Why It Matters: (1) Efforts to end the Sandhill Crane season in the Volunteer State, despite historic Sandhill Crane population levels, are driven by emotion rather than science. (2) Allowing the indiscriminate baiting of Tennessee’s wildlife would contravene rules established by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Fish and Game Commission. (3) Poaching stands as one of the greatest threats to the social acceptance of hunting and professional wildlife management.
Highlights:
- CSF is opposing House Bill 1867 and Senate Bill 1876 that would prohibit the hunting of Sandhill Cranes in Tennessee. Both bills await committee action.
- CSF is opposing House Bill 1618 and Senate Bill 1942 that would allow for indiscriminate baiting of Tennessee’s wildlife on private land. HB 1618 is moving through the legislative process and is on the State Government Committee calendar for February 21.
- CSF is advocating for House Bill 2141 and Senate Bill 1751 that would increase the penalty from a Class C to a Class B misdemeanor and increase fines for removing a wild animal, wild fowl or fish while trespassing. HB 2141 is on the State Government Committee calendar for February 21.
HB 1867/SB 1876: The Sandhill Crane is one the many significant wildlife conservation success stories supported by sportsmen generated funding through the “user pays – public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding and other sportsmen-led conservation policy initiatives, including the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act. Once numbered at less than 200 birds in the United States less than 100 years ago, the population has soared to over 1.4 million. One of the seven key tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is that policy is formulated using the best available science. These legislative attempts to end the Sandhill Crane season have no scientific support. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), alongside Delta Waterfowl, Safari Club International, and the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, submitted comments to the Tennessee House Departments and Agencies Subcommittee and the Tennessee Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee opposing the bills and expressing support for science-based wildlife management conducted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
HB 1618/SB 1942: Through its public input process, the TWRA promulgates science-based regulations, which is in-line with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation’s recommendation for wildlife policy formulation. CSF recently submitted comments to the Tennessee House Departments and Agencies Subcommittee and the Tennessee Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee opposing HB 1618/SB 1942 which would eliminate the existing science-based regulatory process for making decisions on baiting and instead legislatively dictate various allowances. CSF supports the TWRA and its Commission retaining this authority to ensure science-based management for wildlife continues unfettered.
HB 2141/SB 1751: Poaching is one of the greatest threats to the social acceptance of hunting. The actions of poachers are often at the center of arguments utilized by anti-hunting groups that attempt to conflate poaching with hunting. SB 1751, sponsored by Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) Co-Chair Senator Paul Rose, and HB 2141, sponsored by Caucus Member Representative Caleb Hemmer, would increase various fines and penalties for poachers. CSF submitted comments to the House State Government Committee and the Senate Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee supporting these bills and is strongly advocating for their passage, while supporting sportsmen and women who hunt and fish legally.
CSF will continue to work with the Caucus and conservation partners to protect the interests of sportsmen and women in the Volunteer State.
