Post by jackc99 on Aug 22, 2005 20:07:39 GMT -5
Went to the summer study meeting today. The summer study group is a combined senate/house committee that meets between sessions and determines what legislation it will support. The proposed legislation comes from the members of the committee and the DNR Director.
Today's session was highlighted by the Take-A-Kid Hunting effort which Kyle explained was being done by an ad hoc committee of the FWCC. I passed out posters to all the committee members and we had the banner up in front of the building. All the legislators were impressed. Kyle further explained that much has been accomplished in the past 7 months. And that led into his proposals:
1. He wants to eliminate the 2 advisory councils for the bureau of water & resource and the bureau of lands & cultural resources. There is some resistance to this one and I need further explanations before I can decide if the councils should be disbanded.
2. Establish non-consumptive user fees for state forests and fish & wildlife areas. Makes the bird watchers/mushroom hunters/hikers pay to use grounds purchased with hunters tax money.
3. Deer License options - Department of Corrections venison program; bonus permits now allowed in archery season; expanded opportunities to take anterless deer. Not really a proposal but an explanation of what has been done so far.
4. Deer License options: propose adding an anterless deer to the non-resident license at no additional charge. Kyle did mention that the herd is estimated at between 500,000 and 700,000 animals and that we must start balancing the herd or sharpshooters would be the next step to cull the herd.
5. Deer License Option: change the statutory minimum charge for resident and non-resident doe tags. Perhaps a sliding scale that starts at $24 and drops to $14 for the second and even $5 for the third. This makes it more attractive to take more than one doe.
6. Examine purpose of Lifetime License Fund: Kyle wants to use it to buy property for Fish & Wildlife. With expanded monies from the proposed non-consumptive users (hikers, etc) the impact on the fund would be minimal.
7. Proposed FREE small game hunting week-end for youth. Delete the requirement for License and HE card for the small game week-end next year. At about this time Kyle stated that we would have a youth deer season next year and he did not need legislative action. He can amend the deer season through the Natural Resources Commission.
Jack
Today's session was highlighted by the Take-A-Kid Hunting effort which Kyle explained was being done by an ad hoc committee of the FWCC. I passed out posters to all the committee members and we had the banner up in front of the building. All the legislators were impressed. Kyle further explained that much has been accomplished in the past 7 months. And that led into his proposals:
1. He wants to eliminate the 2 advisory councils for the bureau of water & resource and the bureau of lands & cultural resources. There is some resistance to this one and I need further explanations before I can decide if the councils should be disbanded.
2. Establish non-consumptive user fees for state forests and fish & wildlife areas. Makes the bird watchers/mushroom hunters/hikers pay to use grounds purchased with hunters tax money.
3. Deer License options - Department of Corrections venison program; bonus permits now allowed in archery season; expanded opportunities to take anterless deer. Not really a proposal but an explanation of what has been done so far.
4. Deer License options: propose adding an anterless deer to the non-resident license at no additional charge. Kyle did mention that the herd is estimated at between 500,000 and 700,000 animals and that we must start balancing the herd or sharpshooters would be the next step to cull the herd.
5. Deer License Option: change the statutory minimum charge for resident and non-resident doe tags. Perhaps a sliding scale that starts at $24 and drops to $14 for the second and even $5 for the third. This makes it more attractive to take more than one doe.
6. Examine purpose of Lifetime License Fund: Kyle wants to use it to buy property for Fish & Wildlife. With expanded monies from the proposed non-consumptive users (hikers, etc) the impact on the fund would be minimal.
7. Proposed FREE small game hunting week-end for youth. Delete the requirement for License and HE card for the small game week-end next year. At about this time Kyle stated that we would have a youth deer season next year and he did not need legislative action. He can amend the deer season through the Natural Resources Commission.
Jack
