87-1-269. Private land/public wildlife advisory committee -- duties -- reports. (1) There is a private land/public wildlife advisory committee composed of persons interested in issues related to hunters, anglers, landowners, and outfitters, including but not limited to hunting access programs established pursuant to 87-1-265, the fishing access enhancement program, landowner-hunter relations, outfitting industry issues, public access land agreements, and other issues related to private lands and public wildlife. The committee must have broad representation of landowners, outfitters, and sportspersons. The department may provide administrative assistance as necessary to assist the private land/public wildlife advisory committee.

(2) The governor shall appoint the members of the private land/public wildlife advisory committee.

(3) (a) The private land/public wildlife advisory committee shall report to the governor and to each legislature, in accordance with 5-11-210, regarding the success of various elements of the hunting access programs, including a report of annual landowner participation, the number of acres annually enrolled in the programs, hunter harvest success on enrolled lands, the number of qualified applicants who were denied enrollment because of a shortfall in funding, and an accounting of program expenditures, and make recommendations for funding, modification, or improvement needed to achieve the objectives of the programs. The department shall provide fiscal analyses of all hunting access program funding sources to the review committee for review and recommendations.

(b) The private land/public wildlife advisory committee shall report to the governor and to each legislature, in accordance with 5-11-210, regarding the success of the fishing access enhancement program and make recommendations for funding, modification, or improvement needed to achieve the objectives of the program. The department shall provide fiscal analyses of all fishing access enhancement program funding sources to the review committee for review and recommendations.

(4) The private land/public wildlife advisory committee shall review public access land agreement proposals pursuant to 87-1-295 and recommend to the department whether to grant public access land agreements.

(5) The director may appoint additional advisory committees that are considered necessary to assist in the implementation of the hunting access programs, public access land agreements, and the fishing access enhancement program and to advise the commission regarding the development of rules implementing the hunting access programs, public access land agreements, and the fishing access enhancement program.

History: En. Sec. 7, Ch. 459, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 544, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 196, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 48, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 235, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 471, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 63, L. 2019; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 296, L. 2019.