Please contact your legislator 444-4800 and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 96.
Hammered out by the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council (PLPW), HB 96 sought to increase public hunting access on private ranches by modestly extending a little-used program. Known as the “454” program, it rewarded landowners with permits that had to be used on the landowner’s land.
HB 96 was supposed to be a consensus bill that would increase the incentive to allow landowner access while rewarding the landowner with a licenses and permits, as well as securing a better deal for hunters in terms of access.
That deal has been broken, and now our wildlife is for sale.
HB 96 was amended last week into a “Ranching for Wildlife” program that seeks to privatize wildlife. The bill would:
- Allow the landowner to give the limited entry permit or license to anyone, rather than just the landowner, immediate family member or employee
- Omit landowners who are enrolled in block management, while still allowing landowners who have leased to outfitters to participate in the program.
- Create a new license or permit for outfitted clients rather than increase opportunity for everyone.
- Do nothing to prevent outfitters and landowners from setting up under-the-table deals to sell licenses.
- Break the faith of the PLPW and all of the organizations who supported the bill as written, and have asked that no amendments be offered.
MWF supported the bill, even though we had reservations, as a show of support for consensus efforts of PLPW. This amendment gives us no choice but to strongly oppose the bill.
Please contact your legislator 444-4800 and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 96.
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