On Thursday, Feb. 10, the Vermont Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy will hold a remote (virtual) public hearing on three anti-hunting bills from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration to speak at the meeting is full, but you can submit written testimony to [email protected]. Include the bill number you’re commenting on in the subject line.
Senate Bill 281 Bans Hunting Coyotes with Dogs: is a complete ban on hunting coyotes with dogs. Anti-hunters claim that hounds are a threat to public safety and have referenced only three incidents where coyote dogs have been involved in negative situations.
“Once again, animal-rights activists are showing they will stop at nothing to undermine wildlife management. They’re employing the same weak, emotional arguments they’ve been using for years to destroy our hunting and ranching cultures,” said Brian Lynn, vice president of communications for Sportsmen’s Alliance and sporting dog writer. “Let’s be clear, this bill has zero to do with public safety and everything to do with banning hunting with dogs and ending predator management.”
Senate Bill 201 Bans Foothold Traps: Despite their critical role in protecting nesting birds, endangered species, infrastructure and controlling disease, animal-rights groups continue to target trapping and those who engage in this vital wildlife management activity.
Senate Bill 129: seeks to eliminate the Fish and Wildlife Board. Currently, the board is made up of 14 citizens (one from each county) who have rulemaking authority as a body, are informed and guided by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and are required to consider public input on all rule changes. Each member is appointed by the sitting governor and may serve only one time.
Under Senate Bill 129 however, the board would be advisory only with eight appointed by members of the legislature “with consideration of geographic diversity.” In other words, with more than half the board appointed by the legislature, the lawmakers would also be the rule makers.
“This is an absurd violation of separation of powers and basic notions of checks and balances within our system,” said Dillon Barto, manager of state services for Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Moreover, when one considers the vast number of anti-hunting bills recently brought forth by the current Vermont legislature, this bill is nothing short of a fast-track ban on hunting altogether.”
Speak up on all three bills by emailing [email protected] and including the bill number in each of your emails.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.