N.H. F&G Commission Votes To Reduce Moose Permits By 50 In The North
February 22, 2007
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission has voted unanimously to cut back the number of moose permits that would normally have been issued for the northern part of the state. This action came as a result of fear by the commission that the Governor’s planned auctioning off of 50 moose permits would pass muster.
Early this month Governor John Lynch announced that he believed the Fish and Game Department could earn $250,000 to go toward it’s need for more revenue to meet the demands of a growing department. This proposal has met with much opposition and skepticism as is being reported this morning in the Union Leader.
Carroll County Commissioner Nelson Russell said that as a policy, the state “should not be auctioning off our fish and game” and that constituents he has spoken with are disturbed by the concept.
Executive Director Lee Perry said information he has from other states would suggest that the $250,000 figure is “inobtainable” and closer to $100,000.
Steve Weber, director of the department’s wildlife division, said the state cannot overshoot its moose for money and management goals need to be considered within the governor’s proposal.
The lottery drawing for the moose permits will be done on June 15, 2007. The fear by some members of the F&G Commission is that once would-be permit applicants learn that 50 of the sparse 675 permits will not be available to them, they may opt out of even filing an application. This of course would be counterproductive in the state’s effort to find more revenue.
The Commission felt that this measure was necessary to ensure that too many moose aren’t taken in this year’s hunt. So, to counter the Governor’s move, it left them no real alternative other than to make the provision. If the Governor’s proposal is stopped, the Commission will open the 50 permits back up to applicants. The question is, when will that happen?
This is how the Commission proposes to divide up the 50 permit reductions: A reduction of six permits in A1, which is Pittsburg north; 16 in A2 in the Colebrook area; 14 in WMU B and nine in C2.
Tom Remington
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