GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1224

Short Title:  Beaver Management Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Redwine; J. Robinson, Preston, Hill, and Davis.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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May 17, 1996

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE BEAVER MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, TO ESTABLISH IT AS A PERMANENT PROGRAM UNDER THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION, AND TO ADD ADDITIONAL COUNTIES TO THE COVERAGE OF THE PROGRAM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Chapter 113 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 113-297.  Beaver Management Assistance Program.
The Beaver Management Assistance Program is created within the Wildlife Resources Commission.  The Program shall be administered by the Beaver Management Assistance Board, which shall consist of nine members, as follows:
(1)	The Executive Director of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or his designee, who shall serve as chair;
(2)	The Commissioner of Agriculture, or a designee;
(3)	The Director of the Division of Forest Resources of the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, or a designee;
(4)	The Director of the Soil and Water Conservation Division of the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, or a designee;
(5)	The Director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, or a designee;
(6) 	The Secretary of Transportation, or a designee;
(7) 	The State Director of the Animal Damage Control Division of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, or a designee;
(8)	The President of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., or a designee, representing private landowners in the participating counties; and
(9) 	A representative of the North Carolina Forestry Association.
(b)	The Beaver Management Assistance Board shall implement a program to control beaver damage on private and public lands.  Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Craven, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Franklin, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, Martin, Nash, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Vance, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson Counties shall participate in the program.  In implementing the program, the Board shall:
(1) 	Orient the program primarily toward public health and safety and toward landowner assistance, providing some relief to landowners through beaver control and management rather than eradication;
(2)	Implement a priority system for responding to complaints about beaver damage;
(3)	Implement a system for documenting all activities associated with beaver damage control, so as to facilitate evaluation of the program;
(4)	Provide educational activities as a part of the program, such as printed materials, on-site instructions, and local workshops; and
(5)	Evaluate the costs and benefits of the program and annually estimate the level of funding necessary to continue the program.
The Board shall issue an annual report to the Wildlife Resources Commission no later than September 30 of each year including program accomplishments and recommendations on the feasibility of continuing the program in participating counties and the desirability of expanding the program into other counties.  Counties wishing to participate in the Beaver Management Assistance Program shall make a commitment of four thousand dollars ($4,000) in local matching funds to the Wildlife Resources Commission no later than September 30 of each year."
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Wildlife Resources Commission the sum of four hundred fifty-two thousand six hundred ninety dollars ($452,690) for the 1996-97 fiscal year to provide the State share necessary to continue the Beaver Management Assistance Program established as a pilot program in Section 69 of Chapter 1044 of the 1991 Session Laws, amended by Section 111 of Chapter 561 of the 1993 Session Laws, by Section 27.3 of Chapter 769 of the 1993 Session Laws, and by Section 26.6 of the 1995 Session Laws, and established as a permanent program under the Wildlife Resources Commission in Section 1 of this act, provided the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in federal funds is available to provide the federal share.  These funds shall be matched by four thousand dollars ($4,000) of local funds from each of the participating counties.
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1996.