F&G Commission Adopts Proposed Rule Changes

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission at a meeting August 24 adopted a proposed change to the Landowner Appreciation Program, changes to wildlife salvage rules and minor changes to a number of other rules. Landowners in five game management units - 40, 41, 42, 45 and 52 - who meet the conditions of the Landowner Appreciation Program, have been eligible for an allocation of additional tags equal to 25 percent of the number of controlled hunt tags to be issued for deer, elk and pronghorn hunts in those units. The standard allocation is 10 percent. The commission agreed to a proposed change that would reduce the allocation of LAP tags to 10 percent for landowners in those five game management units. But the landowners would be eligible for an additional 15 percent allocation as an incentive to provide benefits to hunters. Incentives include a managed public access agreement, a depredation release agreement, a habitat improvement project and offering special sporting opportunity, such as veteran or youth hunting opportunity. Commissioners also adopted a proposed rule that would allow people to salvage animals that may be lawfully hunted or trapped but have been accidently killed in a vehicle collision, provided they report the incident to Idaho Fish and Game within 24 hours and obtain written permission to keep the animal within 72 hours. A permission form would become available from Idaho Fish and Game. The rule also would allow people to sell parts, except the meat, from such salvaged animals, not including bighorn sheep. These and other recently adopted rule changes must be approved by the 2012 Idaho Legislature before they take effect.