Help needed today! Keep the "wild" in wildlife in West Virginia.

[Jwill]

The Senate is working to pass Senate Bill 237 which will remove DNR from regulation of captive cervids (deer farms). This would have enormous negative impact on the management of the wild deer resource. DNR stands to lose a huge portion of their federal funding which will significantly impact their ability to manage wildlife. An epidemic of Chronic Wasting Disease could cost tax payers millions and cripple the multi-million dollar hunting industry all in an effort to allow a few deer farmers to personally profit from raising genetically altered bucks to produce huge racks to be hunted behind a fence. Enough is enough!! We need you to call your Senator including the Senate President and as many other Senators as possible and deliver the message that you DO NOT support Senate Bill 237 and sportsmen want DNR in charge of regulating deer farms. It makes no sense to have an industry regulated and promoted by the same agency! There needs to be a separation of duties. Senate Bill 237 will be on 2nd reading on the Senate Floor – Thursday! Begin making your calls Thursday morning and do not stop until you have left a message for your senator, the Senate President and as many others as possible. Have your friends, family and neighbors call as well. Bill Cole, Senate President can be reached at (304) 357-7801 or [email protected] Other Senators numbers can be found using this link: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/roster.cfm We can't let these Senators say "no one told me"! Let them hear from you tomorrow and Friday and until we get this off the agenda.

https://legiscan.com/WV/text/SB237/2015

Copied and pasted from another forum.

 

[Jwill]

http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150131/GZ07/150139886/1118

 

[Jwill]

http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150131/GZ07/150139886/1118

Edit: I think I whiffed on the timing of this one, I guess this is a couple weeks old... This has passed the senate and is on to the House.

 

[putm2sleep]

Great effort though brother!!!!! Have an awesome weekend!

 

[Jwill]

Bump. This bad bill for sportsmen has now gone to the governor. Please send him a note and ask him to veto it. Feel free to modify my words below. Thanks!

Article with info: http://wvmetronews.com/2015/02/23/sportsmen-press-for-veto-on-deer-farm-legislation/

Contact Link: http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/SubmitaCommenttotheGovernor.aspx

Dear Governor Tomblin,

I am writing to you as a concerned sportsman to ask you to veto SB 237. I live less than 20 miles from the WV border in VA and I often hunt and fish in WV. Transferring management of wildlife species, cervids (deer, elk, etc.), from the Department of Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture is a terrible idea and puts a whole way of life at risk for both West Virginians and those in neighboring states.

Chronic wasting disease has already spread from PA to WV and to VA, please don't put in an express lane for it to spread further.

In addition to the disease issue that is raised, this would likely make canned "hunts" of pen raised deer more prevalent in WV. That "industry" is a far cry from what most would call hunting, but the unethical nature of such "farms" leaves open to criticism all hunting.

Please don't view this bill as an opportunity for an industry, look at this as putting at risk the natural resources and hunting heritage of our region. Keep WV Wild and Wonderful, please veto SB 237.

Thank you,