HF 2627 (LSB 5055HV (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 2627

BY  COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 2038)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to deer depredation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 481C.2, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2026, are amended to read as follows:
   1.  The director of the department of natural resources shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with the United States department of agriculture, animal damage control division. The wild animal depredation unit shall serve and act as the liaison to the department for the producers in the state who suffer crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage an economic loss to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture operations due to wild animals.
   2.  The department shall issue depredation permits and deer shooting permits to any landowner or tenant, as defined under section 483A.24, subsection 2, upon receiving written approval from the landowner, who incurs crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage suffers an economic loss of one thousand dollars or more to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture operations due to wild animals.  The department shall allow any conservation officer to issue permits pursuant to this chapter.
    Sec. 2.  Section 481C.2A, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  Deer shooting permits shall be available for issuance to landowners or tenants, as defined under section 483A.24, subsection 2, upon receiving written approval from the landowner, who incur crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage suffer an economic loss to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture operations as provided in section 481C.2 and shall be available for issuance for use on areas where public safety may be an issue.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to deer depredation. Under current law, eligibility for the wild animal depredation program requires a producer to have suffered “crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage due to wild animals”. The bill changes this eligibility requirement to cover a producer who has suffered “economic loss to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture operations due to wild animals”.
   The bill authorizes any conservation officer to issue depredation permits or deer shooting permits (permits). In addition to landowners as currently allowed, the bill allows tenants to receive permits with written approval from the landlord.