1999 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1188 – F&G, trophy big game tags

SENATE BILL NO. 1188

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S1188..........................................by RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
FISH AND GAME - Amends existing law to provide that the Fish and Game
Commission is authorized to issue ten special trophy big game tags per
year; to provide for awarding the tags through auctions and lotteries
conducted by incorporated nonprofit organizations dedicated to wildlife
conservation and to provide for the use of the proceeds; to provide for
disposition and use of the moneys from the tag; to provide for further
allocation of moneys by the Department of Fish and Game; to require
matching funds by recipient organizations; to provide for retention of a
certain percentage of auction bids and lottery revenues; to provide for an
accounting of the moneys by the Department of Fish and Game; to provide
that the Department of Fish and Game and/or the Legislature may require an
audit of the moneys.

02/15    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/16    Rpt prt - to Res/Env

Bill Text


S1188


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fifth Legislature                 First Regular Session - 1999
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1188

                          BY RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO FISH AND GAME; AMENDING SECTION 36-408,  IDAHO  CODE,  TO  PROVIDE
 3        THAT  THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE TEN SPECIAL TRO-
 4        PHY BIG GAME TAGS PER YEAR, TO PROVIDE FOR AWARDING THE TAGS THROUGH  AUC-
 5        TIONS AND LOTTERIES CONDUCTED BY INCORPORATED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS DED-
 6        ICATED TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, TO PROVIDE FOR USE OF PROCEEDS, TO ESTAB-
 7        LISH  THE  TROPHY BIG GAME SUBACCOUNT, TO PROVIDE FOR USE OF MONEYS IN THE
 8        ACCOUNT, TO PROVIDE FOR FURTHER ALLOCATION OF MONEY BY THE  DEPARTMENT  OF
 9        FISH  AND  GAME,  TO REQUIRE MATCHING FUNDS BY RECIPIENT ORGANIZATIONS, TO
10        PROVIDE THE SOURCE OF THE TAGS, TO  REQUIRE  AN  ACCOUNTING  BY  RECIPIENT
11        ORGANIZATIONS, TO PROVIDE FOR RETENTION OF A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF AUCTION
12        BIDS  AND LOTTERY REVENUES, TO PROVIDE FOR AN ACCOUNTING OF THE TROPHY BIG
13        GAME SUBACCOUNT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, TO  PROVIDE  THAT  THE
14        DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AND/OR THE LEGISLATURE MAY REQUIRE AN AUDIT OF
15        THE TROPHY BIG GAME SUBACCOUNT AND TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

16    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

17        SECTION  1.  That  Section  36-408, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
18    amended to read as follows:

19        36-408.  COMMISSION'S AUTHORITY -- TAGS -- PERMITS -- NONRESIDENTS LIMITED
20    -- OUTFITTERS SET-ASIDE. (a) Tags and Permits -- Method of Use. The commission
21    is hereby authorized to prescribe the number and kind of wildlife that may  be
22    taken under authority of the several types of tags and permits provided for in
23    this  title,  and  the manner in which said tags and permits shall be used and
24    validated.
25        (b)  Limit -- Licenses, Tags or Permits -- Controlled Hunts.  The  commis-
26    sion  is  hereby  authorized to establish a limit annually as to the number of
27    each kind and class of licenses, tags, or permits to be sold or issued and  is
28    further authorized to limit the number or prohibit entirely, the participation
29    by nonresidents in controlled hunts.
30        (c)  Outfitters  Set-aside.  When the commission establishes a limit as to
31    the number of nonresident deer tags and nonresident elk  tags,  it  shall  set
32    aside  annually  a  maximum of twenty-five  per cent   percent
33     (25%) of the nonresident deer tag and nonresident elk  tag  limit.  The
34    set-aside tags shall be sold pursuant to commission rule, only to persons that
35    have  entered  into  an  agreement for that year to utilize the services of an
36    outfitter licensed pursuant to chapter 21, title 36, Idaho Code.
37        In order for a person to purchase any set-aside nonresident  deer  tag  or
38    nonresident  elk  tag, that person's outfitter must submit an application with
39    the proper fees as required by the director. If any nonresident deer  tags  or
40    nonresident  elk tags set aside pursuant to this subsection are unsold by July
41    1 of the year in which they were set aside, they may be sold by the department
42    to the general public who are nonresidents. The commission may promulgate  all
43    necessary rules to implement the provisions of this subsection.


                                         2

 1        (d)  Deer  and  Elk Tag Allocation. If the commission limits the number of
 2    deer or elk tags available for use in any game management area, unit or  zone,
 3    the  commission  may  allocate by rule a number of deer or elk tags for use by
 4    hunters that have entered into an agreement for that year to utilize the  ser-
 5    vices of an outfitter licensed pursuant to chapter 21, title 36, Idaho Code.
 6        (e)  Special  Game  Tags. The commission is hereby authorized to issue two
 7    (2) special bighorn sheep tags per year. One  (1)  special  bighorn
 8    sheep  tag  shall  be  auctioned off by an incorporated nonprofit organization
 9    dedicated to wildlife conservation, selected by the commission. The tag  shall
10    be  issued  by the department of fish and game to the highest eligible bidder.
11    No more than  five per cent    ten  percent    (  5
12      10  %)  of  the  successful bid for   gross
13    revenue from  the tag may be retained by the organization.  The  commis-
14    sion  is also authorized to issue one (1) special bighorn sheep tag which will
15    be  disposed of by lottery. The lottery permit can be marketed  by    the
16    department  of  fish  and game or  a nonprofit organization dedicated to
17    wildlife conservation selected by the commission. The tag will  be  issued  by
18    the  department  of fish and game to an eligible person drawn from the lottery
19    provided in this subsection. No more than twenty-five   per  cent  
20     percent  (25%) of gross revenue can be retained for administrative
21    costs by the organization. All net proceeds for the tag disposed of by lottery
22    pursuant  to  this  subsection  shall be remitted to the bighorn sheep account
23    which is hereby created in the dedicated fund. Moneys in the account shall  be
24    utilized  by  the  department  in  solving  problems between bighorn sheep and
25    domestic sheep, solving problems between  wildlife  and  domestic  animals  or
26    improving relationships between sportsmen and private landowners by being uti-
27    lized in the veterinarian program established in subsection (e)9 . 
28    of  section 36-106, Idaho Code, and may be expended pursuant to appropriation.
29    The tags to be issued pursuant to this subsection shall be taken from the non-
30    resident bighorn sheep tag quota. The net proceeds shall be forwarded  to  the
31    director  for deposit in the fish and game trust account and shall be used for
32    bighorn sheep research and management purposes only from the  special  bighorn
33    sheep  tag  auctioned  off  by  an  incorporated nonprofit association. Moneys
34    raised pursuant to this subsection may not be used  to  transplant  additional
35    bighorn  sheep  into  that portion of southwest Idaho south of the Snake river
36    and west of U.S. highway no. 93, nor for litigation  or  environmental  impact
37    statements  involving  bighorn  sheep.  No transplants of bighorn sheep accom-
38    plished with moneys raised pursuant to this subsection shall occur in any area
39    until hearings are conducted in the area.
40         (f)  Trophy Big Game Tags. The commission is authorized to issue ten
41    (10) special trophy big game tags per year. Five (5) special trophy  big  game
42    tags,  one (1) each for moose, antelope, mountain goat, elk and deer, shall be
43    auctioned off by an incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to  wildlife
44    conservation  and  selected by the commission. The tags shall be issued by the
45    department of fish and game to the highest eligible bidder. The commission  is
46    also  authorized  to issue five (5) special big game trophy tags, one (1) each
47    for moose, antelope, mountain goat, elk and deer which will be disposed of  by
48    lottery.  The lottery tag shall be marketed by an incorporated nonprofit orga-
49    nization dedicated to wildlife conservation and selected  by  the  commission.
50    The  tag will be issued by the department of fish and game to an eligible per-
51    son drawn by the lottery provided in this subsection. All net proceeds for the
52    tag disposed of by the lottery shall  be  remitted  to  the  trophy  big  game
53    subaccount  within  the department of fish and game's trust account. Moneys in
54    the subaccount shall be used by the department of fish and game for conducting
55    surveys and studies for the benefit of moose, antelope, mountain goat, elk and


                                         3

 1    deer, for big game habitat restoration and for predator control.  Further, the
 2    department of fish and game is authorized to allocate moneys for the same uses
 3    by the department as provided in this subsection to an incorporated  nonprofit
 4    organization  dedicated  to  wildlife conservation. Any moneys allocated to an
 5    incorporated nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation for the
 6    purposes provided in this subsection shall be  matched  by  the  organization.
 7    The tags to be issued pursuant to this subsection shall be taken from the non-
 8    resident moose, antelope, mountain goat, elk and deer tag quotas.
 9        Incorporated  nonprofit organizations conducting auctions or lotteries for
10    trophy big game tags provided in this subsection shall provide  an  accounting
11    to  the  department  of  fish and game reflecting the actual costs incurred by
12    that organization within ninety (90) days of the completion of each auction or
13    lottery. No more than ten percent (10%) of the gross revenue from the  auction
14    tags  may  be  retained by the organization for administrative costs.  No more
15    than twenty-five percent (25%) of the gross revenue from the lottery tags  may
16    be retained by the organization for administrative costs.
17        As of September 1 of each year, the department of fish and game shall con-
18    duct  an  accounting  of  the trophy big game subaccount and prepare an annual
19    statement for the preceding fiscal year.
20        At any time deemed necessary by the department of fish  and  game  or  the
21    legislature the trophy big game subaccount shall be audited. 

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS08793Cl

This legislation will increase the amount that an incorporated nonprofit
organization may retain after a special game tag has been successfully
auctioned off to the highest bidder. It also deletes tbe Department of fish &
Game in the marketing of the lottery permit and leaves the nonprofit
organization solely responsible.

Additionally, this legislation adds ten special trophy big game tags. five to be
auctioned off by the nonprofit selected by the Fish & Game commission with
10% of the proceeds retained by the nonprofit. Five big game tags will be
disposed of by tbe lottery, no more than 25% of the gross revenue can be
retained by the organization for administrative costs. the remaining funds will
be deposited in the trophy big game fund for big game habitat restoration,
research and predatory control.

                            FISCAL NOTE

There will be a positive fiscal impact to both tbese funds within the
Department of Fish & Game. However, the funds are dedicated. The impact
will be difficult to judge because the auction could fluctuate.








CONTACT:Senator Robbi Mng 332-1339
         Michael J. Flanagan, P.A. 338-6558
         

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE

                                                             S 1188