Reelfoot Lake State Park Is Site For First TWRC Meeting of 2009

The TWRC meeting begins at 1 p.m. on Jan. 21 with the committee meetings and starts at 9 a.m. on Jan. 22 with the regular meeting. The TWRC serves as the governing body for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The public is invited to attend.

 

Among the items on this month’s agenda includes TWRA’s final recommendations for Tennessee’s first elk hunt. The TWRA is requesting the commission’s approval for a five-day hunt in October 2009, with a total of five permits to be allocated. 

 

The TWRA issued an RFP (Request For Proposal) at the commission’s November meeting for a Special Elk Take Permit to go to a non-profit wildlife conservation organization, but received no proposals. The TWRA is planning to re-issue the RFP in February, and will provide an update on the process.

 

TWRA has been involved with assessment of natural resource damages and initiation of investigations into long term impact to wildlife resources and habitat as a result of the outer wall of the TVA fly ash disposal area for the Kingston Steam Plant gave way on Dec. 22. Tons of material was released into the Emory River system. This release caused a significant property loss displacing whole neighborhoods, destroying roads, rail lines, gas lines and utilities. Fish, aquatic life and their habitats were destroyed.  

 

A brief description of the release assessment photography and TWRA’s initial and long term involvement will be provided.

 

The TWRA will present a rule amendment to the commission that would establish a first come, first serve process for allocating Special Season County Permits for deer and fall turkey hunts. Over the last several years, these quota hunts have had substantial leftover permits after the drawings. Changing the process to first-come, first-serve will eliminate the need to set up a quota drawing system for these hunts, and provide sportsmen greater flexibility in planning their fall hunts.

 

A change in a rule concerning migratory bird hunting that would apply only to the Reelfoot Wildlife Management Area is proposed. Specifically, the proposed change would be to the methodology used to register a permanent registered duck blind site. Duck Blind registration at Reelfoot WMA had been by certified mail or in person since the system began in 1986.

 

Records were maintained by hand and later by computer. Two years ago, the TWRA was approved to go to the REAL system for the agency’s registration program. This rule change will codify the current registration procedure under the REAL system.  

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