Update: Great news! The Senate committee considering this bill recognized its detrimental impacts and held the bill in committee. Stay tuned next year for any developments on this.
Bill Description: If passed, this bill would prohibit a city or county from adopting a local law within its jurisdiction that impacts fish and game matters unless the ordinance is necessary to protect public health and safety and has only an incidental effect.
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It is important to allow cities, counties, and their respective wildlife commissions to determine whether or not to allow the trapping of “nuisance” wildlife within their local borders. While it may be advisable to establish fundamental wildlife policies that are consistent statewide, local jurisdictions need to have the flexibility to adapt and fine-tune those restrictions to effectively address local wildlife issues. Allowing the state and local jurisdictions to partner with each other to establish effective policies is vital to effective long-term wildlife management as well as to the best interests of the public.