Contact: John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager Recently, the bicameral and bipartisan Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) announced the addition of two new Co-Chairs of the Caucus, Senator Michael Rulli and Representative Nino Vitale. Sen. Rulli said, “I’m excited to lead the Ohio Sportsmen’s Legislative Caucus and look forward to working with the DNR and…
Contact: John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager On October 2, Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Mike DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will acquire 31,443-acres from American Electric Power (AEP) at a press conference with sportsmen’s groups in attendance. AEP’s roughly 60,000-acre ReCreation Land property in eastern Ohio has been open…
Contact: John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager On July 25, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation welcomed Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as the newest member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC). Governor DeWine is the 27th member of the GSC, a bipartisan group of governors from across the country dedicated to protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational…
Contact: John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager On July 18, Governor Mike DeWine signed the state’s two-year budget bill (HB 166) into law. The legislation contains important conservation funding provisions for the sportsmen and women of Ohio. Modest license fee increases for deer and turkey permits included in the budget are projected to generate significant…
Contact: John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager On June 20, legislation (HB 166) that would facilitate increased funding for the Ohio Division of Wildlife (DOW) passed the Senate and is headed to conference committee after the House refused to concur with the Senate’s amendments to the budget bill. The budget contains modest increases for resident…
By John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager On June 20, legislation that would institute a number of changes to Ohio’s hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses passed the House 93-0 and is now eligible for the Governor’s signature. Senate Bill 257, sponsored by Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Chairs Senator Joe Uecker and Senator Sean O’Brien, previously…
By John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager On May 30, the Ohio Sportsmen’s Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) hosted a sporting clays shoot and barbecue supper at the Cardinal Shooting Center outside of Columbus, Ohio. The event provided an opportunity for Caucus members, representatives from national and in-state sportsmen’s groups, the Ohio Wildlife Council, the Ohio…
On December 18, Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Senator Joe Uecker cosponsored Senate Bill 242, legislation that would repeal Ohio’s prohibition against the manufacture or sale of certain types of knives. Switchblade knives, springblade knives, and gravity knives are legal to possess in Ohio, but the manufacture, sale or provision of these knives is currently…
On August 9, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with American Electric Power (AEP) to begin negotiating for the purchase of a large part of AEP’s ReCreation Land property in southeastern Ohio. Comprised of approximately 58,800 acres of Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, and Noble counties, AEP’s ReCreation…
On June 28, the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate adopted the Conference Committee Report for House Bill 49, the biennial budget bill, which included modest license fee increases for nonresident hunters and anglers. Over the next decade, the fee increases are projected to bring in an additional $40 million in revenue for…
On March 29, the Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted a breakfast at the Museum Gallery in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. State legislators, officials from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and representatives from local and national sportsmen’s groups gathered to hear talks on pressing conservation issues for Ohio’s sportsmen and women. Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus…
On January 26, the Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted a policy briefing with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (Division) to discuss whitetail deer management. Division staff presented information and data on the recent whitetail deer trends in the Buckeye State, as well as the preliminary stages of a comprehensive, long-term deer…