The Rifleman
03-11-2007, 08:22 AM
Taken from the Beckley Register Herald newspaper this morning.
Love resolution seeks hunting land for future
By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald reporter
CHARLESTON — Thousands upon thousands of acres are spread across the razor-backed mountains of West Virginia, awaiting the silent footsteps of hunters in search of their quarry.
Trouble is, a massive chunk of that acreage is titled to out-of-staters.
Hoping to forge agreements so future generations won’t run out of room to hunt, Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, steered a special resolution through the Senate, opening the door for the Division of Natural Resources to negotiate with the landowners.
While some of those forests have been let to private hunt clubs, Love says thousands of acres are unavailable, but all that could change, depending on a requested study by the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
“We have vast hunting land that is not being utilized,” Love explained as the 2007 session wound down.
“The DNR has a fund to where it can buy parcels of land that is for sale and turn into hunting grounds. But to be able to lease this other property is going to be beneficial to tourism. Hunting and fishing is a $500 million industry in West Virginia. This could double with the economic development of people coming from other states.”
More importantly, Love said the effort is a step toward cementing the future of hunting.
“If we don’t have a place for our youngsters, my grandchildren, your grandchildren, to hunt, they’re not going to want to buy a hunting license because there’s not going to be any place to hunt,” the senator said.
“This enhances the whole program for future generations. And that’s one of the most important factors.”
Love emphasized the retooled resolution that left the Senate Agriculture Committee doesn’t infringe on managed timberland, an element that delayed approval of the issue last month.
“This could be a future tax break for landowners,” he said.
“This could also give them extra dollars paid from leasing through the DNR. It’s a win-win situation.”
Although the focus has been on hunting, the idea is to open up more land for a host of outdoor activities — fishing, photography, skiing, hiking or simple sight-seeing.
“It goes well beyond hunting,” Love said. “There are a lot of trout streams that run through forest lands out there that could be utilized.”
Love applauded DNR Director Frank Jezioro for his “hands-on approach” in running his agency and, in particular, for taking the lead in the resolution.
At an agriculture panel hearing on the bill, Jezioro said the state was obligated to keep forests open to future generation of hunters.
If not, he warned, outdoor usage in the future will lie solely with the well-to-do.
“Are we going to go to something where only the rich will hunt and fish?” he asked.
“Are going to go to someplace where if you don’t belong to a private lease you have no place to hunt?”
Love resolution seeks hunting land for future
By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald reporter
CHARLESTON — Thousands upon thousands of acres are spread across the razor-backed mountains of West Virginia, awaiting the silent footsteps of hunters in search of their quarry.
Trouble is, a massive chunk of that acreage is titled to out-of-staters.
Hoping to forge agreements so future generations won’t run out of room to hunt, Sen. Shirley Love, D-Fayette, steered a special resolution through the Senate, opening the door for the Division of Natural Resources to negotiate with the landowners.
While some of those forests have been let to private hunt clubs, Love says thousands of acres are unavailable, but all that could change, depending on a requested study by the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
“We have vast hunting land that is not being utilized,” Love explained as the 2007 session wound down.
“The DNR has a fund to where it can buy parcels of land that is for sale and turn into hunting grounds. But to be able to lease this other property is going to be beneficial to tourism. Hunting and fishing is a $500 million industry in West Virginia. This could double with the economic development of people coming from other states.”
More importantly, Love said the effort is a step toward cementing the future of hunting.
“If we don’t have a place for our youngsters, my grandchildren, your grandchildren, to hunt, they’re not going to want to buy a hunting license because there’s not going to be any place to hunt,” the senator said.
“This enhances the whole program for future generations. And that’s one of the most important factors.”
Love emphasized the retooled resolution that left the Senate Agriculture Committee doesn’t infringe on managed timberland, an element that delayed approval of the issue last month.
“This could be a future tax break for landowners,” he said.
“This could also give them extra dollars paid from leasing through the DNR. It’s a win-win situation.”
Although the focus has been on hunting, the idea is to open up more land for a host of outdoor activities — fishing, photography, skiing, hiking or simple sight-seeing.
“It goes well beyond hunting,” Love said. “There are a lot of trout streams that run through forest lands out there that could be utilized.”
Love applauded DNR Director Frank Jezioro for his “hands-on approach” in running his agency and, in particular, for taking the lead in the resolution.
At an agriculture panel hearing on the bill, Jezioro said the state was obligated to keep forests open to future generation of hunters.
If not, he warned, outdoor usage in the future will lie solely with the well-to-do.
“Are we going to go to something where only the rich will hunt and fish?” he asked.
“Are going to go to someplace where if you don’t belong to a private lease you have no place to hunt?”