If You Think The Threat To Conservation Isn't Real...

[rFisherk]

By law, they only need to give 24-hour notice of a hearing, so they announced the hearing on Senate Bill 56 late yesterday, and we are only finding out about it this morning. This bill is very likely to come up for a vote, because the committee that decides to recommend it is chaired by Muntzlinger. It is doubtful more than a handful of the estimated 1,000,000 anglers and 576,000 hunters in Missouri who will suffer from a loss of resources if Senate Bill 56 passes will be able to attend on such short notice.

If this legislation were to pass, the Department of Conservation would lose an estimated $42 million per year based on recent permit sales and Federal reimbursements tied to permit sales (Pittman-Robertson Act and Dingall-Johnson Act). The list of services and programs that will be cut is long and will dramatically effect everyone who cares about the outdoors and wildlife conservation.

The meeting is in Room SCR 1 at 2 p.m., and I implore anyone who can make it to be there to defend their rights--loudly.

[fishinwrench]

We have already paid (in full) for those "resources". So if they are " taken away" from us then WHO gets to claim them ?

[rFisherk]

We have already paid (in full) for those "resources". So if they are " taken away" from us then WHO gets to claim them ?

No one really. It's a total lose/lose situation. The purpose is to damage the MDC any way possible, regardless the effects on the citizens.

The list of services and programs the MDC has already said they would have to cut include:

Elimination--not cut backs--elimination of public and private fish stockings. There goes your catfish and your trout. Even the trout parks depend upon MDC to rear and stock trout.

Closure of Department Nature Centers.

Closure of Department shooting ranges.

Closure of Department maintained boat accesses.

Elimination of partnerships with rural fire departments.

Significant reduction of habitat work on Conservation Areas.

Significant reduction in enforcement of conservation agents.

There are others, but this will give you some idea of how devastating this could be.

The place to kill it is in committee, but without a strong showing of opposition at the hearing, it is unlikely. This one coming to a vote scares me most.

[fishinwrench]

Well then if nobody can claim it then we can't be charged for "trespassing", or ordered to leave, can we ?

[fishinwrench]

Oh I can live with less trout, and as far as catfish go......they've been around a lot longer than MDC has.

I learned a long time ago not to become overly attached to anything that can disappear overnite.

Ya know, if the MDC wants to be free from state legislature then they should not go to bed with Family Support payment services.

Taking away someone's "legal" right to fish/hunt because they got behind on court ordered alimony payments is freakin' bull$#!t.

"Take A Kid Fishing!".....oh wait, you're late paying off your ex-wife....Nevermind, you can't.

[rondo]

Does habitat work include the logging of public land and pocketing the profits?

[rFisherk]

I absolutely agree with you on this one, Fishinwrench: Ya know, if the MDC wants to be free from state legislature then they should not go to bed with Family Support payment services.
Taking away someone's "legal" right to fish/hunt because they got behind on court ordered alimony payments is freakin' bull$#!t.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ok so unless I am reading it wrong or this isn't it but it is listed with todays date Please tell me the big deal as this is what it says.

Bill Text: MO SB56 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

Missouri Senate Bill 56

MO State Legislature page for SB56

• Summary
• Sponsors
• Texts
• Votes
• Research
• Comments
• Track

• Introduced

Bill Title: Modifies hunting, fishing, and trapping permit fees for Missouri residents

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2015-02-25 - Hearing Conducted S Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee [sB56 Detail]

Download: Missouri-2015-SB56-Introduced.pdf

SENATE BILL NO. 56

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MUNZLINGER.

Pre-filed December 1, 2014, and ordered printed.

ADRIANE D. CROUSE, Secretary.

0127S.02I

AN ACT

To amend chapter 252, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to permits

issued by the department of conservation.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 252, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new

2 section, to be known as section 252.227, to read as follows:

252.227. The department of conservation and its permit issuing

2 agents shall not charge a permit fee for the acquisition of a hunting,

3 fishing, or trapping permit for a Missouri resident, except:

4 (1) A service fee not to exceed two dollars that is credited to the

5 permit issuing agent;

6 (2) A customer convenience fee not to exceed two dollars for

7 telephone or electronic media sales that shall be held in trust for the

8 conservation commission and shall be made available for electronic

9 fund transfer to the state treasurer's collection account;

(3) A replacement fee not to exceed two 10 dollars for a lost,

11 destroyed, or mutilated permit that is credited to the permit issuing

12 agent who certifies the permit number and type of permit being

13 replaced and who issues the replacement permit.

[fishinwrench]

Fins, the big deal is.... FORTY TWO MILLION dollars per year !

I don't care who you are or what you're doing, that's ALOT of freaking dough to play with.

If they loose that then we might stop getting magazines. Pffft.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ok I am really confused by this, All it looks like to me is a law to make it Only $2.00 handling fees, if that's what im reading then there would have to be a butt load of lost licenses to make 42 million