House Bill 978

AN ACT TO PROTECT THE HUNTING LANDS OF MISSISSIPPI; TO ENSURE THAT LAND WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF MISSISSIPPI FOR PURPOSES OF HUNTING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Subject to existing rights, lands managed by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks shall be open to access and use for recreational hunting except as limited by the commission for reasons of public safety, homeland security, or as otherwise limited by law.

(2) The commission shall exercise its authority to manage lands in a manner to support, promote and enhance recreational hunting opportunities to the extent authorized by law.

(3) The commission is not required to give preference to hunting over other uses or priorities established by state law.

(4) To the greatest practicable extent, commission land management decisions and actions may not result in any net loss of any acreage available for hunting opportunities that exists on July 1, 2006.

(5) Before January 1 of each year, the commission shall submit to the chairmen of the respective wildlife committees in each house a written report containing:

(a) The acreage managed by the commission that has been closed to recreational hunting during the previous year and the reasons for the closures; and

(b) The acreage managed by the commission that was opened to recreational hunting to compensate for the acreage that was closed during the previous year.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of this act shall be codified within Title 49, Chapter 5, Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2006.