Bill Cochran

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The 2009 Virginia General Assembly is destined to be remembered as a lackluster session for outdoor sportsmen, one that is defined more by what isn’t being discussed rather than what is.

There really aren’t many hot-button issues with a direct link to outdoor sportsmen, unless you include SB 1257, which would require that all firearm transactions taking place at gun shows be subjected to background checks. This bill has been killed twice, but proponents keep resurrecting it, and that has kept the NRA phone bank busy.

For the most part, the session is held captive by gloomy economic news that has cast a pall on all proceedings.

Missing in action are two major outdoor issues: Sunday hunting and hound hunting.

What is left are 26 pieces of legislation being monitored by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (see HuntFishVa.com.) None is earth shaking.

Then there is SB 1087 that would increase the size of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and brazenly stack it in favor of commercial fishing interests. This one quickly slipped through the Senate on a 40-0 vote and, as one observer said, “appears to have been “greased and going full steam to pass the House.” Anglers have been panting to catch up.

VMRC is the agency assigned to looks out for the interests of both commercial and recreational saltwater fishing. For years it tilted heavily toward commercial interests, then made a course correction, particularly when sport fishermen started sending it money via a new fishing licenses. Now much of the progress stands to be lost. Sportsmen need to contact their House representative on this one.

Here’s a look at some of the issues and non-issues:

SUNDAY HUNTING

Every session in recent years has seen the introduction of one to three bills that would ease or remove Virginia’s ban on Sunday hunting. Not this time.

“I haven’t heard a word [on Sunday hunting],” is the response I got from Charlie Sledd, who monitors hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife bills for the DGIF.

While many hunters oppose Sunday hunting, polls indicate that there has been a slow but steady increase in support; however, legislators apparently perceived that this isn’t a good time to get behind the effort. Is it possible that advocates wisely have learned that it is going to take more than just dumping a bill in the hopper to win this debate. It is going to require a well-orchestrated effort, and, as yet, that hasn’t happened.

HOUND HUNTING

The past year, landowners, hound hunters and wildlife officials spent a major amount of time in conflict on the future of hound hunting. The result was a $70,000 study titled “Hound Hunting in Virginia: A Way Forward.” It led to 11 recommendations, some requiring the attention of the General Assembly.

The study proved to be surprisingly controversial and strained relations between hound hunters and the DGIF. Many hound hunters went away disillusioned, and some vowed they would take the fight to the General Assembly.

They haven’t, at least not yet, and that is good news because the issue needs a cooling off period. To dump it on the General Assembly is asking for big trouble.

STUDIES

There have been an unusually large number of resolutions introduced that call for studies that would impact outdoor sportsmen. Three of them are directed at waterfowl hunting in urban and suburban areas. Their objective is to address conflicts between urban landowners and hunters, but who knows where they might lead. Such studies normally are assigned to the DGIF, but this time the waterfowl issues call for a committee of six legislators. This legislation, thankfully, isn’t making much headway.

Another study, this one assigned to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, would determine if Virginia needs to do anything to comply with a national saltwater angler registry scheduled to be established on federal waters by NOAA. While the registry is designed to improve fish stocks, there is concern that it may require unwarranted changes in Virginia saltwater license system and, down the road, it could cost anglers additional fees.

A study to determine if kids younger than 13 should be required to wear a life jacket during most boating activities appears to be dead. The General Assembly has been shooting down this effort for several years; even though, it would save lives and bring state law into compliance with federal law.

Another study that would be assigns the DGIF and VMRC would address the sticky task of clarifying what rights the public has to float and fish the waters of the Commonwealth. Yet another study directs the DGIF to establish a task force to analyze regulations on shooting preserves.

One of the problem with most General Assembly mandates, they don’t come with money to get the work done. Thus, agencies like DGIF and VMRC must cut back on other planned projects in order to fund them.

NEXT WEEK: A look at other legislation of special interest to outdoorsmen