Commission to Set 2013-14 Waterfowl Hunting Seasons, Hear Fishing Proposals at August Meeting

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will set the 2013-14 Tennessee waterfowl hunting seasons and receive a preview of next year’s sport and commercial fishing proclamations at its August meeting. The meeting will be held Aug. 22-23 (Thursday-Friday) at the Holiday Inn Knoxville West at Cedar Bluff.

The August meeting is usually one of the commission’s busiest sessions of the year. In addition to setting the waterfowl hunting seasons, discussion will be held on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s establishment of guidelines that allow Tennessee to initiate a sandhill crane hunting season. Public comments and a potential season will be among the topics of discussion.

The TWRA’s Fisheries Division will present proposed changes in the sport and commercial fishing regulations for 2014-15. Agency recommendations will be distributed for public comments after the August meeting.  The commission will discuss and vote on the commercial fishing proclamations at its Sept. 19-20 meeting in Nashville. The sport fishing proclamations for 2014-15 will be discussed and voted on at the Oct. 17-18 meeting in Kingsport.  

The winners of the drawing for the 2013 Tennessee elk hunt will be announced. This will include the four main drawing winners, the youth elk hunt tag winner, and the winner of the tag auctioned by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation.

The agency will also present its fiscal year 2014-15 budget recommendations to the commission. The presentation will be made during the committee meetings with the voting for approval on Friday.

The commission will conduct committee meetings, to thoroughly discuss the topics listed above, during the afternoon on Aug. 22, beginning at 1 p.m. (EDT). The TWRC meeting, which will include formal voting on the topics, will begin at 9 a.m. on Aug. 23.  The meeting is open to the public.

---TWRA---