HALIFAX-I was so pleased to see that Sens. Hashim and Harrison voted to support S.258, An act relating to the management of fish and wildlife. This common-sense bill would make wildlife management decisions in Vermont more democratic, fair, and humane.
Updating the constituency of the Fish and Wildlife Board would make it more democratic. Especially when the agency is funded significantly by the General Fund, and their mandate is to manage wildlife for all Vermonters, the board should have broader representation, rather than be controlled by hunters and trappers. The amended bill doesn't exclude hunters, trappers, or anglers; it simply requires "balanced viewpoints" and training of board members. Those requirements don't seem unreasonable to me, as a tax-paying Vermonter who cares deeply about wildlife but who doesn't kill animals.
Furthermore, the agency is staffed by well-educated wildlife scientists who should have more authority than they currently do. Changing the rulemaking from the board to the agency would shift the balance of power in an appropriate way.
If this legislation passes, baiting and hounding of coyotes would not be allowed. Those practices are not ethical forms of hunting; there is no element of fair chase. Furthermore, hounding is cruel and barbaric; there have been many cases of hounds running across posted property in pursuit of coyotes, harassing people, pets, and livestock.
S.258 is currently in the House Committee on Environment and Energy; hopefully, that committee will advance this bill so that all of our representatives have the chance to vote Yea.
To share your opinion, you can contact committee members and your own representatives.
Linda Huebner
Halifax
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