Delta’s HunteR3 Efforts Seek Continent-wide Expansion of Hunting Opportunity, Updates on the ‘No Net Loss’ for California Wetlands

Plus many other Duck Production, HunteR3, and more Delta-supported policy efforts underway across United States and Canada

United States

State/Local:

Delaware Sunday Hunting – Delta policy staff have been supporting legislation in Delaware that seeks to repeal the prohibition against Sunday waterfowl hunting. On Jan. 4, Delaware Representative Bill Carson introduced House Bill 271. Delta staff provided both written and verbal testimony during a House committee hearing in January. Thankfully, HB271 passed out of the full House of Representatives 37-0, and it will now be considered in the Delaware Senate when they return from recess in March. Click here to contact Delaware Senators and urge them to support Sunday hunting.  

Maryland Sunday Hunting – Delta policy staff have been hard at work behind the scenes coordinating with lawmakers and other conservation partners to get legislation introduced that will repeal the ban on Sunday waterfowl hunting in Maryland. On Jan. 31, Delegate Kevin Hornberger, along with five original co-sponsors, introduced Maryland House Bill 778. Delta is preparing written and verbal testimony for a House hearing on Feb. 21, and will be meeting with lawmakers and stakeholders over the next few weeks. We encourage Maryland duck hunters to reach out to their lawmakers in support of this bill. Click here to contact Maryland lawmakers!

Kansas Delta Waterfowl License Plate – Delta staff and volunteers have been working at the Kansas capitol, pushing for the creation of a Delta Waterfowl license plate. Kansas Representative Leo Delperdang helped sponsor House Bill 2500, which would create the Delta Waterfowl vanity license plate. Delta Waterfowl regional director, Garrett Trentham, and Wichita Chapter chairman, Jordan Ford, traveled to Topeka to give verbal testimony before the House Committee on Transportation in support of HB2500. We were excited to see this legislation pass the full House on Feb. 6 and look forward to pushing it through the Senate so Delta Waterfowl supporters and volunteers in Kansas can proudly display their license plates. Watch Delta staff and volunteers speak to the bill here!

Tennessee Sandhill Crane Season – Delta policy staff and conservation partners are working to defeat Senate Bill 1876 and House Bill 1867 in Tennessee which would prohibit the killing of sandhill cranes, thus ending their established, successful sandhill crane season. Regulated hunting poses absolutely no significant threat to the conservation of sandhill cranes, and there exists no scientific basis whatsoever to justify the termination of the sandhill crane season in Tennessee. Click here to contact Tennessee lawmakers and tell them you support legal, regulated hunting.

Virginia Waterfowl Blinds and Hunting Dogs – Delta policy staff have recently been pushing for legislation in Virginia that would help streamline waterfowl blind location coordinates collected by the Department of Wildlife Resources and help map them in a public format. Delta staff submitted written testimony on HB288 in the House of Delegates, and the legislation passed out of the full house 91-8 with broad bipartisan support. Additionally, Delta is working to revise current budget language that would exempt waterfowl hunters from being required to obtain a permit to hunt with a dog.

Nebraska Conservation Funding – Lawmakers in Nebraska are attempting to raid sportsmen- and women-funded dollars in Legislative Bill 1413. Two provisions within this legislation would transfer $7 million out of the Game Fund to the General Fund, and $2.5 million from the Habitat Fund to the General Fund. This transfer takes money away from sportsmen and women, threatens the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and would put future federal funding for Nebraska Game and Parks in jeopardy. Click here to help oppose these provisions with Nebraska lawmakers.

California Managed Wetlands — Delta Waterfowl’s policy team is monitoring Assembly Bill 828, legislation to add the term “managed wetlands” to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Additionally, this language prohibits a groundwater sustainability agency from imposing fees upon a managed wetland and will provide a sweeping commitment to the “no net loss” policy for wetlands in the state. Delta sent a letter in support of this bill to the California Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife, and it has already passed the full California Assembly. Our team will monitor and support this bill as it continues its way through the Senate.

Alaska Mendenhall Wetlands — This month our team sent a letter to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities regarding the Juneau Douglas Bridge North Crossing and its potential to impact hunting access to the Mendenhall Wetlands. This bridge has the potential to further reduce the huntable area of the Mendenhall Wetlands, depending on its final location. Our team encouraged the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities to take every precaution necessary to protect the Mendenhall Wetlands, the wildlife within them, and hunters who access them.

Canada

Federal:

Canadian Wildlife Service 2024 Regulation Package — Delta’s Canadian policy team applauds the Canadian Wildlife Service’s (CWS) proposed 2024 regulations package. This includes three key changes that we’ve actively supported which will provide enhanced hunting opportunities in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces.

In Saskatchewan, it is proposed to eliminate the restrictions on hunting dark geese such that they can be hunted all day throughout the season. In Ontario and Quebec, a new, modest sandhill crane season is proposed for certain regions. Lastly, in the Maritimes, it is proposed to expand season length to the maximum 107 days, giving an extra 1 to 2 weeks at the tail end of their seasons.

Delta has encouraged our membership in each of these provinces to submit their support through email in the one-month consultation window that ends Feb. 12. More information can be found on CWS’s website here.

Provincial:

Ontario Sunday Gun Hunting Expansion — Delta Waterfowl celebrates another victory with members, donors, and volunteers in the Township of Scugog. Earlier this month, the Council for the Township of Scugog unanimously passed a resolution to approve Sunday gun hunting. Scugog has now become the 191st municipality in southern Ontario to permit Sunday gun hunting. Delta would like to acknowledge and thank our local members for their incredible support and involvement throughout this process, as they played an instrumental role in the outcome.

The resolution will now be forwarded to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for final approval. Once completed, Scugog will be placed in queue to be added to the Sunday gun hunting map. The update is slated to occur on Aug. 31, 2024.

Sunday gun hunting in the Township of Scugog will be finalized and be in place for the fall 2024 hunting season. Scugog is the second municipality in southern Ontario to have approved Sunday gun hunting over the past few months, and Delta continues to be a leader in advocating for additional hunting opportunities generated through this initiative.

Ontario Discharge of Firearm By-laws — Delta Waterfowl continues to be actively engaged in the municipal discharge of firearm by-laws seeking to restrict hunting opportunities. Over the course of the past year, Delta has been engaged in 10 different discharge of firearm by-law reviews across Ontario. Of the 10 locations, six remain ongoing with varying degrees of participation, as they are in different stages of their processes: Municipality of Temagami, Town of Innisfil, Town of Mono, Township of Ramara, Township of Tiny, and the City of Timmins.

While a considerable amount of focus and effort is put towards working one-on-one with these municipalities, our advocacy has expanded to the provincial level as we seek to secure provincial engagement any time a municipality attempts to restrict hunting access or opportunities. Delta’s extensive experience and expertise on this file continues to be a valued resource to municipalities across Ontario.

Now is the time to make sure you are prepared to have your voice heard by registering for Delta Waterfowl’s Duck Hunters Action Alert System. Delta Waterfowl’s policy team will send you emails and alerts when issues impacting you arise and provide you with the tools and resources to engage with lawmakers. Text DELTA WATERFOWL to 52886 or click this link today to sign up!