Published: 5/4/2021 8:00:13 AM
SB 129 will sell out threatened and endangered wild animals in NH to wealthy developers if it passes. It will be disastrous for the survival of threatened and endangered species. The House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee heard SB 129 on April 28. The sign-in sheets show that 147 people opposed the bill and only 13 supported it. The citizens of NH do not want this bill. The legislators voted 10 to 8 to pass the bill regardless of the strong opposition. This bill came about because of a backlog in the Fish and Game Department’s review of development applications, mainly caused by a lack of staff.
ROB CHANEY
A hearing on two controversial wolf-killing bills pitted those who believe state wildlife managers arenât listening to hunters against those who believe legislators arenât listening to science.
âThe people felt they have not had a voice with the (state Fish and Wildlife) commission,â Sen. Bob Brown, R-Thompson Falls, told the House Fish and Wildlife Committee on Tuesday as he closed debate on SB 267 and SB 314. âThat is the attitude, the feeling, the people I represent have. Thatâs why this legislation comes forward.â
Brownâs bills would allow reimbursement of expenses ârelated to the hunting or trapping of wolvesâ and give the Fish and Wildlife Commission authority to reduce Montanaâs wolf population by allowing unlimited kills by licensed hunters, baiting and use of night-vision or spotlighting equipment to hunt wolves at night.
New Montana bill targets elk hunting districts over objective gohunt.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gohunt.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Supporters of House Bill 505, brought by Speaker of the House Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, said they appreciated the incentive-based approach to address ballooning elk numbers in many areas and their impact to landowners.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is legally obligated to manage elk to objectives, meaning population targets based on biological factors and social tolerance of the animals. In many hunting districts elk have topped and in some places far exceed objectives, leading to extended âshoulderâ seasons for cow elk and up to three licenses per hunter. Success has been mixed in terms of effectiveness.
HB 505 would offer any landowner owning 640 acres or more in a hunting district at objective the ability to sponsor 10 nonresident elk licenses to hunt on their property. The licenses would be in addition to the 17,000 nonresident licenses sold via lottery.
The House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee is taking up a bill Tuesday carried by Speaker of the House Wylie Galt that would institute new landowner-sponsored elk hunting licenses in districts at population objectives and a bonus point boost for hunters deciding to hunt cow elk on private land in over-objective districts.
House Bill 505 was borne from a concept developed internally at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The bill aims to incentivize private landowners and hunters to work to reduce elk numbers in some areas and maintain them at desired levels. FWP also believes it offers potential to reduce hunting pressure on public lands and improve the odds of drawing some long-shot trophy elk permits, although both remain theoretical and difficult to predict.