Proposed NC Bill & the Red Wolf

Proposed North Carolina Bill Would Support Declaration of Red Wolf as "Extinct in the Wild"

We shared a blog post on June 24th about the June 23rd red wolf court hearing and a glimpse into the current state of the red wolf conflict. At the end of that post, we included a few summary bullet points. One of the bullet points addressed a new bill in the North Carolina House. Shortly after posting, the language in the bill changed but the premise remained the same. The "proposed committee substitute" passed out of the House Appropriations on Agricultural, Natural and Economic Resources Committee to the House Floor. The bill has been withdrawn from committee and calendared. 

Here is part of the new language: 
"Section 1. The General Assembly of North Carolina hereby expresses its support for the Wildlife Resources Commission's resolution dated January 29, 2015, requesting that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service declare the red wolf (Canis rufus) extinct in the wild and terminate the Red Wolf Reintroduction Program in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, and the Wildlife Resources Commission's resolution dated January 29, 2015, requesting that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service remove red wolves released onto private lands in the red wolf recovery area located in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties."

HB 1144 also includes language to "prohibit hunting from the right-of-ways of public roads in Buncombe County."

You can see all of the language and stay on top of the bill here: HB 1144.

We will keep you updated about HB 1144 in North Carolina.