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COMMITTEE for RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

~Committed to Conservation, Education and the Preservation of our Natural Resources~

"Promoting Science Based Wildlife Management Decisions for a Better Massachusetts"

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Original House Bill 736 -  HB 4172 - NOW HB 4943 , was sent out of the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture on January 25th 2010 Favorably BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.  From there it went to the "House Ways & Means" passed through both the House and Senate, then  was DELIVERD TO THE GOVENOR TO SIGN.  Governor Patrick, then inserted an amendment to allow input from the state Board of Health in concurrence with the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife on permits denied by the local Board of Health or ignored.

 It is now in the Senate's and House's hands.... They must pass H.4943 with the Governor's amendment for this bill to become law.  As of today 8/26/2010, we are still waiting on a passing in both the house and senate.  TIME IS RUNNING SHORT.  There are a few days to contact your senator and representative

Sample LETTER BELOW

Key Points to emphasize in correspondence:

Please email or call your senator and rep and CONVEY THIS MESSAGE!

bullet This bill would amend the Wildlife Protection Act, passed by 64% of the voters in 1996 as Question 1.  Many of those who voted for the ballot measure then understand now, the severe consequences of that vote; where towns, wildlife and our natural resources are all paying dearly.  The Wildlife Protection Act was amended only once ten years ago, giving 351 individual Massachusetts towns the authority to address beaver and muskrat problems on a case-by-case basis.  The year 2000 “compromise” amendment only perpetuated a bad situation, making it worse, not better.  The law is simply not working as it is written today and needs to be changed; it needs to allow for the appropriate management and when people have conflicts with wildlife, while still encouraging non-lethal solutions to problems. 

 

bullet The primary goal of H.4943, as it is currently written, is to provide more effective guidelines that give towns, municipalities and land owners flexibility in the process of addressing beaver and muskrat related conflicts.  It in no way attempts to eliminate the current law.  It does however, allow our state division of fisheries and wildlife to be involved in the permitting process early on, if need be.  Simply put; it gives towns, municipalities and landowners better options to balance the use of both lethal and non-lethal solutions as a means to resolve conflicts with beaver and muskrat.

 

bullet A secondary benefit is that in cases involving threats to human health and/or safety, if a municipal Board of Health does not respond within 10 days or denies permit requests, people could transfer their request directly to the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, who have trained staff to handle wildlife conflicts, instead of appealing to the State Department of Public Health (as allowed under current law in cases where permits are denied).  The will allow trained professionals in wildlife management to make decisions on the most appropriate response.

 

bullet A third benefit (and probably the most significant) is that there is a requirement of all town and municipal boards of health who choose to issue beaver or muskrat 10-day permits, to report that information to the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.  The Division is then required to provide the number of permits granted and the animals taken under those permits, annually to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.  Currently there is no way to track permits or animals taken under them at the state level.

sample letter:

HB 4943

Dear Senator,

As a resident of Massachusetts, I urge you to sign House Bill 4943 "Safeguarding our Natural Resources" with the Governor's amendment.  Many towns and municipalities across Massachusetts are grappling with escalating costs related to damage and conflicts with beaver and muskrat activity.  H.4943 gives our towns and landowners much needed flexibility in addressing conflicts by engaging our Division of Fisheries and Wildlife professionals early on in the permitting process, if need be.  The Department of Health (current state lead) is not appropriately staffed or experienced in the field of wildlife management or wildlife conflicts.  The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife no doubt has the expertise and is well equipped to best handle this aspect of the law.  In addition, H.4943 requires annual reporting of 10-day permits issued and animals taken under those permits to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.  This is critical to understanding and managing healthy beaver and muskrat populations, keeping them more in balance with the "carrying capacity" of the natural landscape in Massachusetts.   I sincerely appreciate your continued balanced approach to governing our great, diverse Commonwealth.  I have complete faith in our democratic system, where in the end, reasonableness and common sense inevitably prevails.

Respectfully,

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Last modified: August 17, 2010