TRENTON, NJ –-(Ammoland.com)- Bill A394 unanimously passed the assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee yesterday.
The bill would authorize Sunday bow hunting on federal military installations. Testifying in favor of the bill and on behalf of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance was Pola Galie, Trustee.
Ms. Galie emphasized to the committee, “Managed hunting is the only means to effectively control game populations like deer, black bear, and other species in New Jersey.”
She continued, “Hunters must pass a state operated education and training program in order to obtain a license, and the funding from license sales goes to the Division of Fish and Wildlife, which uses science based methods and statistical data to manage game populations.”
Anthony Mauro, Chair, NJOA stated, “The biggest challenge facing the state in managing deer populations is lack of access. It’s not necessarily that New Jersey has too many deer for the size of the state, it is that deer are concentrated in pockets throughout the state where hunters are denied access.”
Mauro continued, “Private property owners, including large tracts of land owned by non-profits, either limit or ban hunting. Towns have enacted no discharge zones that act to prevent or limit hunting. Deer are intelligent creatures and end up using these areas as sanctuaries.”
“This bill is a natural extension to the Sunday Bow Hunting and the Reduced Perimeter bow hunting bills we supported and were signed into law in recent years. We are glad to see that New Jersey legislators are recognizing the hurdles to deer management and supporting intelligent solutions; such as this bill.”
Before the bill becomes law the Senate Environment and Energy committee must approve the bill. Both houses must also approve the bill and then go to the Governor for consideration. The Senate Bill is S1683.
Ms. Galie also testified on behalf of the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs.
Bill Sponsors:
- McHose, Alison Littell as Primary Sponsor
- Brown, Chris A. as Co-Sponsor
- Space, Parker as Co-Sponsor
- Fiocchi, Samuel L. as Co-Sponsor
Committee: Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Andrzejczak, Bob (D) – Chair – Vote (Yes)
- Wilson, Gilbert L. (D) – Vote (Yes)
- Dancer, Ronald S. (R) – Vote (Yes)
- Riley, Celeste M. (D) – Vote (Yes)
- Space, Parker (D) – Vote (Yes)
Sr. Chairman,
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance: “We’ve got your back!”
JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html
About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org