Some notes from today’s (02/01/2012) FWCC meeting at Camp Atterbury:
1.Legislative update -
HB1050 – special circumstances hunting safety card (likely to pass)
HB1217 – single point of contact for wetland work permits (likely to pass)
HB1307 – various housekeeping issues for IDNR (likely to pass)
SB4 – wild animals on airport runways (likely to pass)
SB52 – criminal penalties and DNR (likely to pass)
SB101 – agricultural operations and criminal trespass (likely to pass)
SB404 – hunting preserves (likely to pass)
The 2 big issues are SB404 (high fence hunting) and SB52 (reduces a bunch of IDNR misdemeanors to infractions). Encourage your friends to write and call their legislators (House side) and ask that SB52 be sent to summer study to clarify this bill. The governor would like SB404 to only allow the 4 existing high fence facilities to continue and with close supervision from DNR and BOAH. Email and call the House Natural Resources Committee to achieve this.
2.Got Input process – encourage friends to access and make known their “wish list” of changes to current IDNR rules. For example one group is proposing new rifle cartridges and others oppose this. Baiting in urban zones is being proposed to “reduce herd in urban zones”. DNR is also proposing increased bag limits in these areas while many sportsmen are clamoring for reducing same. Political correctness is asking for a change from “urban deer zone” to “deer reduction zones”.
Go to
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/7373.htm for the list of suggested changes and to input your own.
