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Post by rye on Dec 3, 2007 16:39:43 GMT -5
I've been talking with Collen Olfenbuttel and two of my local commissioners about amending the current fox laws to allow fox trapping in Craven County. Collen has said she'd attend the meeting and speak to the commissioners to answer questions and help dispel any misunderstandings concerning trapping.
I know that guys from Johnston and Lenior counties have done this very same thing in the past. I've tried to get a hold of the Johnston county guys but always seem to miss them on the phone.
Is anyone from the NCTA willing to attend the meeting along with me to help? I am unsure what i'll be facing and what sort of write up I'll need to do. I've taken the Lenior county request for amendment and practically mirrored it for Craven. I updated some of the numbers and stats. Is there any other information I should carry with me to help? I want to plead the case to get them to sign off on it to send to House Rep, but haven't the foggiest about how to convince them to do so.
The meeting will be on 7 January 2008 in New Bern at the County Admin Building 2nd floor at 7pm.
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Post by rye on Dec 5, 2007 10:58:28 GMT -5
Due to a conflict with the biologist, looks like we'll be bumping the meeting out to the 4 Feb time frame, same location and time.
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crc
Muskrat
Posts: 72
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Post by crc on Dec 19, 2007 19:18:50 GMT -5
Do you have a copy of your proposal you could post?
Thanks
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Post by rye on Dec 20, 2007 9:29:42 GMT -5
PM me your email address.
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Post by rye on Jan 7, 2008 8:17:25 GMT -5
Talked to Claudie Taylor this morning.. finally got an answer to my question of why the fox thing hadn't been done in Crave Co. Before... I didn't know this but turns out Beverly Perdue was the hold up. It would go through county just fine, but she got big $$ from the Fox Hunters Assc. so she was the one to always shoot it down.
Claudie is rather confident that it'll go through this time. We'll see. Thanks to all of you that have provided contacts to me!
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Post by rye on Jan 24, 2008 8:01:46 GMT -5
Spoke with another one of hte county commissioners last night, he's in full favor of turning the fox laws over. I also spoke with Claudie and Colleen. good to meet them all.
Still going up to see them on Feb. 4
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Post by Bottomline on Jan 24, 2008 8:50:34 GMT -5
Good luck with it Rye. Thanks for working hard and being perssistant. That's what it takes.
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Post by rye on Jan 24, 2008 14:33:46 GMT -5
Thank you guys for all your help on the matter! I just hope it makes it through Raleigh this time.
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Post by rye on Feb 4, 2008 10:40:33 GMT -5
My opening statement for tonights meeting.
I am here this evening to ask you, the County Commissioners, to help the trappers of Craven County ask for an amendment to the state law 10B.0212 prohibiting the trapping of fox. With your support I feel that we can have this amendment passed in the General Assembly this spring during the short session.
Fox trapping was banned in the 1970’s because of a heavy influence by fox hunters. . Since that time, the grey fox population has grown essentially unchecked. This growth has become even more rapid as in recent years fewer and fewer people hunt fox. We now find the fox so crowded in the woodlands they are spreading into our neighborhoods increasing the probability of rabies contact with humans.
We have a growing turkey and quail population here in the East that the NCWRC has worked hard to establish. This growth, however, is hampered by predation from fox, raccoons, opossums, coyotes and bobcats. Currently all of these predators, except the fox, are controlled via hunting and trapping.
Craven County also has a continually growing coyote population. By enabling trappers to trap fox, more coyote will be caught as a byproduct because the same types of baits, lures, and sets are used for both canines. Controlling the growing coyote population should be of the utmost importance given the negative impact that just one pack can have on a given area. Coyotes are considered among the top of the food chain because of their intelligence and ability to adapt. They have no natural predators in the East other than man.
Nature has its methods of controlling over populations. Outbreaks of distemper, rabies and mange are the primary ways that canines are controlled. All of these diseases are communicable either to humans or to our pets. For those that have never seen a mange dog or fox in late winter, it is not a pretty sight.
There are easier and safer ways to control the populations and to control the outbreaks of such diseases. Two of these ways are hunting and trapping. Currently we can hunt them however, by permitting trapping we can more effectively manage their populations and prevent the problems that accompany an over abundance.
Sometime ago, the Commissioners of Craven county saw fit to amend this law. It was unfairly stopped in Raleigh via Fox Hunter lobbyist. Their fears of over harvest by trappers are unfounded according to the NCWRC Fur Biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel. “By opening a fox season, more coyotes will be trapped out relieving some of the predation of fox. “ Trappers and Fox hunters can coexist with out conflict. We just have to be willing to share the resources available to us.
In Closing, I ask the County to consider proposing an amendment to our Representatives to the General Assembly. There are too many reasons to do this, and so few to not.
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Post by rye on Feb 4, 2008 21:45:17 GMT -5
Attended the county meeting tonight along with Colleen. for those of you that haven't met her, she's a first rate person... truly one our best allies.
Commission received all the information I presented very well and had various questions for both of us. We only had a few guys show up in support of the amendment.
Commission referred it to the county manager to research how they were supposed to proceed from there. The County Manager caught up with us in the hallway for some further info on how to proceed once the resolution was passed. Colleen took the lead and filled him in on how some of the other counties have done it.
I couldn't have asked for a better reception from the Commission members. Next hurdle comes in the form of Raleigh. We'll see how it goes from here.
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Post by mountainman on Feb 4, 2008 22:00:55 GMT -5
Good luck with that Rye..and thanks.
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Post by trapperdp on Feb 5, 2008 9:18:42 GMT -5
Rye it looks like you off to a good start.Good luck
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Post by Ldsoldier on Feb 5, 2008 19:12:35 GMT -5
Good job. Can you email me a copy of that proposal? I've been meaning to ask you for a couple of weeks. Thanks and Good Luck.
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Post by rye on Feb 6, 2008 6:48:59 GMT -5
PM me your address and I'll send you everything I got.
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Post by rye on Feb 11, 2008 15:55:07 GMT -5
spoke with the county manager today.. He says the commissioners are wanting to schedule a public hearing on the matter. Last time this failed in our county, Perdue said it was because there were no public hearings to discuss the matter. They don't want that to happen again so they are going to get the hearing out of the way.. it's tentatively scheduled for April......
I can't say I'm overly excited about the idea.. to be honest I am hoping that apathy will prevail in this case.
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