by Guy Page
The Vermont Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee late this morning passed out S.258, the controversial hunting/fishing/trapping regulation bill.
S.258 would give the state Fish and Wildlife Board a merely advisory role in rule-making. Rule-making power would go to the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife. S.258 also would give the Legislature the power to select the majority of board members, a power now granted to the governor alone. It also requires that more voice be given to the non-hunting/fishing/trapping users of the Vermont outdoors. Coyote hunting with dogs is banned under S.258.
The bill is strongly supported by anti-hunting and trapping organizations.
The bill followed a failed attempt in December to force the Fish and Wildlife Board to pass restrictive trapping regulations. The Fish & Wildlife Board is considered to be more receptive to allowing hunters, anglers and trappers continue their traditional practices.
S.258 now goes to the full floor of the Senate, with discussion and vote occurring as soon as this week. A key senator told VDC before the Town Meeting break that S258 lacks the votes to pass the Senate. However, that’s an ‘unofficial’ assessment now about two weeks old. Changes in the bill, or in the wishes of a few senators, could sway the vote to a yes.
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Categories: Legislation, Outdoors
Of course S.258 was approved…In a committee that contains but one native born member (Westman) and all are or were involved in education, were indoctrinated in liberal colleges and are shining stars on bray’s “climate justice™” team.
To pretend that S.258 would get a fair hearing in this committee is ultimate fantasy.
This batch of elitists knows they know what’s best for you…and the environment.
From crossover to adjournment you can bank on the fact that legislators like these will do their utmost to insure their dogma into law, not their oath of office.
People in all fifty states hunt and fish, so the usually gobbledygook about not being from Vermont is meaningless. This is a bill seeking equity on otherwise discriminatory and partisan F & W boards and about making trapping safer and regulated. Period.
And with those facts again being stated, the fact is that the majority of citizens of the USA oppose trapping in every single state, NOT just VT. And every major environmental org takes issue too.
The constant lies and propaganda are endless and none of it helps your cause. Which is to be able to trap and kill wildlife with abandon for “sport”
And whether this passes the Senate or not, the days of indiscriminate trapping of animals and the undemocratic manner under which this board is appointed is numbered. Welcome to the 21 century and fair & balanced representation.
Joan, Joan, Joan, just because you say something is fact doesn’t mean it is. How about citing some sources.
Ms. Dunlap’s zeal for passage of S.258 misses the mark- Trapping is but one part of this bill- and in her giddy reactions, she ignores the legislative takeover of the F&W board creating another political committee. Those that decide the fate of Vermont’s F&W rules now become beholden to the politicians that appoint them-
who themselves seem beholden to special interest groups, lobbyists and the donor/elitist. S.258 itself seems written to appease special interest, like Ms. Dunlap- anti-trapping, anti-hunting and anti-gun groups with buckets of money to spend influencing politicians. That’s not majority rule, that’s crooked politics.
Haven’t we enough crooked politics, without subjecting the same to time-honored traditional sport? Ms. Dunlap and the senate natural resources committee think not.
Is Sen. Westman on the committee?
Given the makeup of this committee this decision is totally expected, wrong, but expected. I’m sure that the anti-hunters, and the Senators that make up this committee can not see the hypocrisy that they have created with their claim of a lack of representation on the Board, but the fact that there is a preponderance of anti-hunters, and trappers on this committee is somehow lost on them. I am sure this is intentionally lost, given their goal to outlaw traditional outdoors sports. The full Senate vote is where the rubber meets the road. Now is the time to write to our Senators (again) and let our voices be heard.
They’ve pretty much made it impossible to hunt in this state simply by purchasing the property and posting it. We hunt our own property for a weekend then go to another state to fill the freezer
there are federal and state lands all over the state of vermont that you can hunt and fish and they are not posted/// old champion lands are all open/// state and federal owned///
Just another nail in true vermonters coffin and another reason I’m leaving.
And yet the vast majority of residents in VT do not trap. And the vast majority of Vermonters OPPOSE trapping ( approximately 70 percent) as per, yet again, VT F & W poll 2019.
Where’s your polling that demonstrates otherwise?
To Joan copied and pasted directly from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Trapping poll.
“The majority of Vermonters support regulated trapping.
Overall, 60% of residents strongly or moderately support regulated trapping; 29% strongly or moderately disapprove of it; 10% didn’t know; and 6% were neutral” (page 20).
These communists would have been hunted by McCarthy
As opposed to patriots who obviously respect animals and treat all God’s creatures with dignity……..better go get the cuffs!!!
Sorry, the majority of citizens oppose recreational trapping and you live in a representative Republic, so you can no longer do whatever the H you like as though you’re existing in your personal stratosphere. Welcome to the USA which this state joined long before you ever arrived on the scene.
Majority rules.
Oh Joan, majority rules. How democratic. Just like two coyotes and a lamb deciding what to have for lunch.
I love the anti’s that make it sound like they have done ANYTHING to benefit our wildlife in Vermont. Many hunters, trappers and fishermen (myself included) have donated countless hours of volunteer time helping with habitat improvement projects benefiting our game and non game species. When we buy a license we have the option to donate to non game related projects. Most hunters I know do just that when they buy one. What the hell do the anti’s do? Squawk and moan and badmouth sportsmen who have contributed more time and money towards this cause than they EVER have!! So sick of our “representatives “ saying they “represent”all Vermonters.. pathetic!
What you say is obvious at the boat landing. I have yet to see a habitat stamp on a kayak. Yet they will intentionally get in your way and be a pain in the neck. I even have had some of them question me as I was trying to launch my fishing boat about having a motor in a wilderness area. This was a paved boat launch with a rather large parking lot.
“What the hell do the anti’s do?” Run their mouths !
https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/peta-activist-13-arrested-allegedly-striking-florida-deputy-protest-starbucks
Time and time again these activists prove to be the violent ones. Wasn’t this same group a proponent of s258?
Give me a break – the scary violent activist is 13 years old
yes joan majority rules/// now pay your 20 percent increase on your property taxes/// i do not know what recreational trapping is/// please explain///
Ah, Ghoughton, yes majority rules, and that RULE has been the type of government Americans have lived under since about 1776.
Maybe it’s time for a US History class brush-up in your local adult ed offerings.
BTW, since you are new on here at the behest of your trapping brotherhood, shouldn’t you be using your actual name according to the rules?
GHoughton, Ghoughton, Ghoughton…how about you and your trapping enthusiast bros go first in REFUTING each of the very obvious factual statements I have made with stats that prove otherwise? Begin with the FACT that every state in the union allows hunting, not just VT.
As far as all my other statements of facts, expend some energy in looking back on all the statistics and data that I have presented on VDC over the past three months alone and locate them for yourself.
After you do that, attempt to refute those facts with more hogwash, lies, and fantasy…..thus far, all this nonsense appears to be serving you and your cause to randomly kill as much wildlife for the sheer glee of doing so, quite well.
Guy – what’s with the photo? Does the bill prohibit deer hunting? Does it have anything to say about deer hunting?
As we have all said until we’re blue in the face.. These anti Vt. Outdoor sporting groups are here to stay. If anyone really believes that these restrictions are all they’re out to accomplish you are a fool. Mark my word that if S.258 passes the sporting community will be saying “I told you so” in the not too distant future when the next round of restrictions comes down the pike. Every State Rep that votes for this bill should be held accountable by all Vermonters for swearing to uphold the Vermont Constitution and then breaking that vow. The Sportsmen’s bill of rights means nothing to them. Makes me sick what’s happening to this state.
Mark, S.258 would disband the Board as it is now. The Board would be replaced by a new version which would include, and possibly be controlled by non traditionalist sports people like kayakers, birdwatchers, and anti-hunters. So to your question as to whether it has anything to do with deer hunting, it could very well, that would depend on who was appointed to the new Board. If you think that Brenna Galdenzi and the rest of the Protect Our Wildlife people are “only after trappers, coyote hunters, and bear and coyote houndsmen”, you are sadly mistaken. Are you a hunter, or supporter of traditional outdoor sports ? Then to quote John Donne “never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” Creepy huh ? Yes they are !
I think your fears are unfounded:
Testimony of Brenna Galdenzi: “We are not an anti-hunting organization we are grateful to have hunters and anglers and farmers and Seventh Generation Vermonters and everyone in between who believe in our mission and who join us . . . .”
The bill gives non-consumptive users of our wildlife resources – the majority of Vermonters – a voice in how those resources are managed – what’s wrong with that?
David – here’s what the Vermont Constitution has to say about hunting and trapping:
“The inhabitants of this State shall have liberty in seasonable times, to hunt and fowl on the lands they hold, and on other lands not inclosed, and in like manner to fish in all boatable and other waters (not private property) under proper regulations, to be made and provided by the General Assembly.”
See the part about “under proper regulations, to be made and provided by the General Assembly?”
The legislature is simply doing its job and the bill reflects the values of a majority of Vermonters. I hope the bill passes, but I doubt that we’d be having this discussion but for the tone deaf and arrogant response of the board to the legislation on trapping enacted last year.
Mark, You believe Brenna Galdenzi ????
Just wait.. I guarantee “I told you so” is in the cards.. Their next target is bear hunting with dogs. GUARANTEED. Then who knows what. Do you really think that these organizations are going to be satisfied?! WAKE UP!
All part of the destruction of the country. Piece by piece. And we are letting it happen.
Our F&W Dept. and F&W Board have done an excellent job over the years .We have an abundance of wildlife in this state for all to enjoy, not just hunters and trappers. Our system isn’t broken. It works just fine. I haven’t heard one word from the Anti groups on how they would control our wildlife populations.
They would control it by predation, disease, and starvation. You know, the humane solutions.