with the federal government.

“That’s a great deal. The anglers would be a lot less concerned about the money they spend on licenses and permits [in Mexico] if it goes back to managing and enhancing the resources,” says Bob Fletcher, president of the Sportfishing Assn. of California.

Baja California Sur, which includes Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Loreto, will be among the biggest beneficiaries. License sales there total about $300,000 annually, and much of the $4 million in sales generated through the federal office in San Diego comes from licenses purchased to fish in southern Baja.

Leonel Cota, the state’s governor, expects the added revenue to be used for conservation projects and to combat illegal fishing practices — such as fishing without a license.

Pete Thomas

A Grand comeback

Rangers at the Grand Canyon counted a 2.9% increase in visitors last year, a bump that follows three years of decline and a rare uptick in a year that saw national park visits dip nationwide.

National Park Service officials say that park visits last year amounted to 253.6 million, a 4.3% decrease from the year before. At the Grand Canyon, the tally was 4.46 million.

The Arizona park hit a peak of 4.94 million visitors in 1999 — the Grand Canyon’s busiest year since record-keeping began in 1915. But in the first years of this decade, numbers dropped as low as 4.34 million in 2002. Then came last year’s bump.

The park’s busiest month was July, which saw 651,141 visitors — about 21,000 people daily. The park’s slowest month: this one. An average of 5,804 people per day visited last February.

— Christopher Reynolds

No free ride this holiday

President’s Day is coming, so be prepared to hand over an Andrew Jackson if you’re heading to Dumont Dunes. The federal government will collect fees Feb. 11-18 at the off-road-vehicle destination near Baker.

The Bureau of Land Management will charge $20 per primary vehicle and for campsites, or you can save $2 through advance purchase.

So many people are using the dunes that more revenue is needed for maintenance, road access, toilets, medical aid and staff, the bureau says. Fees will also be charged during Easter week. Other desert ORV areas are not yet affected, according to the BLM.

For more information, call (760) 252-6000 or go to https://www.thepermitstore.com to make a reservation.

— Gary Polakovic