§ 77.12.790. Eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program -- Purpose
There is created within the department the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program. The purpose of the program is to improve the harvest of pheasants by releasing pen-reared rooster pheasants on sites accessible for public hunting and by providing grants for habitat enhancement on public or private lands under agreement with the department. The department may either purchase rooster pheasants from private contractors, or produce rooster pheasants from department-sanctioned cooperative projects, whichever is less expensive, provided that the pheasants released meet minimum department standards for health and maturity. Any surplus hen pheasants from pheasant farms or projects operated by the department or the department of corrections for this enhancement program shall be made available to landowners who voluntarily open their lands to public pheasant hunting. Pheasants produced for the eastern Washington pheasant enhancement program must not detrimentally affect the production or operation of the department's western Washington pheasant release program. The release of pheasants for hunting purposes must not conflict with or supplant other department efforts to improve upland bird habitat or naturally produced upland birds.
[1997 c 422 § 2.]
Notes:
Findings -- 1997 c 422: "The legislature finds that pheasant populations in eastern Washington have greatly decreased from their historic high levels and that pheasant hunting success rates have plummeted. The number of pheasant hunters has decreased due to reduced hunting success. There is an opportunity to enhance the pheasant population by release of pen-reared pheasants and habitat enhancements to create increased hunting opportunities on publicly owned and managed lands." [1997 c 422 § 1.]
Sections: Previous 77.12.690 77.12.702 77.12.710 77.12.722 77.12.755 77.12.760 77.12.765 77.12.790 77.12.800 77.12.810 77.12.820 77.12.850 77.12.852 77.12.854 77.12.856 Next
Last modified: April 7, 2009