NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency informed its governing board, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission and others in attendance at their regularly scheduled March meeting of possible legislation that could affect the future of the TWRC and the agency.
      This information came during the legislative update portion of the meeting, concerning legislation that would sunset the TWRC and/or the TWRA.
      Every state governmental entity has a statutory termination date, generally referred to as a sunset provision. Each of these entities must periodically go through a process of review and their termination date extended by the legislature. On March 11the House Calendar and Rules Committee took action to stop the legislation (HB 2460) that would have given the normal four-year extension to the existence of the TWRC.
     Without passage of this legislation in both the House and Senate, the TWRC will go into a one-year period of wind down to termination, beginning July 1, 2010. During this period of wind down/termination, the entity continues to operate, unimpeded by its impending termination.
     “We felt it is important to make all those affected by the operation of the TWRA and the TWRC aware of what could possibly happen,” said Ed Carter, TWRA Executive Director. “We did not want our constituents or anyone else to find out about this at the 11th hour.
      “Knowing where we stand with both the House and the Senate at this moment, our agency felt an obligation not only to the sportsmen of Tennessee, but all citizens who enjoy boating and wildlife watching, to let them know of the situation and the potential consequences regarding the future of the TWRA and its governing body, the TWRC.  When the original Game and Fish Commission was formed in 1949, many state wildlife agencies across the country adopted what has become known as the Model Game and Fish Act and adopted the North American Principles for Wildlife Conservation.
     “This model, considered sacred ground by some, was conceived to allow the management of fish and wildlife by trained professionals, governed primarily by a board of interested citizens. This model over time has served our state well and has allowed wildlife agencies across the country to make decisions regarding wildlife resources based on science and biology. The restoration of deer, turkey, and the bald eagle in Tennessee are prime examples of the many success stories.”

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