At a public meeting Dec. 7-8 in Port Angeles, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to take action on new rules for public conduct on lands managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
 
The nine-member citizen commission, which sets policy for WDFW, will convene both days at 8 a.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St., in Port Angeles.
 
The scheduled action on conduct rules follows an extensive public-input process that included several public meetings and a written comment period on the proposed rule changes.
 
New public-conduct rules proposed by the department would address camping, dumping, vehicle use, parking, livestock, use of firearms and other activities on WDFW wildlife areas and water-access sites around the state. 
 
In other business, the commission is scheduled to consider approving:

A policy to guide development of stronger accountability standards and improvements to the Master Hunter Program.
Modifications to the wild turkey, mule deer and white-tailed deer auctions and raffles to expand hunting opportunities.
Proposed land transactions in Klickitat, Grant and Yakima counties.
A proposal that offers multi-season permits to recruit and retain hunter education instructors.
Proposed changes to several designated deer and elk areas along with the development of additional areas to increase recreational opportunities and improve population management.
Adding a non-toxic shot requirement for hunting at the Chinook pheasant release site in Pacific County.
Adding two spring bear hunts on managed timberlands in Whatcom, Snohomish and Skagit counties. 
In addition, the commission is scheduled to hear briefings on:
Increasing the department’s authority to strengthen certification requirements for those enrolling in the Master Hunter Program.
The status of Columbia River spring and summer chinook allocation policies and proposed new policies.
The status of the statewide steelhead management plan and comments received from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) released earlier this year.
A recommendation to reclassify the status of the bald eagle in Washington state from threatened to sensitive.
An agenda for the upcoming meeting is posted on the commission’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/com/meetings.htm.

Those who hunt wild turkeys in New Hampshire should note that the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will hold a public hearing on proposed changes in the regulations affecting 2008 turkey hunting on Thursday, November 8, 2007, at 3:30 p.m. at Fish and Game headquarters on Hazen Drive in Concord.

N.H. Fish and Game is proposing to eliminate the separate permit for fall shotgun turkey hunting and consolidate this into the turkey license. Currently, for residents and nonresidents alike, in addition to a valid New Hampshire hunting license, turkey hunters purchase a $5 turkey license and a separate $10 fall shotgun turkey permit (a $1 agent fee is added to each).

Earlier this year (2007), the Legislature changed state law (Chapter 263:64) to increase the turkey license fee to $15 for residents and $30 for nonresidents (plus a $1 agent fee in each case). This change will affect licenses purchased for 2008. It was the N.H. Fish and Game Department’s intent to repeal the requirement for a separate additional fall shotgun turkey permit along with this change. Under this rulemaking proposal, a single New Hampshire turkey license will allow a hunter to participate in any established New Hampshire turkey season: the spring gobbler season, the fall archery season, and the fall shotgun season in those wildlife management units where it is allowed. (A valid N.H. firearms or archery hunting license is also needed for the respective seasons.)

The public hearing will not address the price of the turkey license, as that change was made by law and cannot be changed through a rulemaking process. It will only address the proposal to delete the separate fall shotgun turkey permit.

Written comments on the proposed change may be submitted by November 19, 2007. E-mail to comments@wildlife.nh.gov (please specify “Comments on Turkey Rules” in subject line); fax to (603) 271-1438; or mail to Executive Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking public review of new rules to govern the Help Us Stop Hunger deer donation program. HUSH encourages hunters to shoot more deer and donate them for Iowa’s needy.
A public hearing will be held on May 29 at 1:30 p.m. in the east 4th Floor Conference Room of the Wallace Building, 502 E. 9th St., in Des Moines. The objective of the hearing is to receive public input on how the HUSH program operates.
Interested persons may present their views at the hearing either orally or in writing. Written comments may be sent prior to the hearing to Ross Harrison, HUSH Coordinator, DNR, Wallace Building, Des Moines, IA, 50319-0034.
To request a copy of the proposed rules, contact Ross Harrison at Ross.Harrison@dnr.state.ia.us.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission will be considering draft 2007-2008 regulations for reptiles, raptors, crustaceans and mollusks, and amphibians during its meeting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 21 at the La Quinta Inn, at 2510 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix.
The commission will be considering the following commission order changes:
- Commission Order 25, raptors
Make the northern goshawk available for harvest without a permit by removing the resident northern goshawk hunt and related application procedures, thus making the species available with a nonpermit tag.
Add a nonresident northern goshawk hunt and related application procedures with the limit of three hunt-permit tags until demand can be ascertained.
Allow for falconers to capture peregrine falcon juveniles within 30 days after fledging per federal guidance.
- Commission Orders 41, 42, and 43
Each currently has a common note that reads: “The Grand Canyon - Parashant, Vermillion Cliffs, Sonoran Desert, Ironwood, and Agua Fria national monuments are open to the take of wildlife as permitted by monument regulations.”
It is recommended that the note be modified to remove the stipulation, “…as permitted by monument regulations.”
- Commission Order 41, amphibians
No changes other than as noted above.
- Commission Order 42, crustaceans and mollusks
Modify the “no open season” statement to include all springsnails under the genus Pyrgulopsis and Tryonia, and ambersnails under the genus Oxyloma as protected species .
- Commission Order 43, reptiles
Change the genus name of whiptail lizards to Aspidoscelis.
Copies of the proposed commission orders are available at all Arizona Game and Fish Department offices and at the department’s Web site .
The public may comment on these recommendations verbally at the October commission meeting or in writing, prior to the commission meeting, to: Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 2221 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85023-4399. For more information, call 789-3500.
View the entire two-day commission meeting agenda on the Game and Fish Web site at azgfd.gov/commission.

PIERRE, S.D. - At its Oct. 5 and 6 meeting in Aberdeen, the S.D. Game, Fish and Parks Commission will deal with topics as wide-ranging as Lake Oahe walleye possession limit, spring turkey license allocations and a plan to transplant mountain goats.
The commission will meet to hear staff recommendations and an update on fishing prospects for 2007 when it meets at 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Ramada Inn in Aberdeen. The meeting continues the morning of Oct. 6.
The public will have an opportunity to comment on any changes proposed by the commission at a public hearing at the Nov. 16 commission meeting in Spearfish.
For a full agenda, check the GFP Web site at www.sdgfp.info.

LA GRANDE — The public is invited to attend the next meeting of ODFW’S Access and Habitat Board, July 24-25 in La Grande.
The A&H Program is funded by a $2 surcharge on hunting licenses. Funds raised by the program are distributed through grants to individual and corporate landowners, conservation organizations and others for cooperative wildlife habitat improvement and hunter access projects throughout the state.
On Monday July 24, board members will visit La Grande-area A&H project sites from 8:15 a.m. - 3 p.m. PDT. Members of the public may accompany the group using their own transportation. Persons seeking driving directions may contact A&H Program staff at 947-6087.
A board meeting will follow on Tuesday, July 25 at the Best Western, 1711 21st Street , La Grande, from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. PDT. The meeting’s agenda includes a review of the latest A&H grant proposals, the appointment of a new member to the North Willamette Regional Advisory Council, presentations by organizations seeking to participate in the 2006 A&H auction hunt program, a budget update and other program business.
An opportunity for public comment will be provided during Tuesday’s meeting at 11:45 a.m. A teleconference line is also available for members of the public who wish to participate in the meeting but cannot attend in person.
A noon recess will be taken for lunch on Tuesday, where the board may discuss matters of general interest. Members of the public are welcome to join board members for this recess. The recess location will be announced during the course of the meeting.
Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed for individuals requesting assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters or large-print materials. Individuals needing these types of accommodations may call the Information and Education Division at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6002 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released the Draft Mountain Lion Management Plan and is seeking public participation in the review process.
The goal of mountain lion management in Wyoming is to sustain mountain lion populations throughout suitable habitat at varying densities, depending on management objectives.
Written comments on the plan will be accepted through Aug. 15 by mailing: Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Director’s Office, Attn: Larry Kruckenberg, 5400 Bishop Blvd, Cheyenne, WY 82006.
A stakeholders’ meeting will be held July 24, 1 p.m. at the Best Western Inn at Lander. Open houses on the plan will be held from 6 - 9 p.m. at the following locations:
Laramie - July 31, Albany County Library. Contact Michelle Zitek 745-4046
Buffalo - Aug. 1, Johnson County Library. Contact Warren Mischke 672-7418.
Thermopolis - Aug. 2, Big Horn Federal Savings Bank. Contact Dennie Hammer 527-7125.
Jackson - Aug. 3, Snow King Resort - Teton Room. Contact Mark Gocke 733-2321.
The draft plan and information on the public participation process is available on the Game and Fish Web site at http://gf.state.wy.us.
777-4501 or Dave Moody 332-7723 ext. 240)

SALEM - The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet June 8-9 at ODFW Headquarters in Salem to interview three finalist candidates for the ODFW Director’s position, approve 2006-07 big game hunting regulations and adopt rules for commercial crab fishermen.
Thursday’s meeting begins at 8 a.m. ODFW Headquarters is located at 3406 Cherry Avenue NE. The Commission will publicly interview three finalist candidates for the ODFW Director position: Interim ODFW Director Roy Elicker, Virgil Moore of Idaho, and K.L. Cool of Arizona. Also, the Commission will hold an Executive Session to discuss the candidates.
The Commission will host a 5 p.m. reception Thursday evening at ODFW Headquarters. The public is invited to meet with the Commissioners and the Director candidates.
Friday’s meeting also begins at 8 a.m. Department staff will present proposed tag numbers, hunting dates and bag limits for this fall’s big game hunts.
The Commission also is expected to act on a proposal to implement a crab pot limit for Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery.
ODFW staff in April presented crab pot limitation options developed in cooperation with the commercial crab industry, whose members voiced concerns about derby-style behavior during the winter opening of the season and an over-capitalization on the resource.
The June 9 agenda includes review and approval of Access and Habitat Program auction and raffle tag allocation, as well as review of several A&H projects. ODFW Fish Division staff will present an informational status report on Oregon’s native fish populations.
The Commission is the policy making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state. The seven-member panel meets monthly. Agenda item exhibits may be requested by calling the ODFW Director’s Office at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044. Agenda items also can be found on ODFW’s Web site at www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/minutes/.
Public testimony is invited, but there will not be public testimony regarding the Director selection. Sign-up sheets will be available in the hallway outside the meeting room the day of the meeting for persons who want to testify on scheduled agenda items. Persons seeking to testify on issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements with the ODFW Director’s Office, at least 24 hours in advance, by calling 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044.
All non-agenda testimony, also called “unscheduled testimony,” begins at 1 p.m. and is limited to about six speakers for up to five minutes each.
Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed for individuals requesting assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters or large-print materials. Individuals needing these types of accommodations may call the ODFW Director’s Office at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

The California Department of Fish and Game’s draft Wildlife Action Plan will be available for public review and comment until June 18. Three meetings are scheduled in early June to provide information about the plan and to solicit public comment. The plan, created in cooperation with the Wildlife Health Center at UC Davis, is available online at www.dfg.ca.gov/habitats/wdp. Comments may be provided via email through this Web site or regular mail sent to: Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife Action Plan Comments, 1416 Ninth St., 12th Floor, Sacramento, 95814.
DFG has scheduled meetings in Redding, Sacramento, and Riverside where an overview of the plan will be provided. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and make comments at the meetings. Meeting times and locations are:
Sacramento - Tuesday, June 6, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the East End Building, 1500 Capitol Avenue.
Redding - Wednesday, June 7, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Veteran’s Hall, 1605 Yuba Street.
Riverside - Thursday, June 8, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hunt Park Community Center, 4015 Jackson Street.
Questions regarding the review process, comment submission or the public meetings may be directed to a voicemail line at 651-0603.
Each state has been asked to develop a wildlife action plan, , to examine the status of wildlife conservation and prescribe actions to conserve wildlife and vital habitats before they become too rare and costly to protect. These plans are directly linked to the State Wildlife Grant program that Congress created to provide essential funding for priority wildlife conservation. California currently receives these federal funds and is using them for critical wildlife conservation efforts. California’s action plan identifies five key issues:
integrating wildlife conservation into local land-use decisions
restoring and conserving riparian habitats
providing essential water for wildlife
controlling invasive species
expanding conservation education

MADISON — The public will have an opportunity to vote on a wide range of fish and wildlife rule proposals, as well as introduce suggestions for rule changes they would like to see in the future or that pertain specifically to a certain part of the state when the 2006 Spring Wildlife and Fisheries Rules Hearings are held beginning at 7 p.m. on April 10.
The hearings are held annually in every county of the state on the second Monday of April to gauge public opinion on proposed changes to state fishing and hunting rules. The hearings are held in conjunction with the annual Wisconsin Conservation Congress county meetings, where county residents can elect delegates to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, which was established by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1934 as a citizen body to advise the Natural Resources Board on fish and wildlife management issues and policy.
New this year is an electronic balloting system to improve accuracy, maintain voting privacy and reduce the time and workload of tallying the statewide votes.
A complete questionnaire describing proposed rules for the 2006 Department of Natural Resources Spring Wildlife and Fish Rules Hearings is available on the DNR Web site.
To better accommodate citizen participation, business of the greatest importance to the most participants is addressed early in the meeting agendas. The first item of business will be the election of county delegates to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. Election of delegates will be done on ballots provided to residents of the county in which the hearing is being held. To vote for Congress delegates, people must be 18 years old and provide identification along with proof of residency in the county. Current DNR employees are not eligible for election as a delegate.
The second part of the hearing will be the DNR’s proposed fish and wildlife rule changes affecting the management of fish and wildlife in Wisconsin. There is no age or residency requirement to vote on any of the questions in the spring hearing questionnaire.
Some of the rule proposals to be voted on this April 10 include:
extending the fall turkey hunting season;
extending hunting hours during the spring turkey hunting season from a 5 p.m. daily closure to sunset;
creating a youth turkey hunt similar to existing deer and waterfowl youth hunting weekends;
requiring a pheasant stamp statewide for anyone who wishes to hunt pheasants;
prohibiting harvest of live clams from inland waters; and
banning the use of devices that intentionally release lead weights when a fish strikes.
The Natural Resources Board has also placed a question seeking the public’s level of support for banning baiting and feeding of deer, Currently it is legal in some counties to bait deer for a period of 10 days before and during the nine-day gun deer season.
As part of the evening’s agenda, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress will present advisory questions created by Congress committees. Results of those votes are presented to the state Natural Resources Board in the form of advisories indicating the support that a resolution may or may not have among the people attending the meeting. Secondly, the public has the opportunity to introduce resolutions from the floor at the meeting. Frequently, but not always, a successful resolution may appear as a proposed rule presented in the DNR portion of the meeting a year or two later. Anyone submitting resolutions must submit two copies of their resolution on typed or printed 8 ½; by 11 white paper.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: AnnMarie Kutzke - 266-2952

Anglers, hunters, trappers and landowners are invited to attend this spring’s North Dakota Game and Fish Department advisory board meeting in their area. These public meetings, held twice each year, provide citizens with an opportunity to discuss wildlife issues and ask questions of their district advisors and Game and Fish Department personnel.
There are eight Game and Fish Department advisors, each representing a multi-county section of the state. The governor appoints them to four-year terms to serve as a liaison between the department and public.
Any person who requires an auxiliary aid or service must notify the contact person at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting date.
District 5 - Counties: Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill
Date: April 3 - 7 p.m.
Host: Cass County Wildlife Club
Location: Community Center, Casselton
Advisory board member and contact: Loran Palmer, West Fargo, 282-8479
District 4 - Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh
Date: April 4 - 7 p.m.
Host: Pembina County Sportsman Club
Location: Pioneer Heritage Center, Icelandic State Park
Contact: Henry Duray, 265-8196
Advisory board member: Ronald Houdek, Tolna, 262-4724
District 6 - Counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh, Stutsman and Wells
Date: April 5 - 7 p.m.
Host: Dakota Anglers
Location: Knights of Columbus Hall, Jamestown
Contact: Dave Chadduck, 952-6546
Advisory board member: Rita Greer, Marion, 669-2315
District 2 - Counties: Bottineau, Burke, McHenry, Mountrail, Pierce, Renville and Ward
Date: April 10 - 7 p.m.
Host: To be announced
Location: Kenmare
Contact: Arlen Gartner, 385-4488
Advisory board member: Richard Anderson, Willow City, 366-4625
District 1 - Counties: Divide, McKenzie and Williams
Date: April 11 - 7 p.m. MT
Host: Grassy Butte Volunteer Firemen
Location: Community Hall, Grassy Butte
Contact: Charles McNaney, 863-6793
Advisory board member: Merle Jost, Grassy Butte, 863-6727
District 8 - Counties: Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, Slope and Stark
Date: April 12 - 7 p.m.
Host: Bowman-Haley Anglers
Location: City Hall, Bowman
Contact: Greg Steiner, 275-8882
Advisory board member: Wayne Gerbig, Amidon, 879-6353
District 3 - Counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner
Date: April 17 - 7 p.m.
Host: Leeds/York Wildlife Club
Location: Leeds High School, Leeds
Contact: Rick Darling, 466-2436
Advisory board member: Tracy Gardner, Devils Lake, 662-5639
District 7 - Counties: Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan and Sioux
Date: April 18 - 7 p.m.
Host: To be announced
Location: To be announced
Contact: To be announced
Advisory board member: Frank Kartch, Bismarck, 222-4544

CONCORD, N.H. - Proposed rule changes affecting wildlife and wildlife management in New Hampshire for 2006 and 2007 will be the topic of a series of public hearings being held by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department on the following dates and locations:
MONDAY, APRIL 3, 6:30 p.m. - North Country Resource Center, 629 B Main Street, Lancaster, N.H.
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 6:30 p.m. - Keene High School , 43 Arch Street, Keene, N.H.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 6:30 p.m. - N.H. Fish and Game Department Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, N.H.
“The proposed changes support Fish and Game’s long-range Big Game Management goals,” said Mark Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist with the Fish and Game Department. Completed last year after ten months of effort by a diverse public working group, the Department’s Big Game Management Plan was developed to guide deer, moose, bear and turkey management through the next decade . The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reviews the state’s hunting seasons every two years to ensure that they are in line with wildlife management objectives as specified in the Big Game Plan. This year, 2006, is a season-setting year and begins implementation of this plan.
Among other topics, the rule proposals would:
Change season dates for taking deer during the regular, muzzleloader and archery seasons .
Increase the number of Special Unit M antlerless-only deer permits . This change reflects a long-term objective to reduce deer numbers in this urbanized area of the state.
Increase the number of moose permits issued statewide, from 525 in 2005 to 705 in 2006-2007, and adjust the allocation of those permits in the Wildlife Management Units. A significant portion of the increase results from the Big Game Management Plan’s objective to decrease the moose population in the Connecticut Lakes region, initially by 13% over two to three years.
Modify the dates and length of bear hunting seasons in different bear management regions.
Establish a new permit, fee and requirements for taking turkey in a new 5-day fall shotgun season in WMUs D1, D2, H1, H2, I1, I2, K ; eliminate the maximum width for broadheads used to take turkeys; establish a short turkey season in WMU A; and extend the time allowed to register a turkey from 12 to 24 hours.
Change the furbearer rules to designate areas by WMUs instead of by county; consolidate some rules for species that have similar seasons; readopt the rule regarding fisher seasons in order to take comments on fisher bag limits; and establish a season for coyote trapping.
Require trappers and wildlife control operators to have held a trapping or wildlife control operator license for 3 years since 2000 before taking the snaring course.
Combine and standardize rules associated with wildlife baiting.
Hunters, trappers and other interested constituents are encouraged to attend the hearings and offer their input on these and other changes in the proposed rules. Public input is considered during the formulation of final department proposals.
The complete rulemaking notice form, with original and proposed rule language, can be viewed on the Fish and Game website at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Legislative/Notices_summary.htm .
Written comments must be received by April 25, 2006. Send to: comments@wildlife.state.nh.us ; or Executive Director, N.H. Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301; or fax to 271-1438.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state’s fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats. Visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us.