HLS 16RS-618 ENGROSSED
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 9
BY REPRESENTATIVE THIBAUT
HUNTING: Creates the Feral Hog Management Advisory Task Force
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To create the Feral Hog Management Advisory Task Force in the Department of Wildlife
3 and Fisheries.
4 WHEREAS, feral hogs (Sus scrofa), including European wild hogs and hybrids,
5commonly weigh two hundred pounds but can easily weigh up to four hundred pounds, are
6quickly becoming the most serious problem facing land managers and hunters in Louisiana;
7and
8 WHEREAS, feral hogs are omnivorous but vegetation constitutes the largest portion
9of their diet as they use their very tough nose that allows them to “root” for invertebrates,
10tubers, or any other underground food, thereby disrupting crops, golf courses, levees,
11hayfields, tree farms, and even lawns; and
12 WHEREAS, feral hogs are extremely prolific with generally two litters per year of
13up to ten piglets per litter; while the feral hogs have virtually no natural predators, so piglet
14survival is nearly one hundred percent which allows the population to increase
15geometrically; and
16 WHEREAS, feral hogs are plagued by a multitude of diseases that can affect humans,
17commercial swine operations, or wildlife, including swine brucellosis, pseudorabies, and
18classical swine fever; and
19 WHEREAS, with their high proliferation and lack of natural predators, management
20of feral hogs is of paramount importance to the state and the hunters and farmers of the state.
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HCR NO. 9
1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
2create the Feral Hog Management Advisory Task Force in the Department of Wildlife and
3Fisheries as follows:
4 A. There is hereby established the Feral Hog Management Advisory Task
5 Force to study and monitor the feral hog issues in the state of Louisiana and to make
6 recommendations for the management of the feral hogs.
7 B. The task force shall be composed as follows:
8 (1) One member appointed from the staff of the Department of Wildlife and
9 Fisheries by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
10 (2) One member appointed from the staff of the Department of Agriculture
11 and Forestry by the Commissioner of Agriculture.
12 (3) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife
13 and Fisheries from three nominations submitted by the Louisiana Hog Hunters
14 Association.
15 (4) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife
16 and Fisheries from three nominations submitted by the Louisiana Landowners
17 Association.
18 (5) One member appointed by the commissioner of agriculture from three
19 nominations submitted by the Louisiana Forestry Association.
20 (6) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife
21 and Fisheries from three nominations submitted by the Louisiana Quality Deer
22 Management Association.
23 (7) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife
24 and Fisheries who is a landowner in the state of Louisiana.
25 (8) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife
26 and Fisheries who is a resident of Louisiana and a licensed deer hunter in the state
27 of Louisiana.
28 (9) One member appointed by the commissioner of agriculture from three
29 nominations submitted by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
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HCR NO. 9
1 (10) One member appointed by the Governor's executive assistant on coastal
2 activities from the staff of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
3 (11) One member appointed by the secretary of the Department of Wildlife
4 and Fisheries from three nominations submitted by the Association of Levee Boards
5 of Louisiana.
6 C. The members appointed under the provisions of Paragraphs (B)(1), (2),
7 and (10) of this Section shall be nonvoting members. However, they shall be
8 considered members of the task force for determination of the number of members
9 necessary for a quorum and for establishing the presence of a quorum.
10 D. Six members of the task force shall constitute a quorum sufficient to
11 conduct meetings and business of the task force. The task force shall elect a
12 chairman from its membership and may seek and receive assistance from universities
13 within the state in the development of methods to manage feral hogs in the state of
14 Louisiana. The members of the task force shall serve without compensation;
15 however, the task force may receive the same reimbursement of travel expenses for
16 attending the meetings as is allowed for other state employees' travel.
17 E. The task force is hereby charged with the responsibility to make
18 recommendations with respect to issues pertaining to feral hog management efforts,
19 including public awareness programs, to the various state agencies charged with
20 responsibility for managing the feral hogs in this state, including the Department of
21 Wildlife and Fisheries, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the
22 legislature. The task force shall consider hunter-based solutions and shall gather
23 input from various stakeholder groups.
24 F. The Feral Hog Management Advisory Task Force shall submit an annual
25 report to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the
26 Senate Committee on Natural Resources no later than February 1
st
of each year and
27 shall cease to exist on January 1, 2020, and thereafter.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Wildlife and
29 Fisheries, from the monies appropriated to the department by the legislature, is
30 hereby directed to fund activities related to feral hog management, education,
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HCR NO. 9
1 research, and control during Fiscal Year 2016-2017 in an amount not less than Three
2 Hundred Sixty Thousand Dollars in excess of the amount expended during Fiscal
3 Year 2015-2016.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the
5secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the commissioner of agriculture.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 9 Engrossed 2016 Regular Session Thibaut
Creates the Feral Hog Management Advisory Task Force composed as follows:
(1) One member appointed from the staff of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries by the
secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries.
(2) One member appointed from the staff of the Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry by the
commissioner of agriculture.
(3) One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries from three
nominations submitted by the La. Hog Hunters Association.
(4) One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries from three
nominations submitted by the La. Landowners Association.
(5) One member appointed by the commissioner of agriculture from three nominations
submitted by the La. Forestry Association.
(6) One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries from three
nominations submitted by the La. Quality Deer Management Association.
(7) One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries who is
a landowner in the state of La.
(8) One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries who is
a resident of La. and a licensed deer hunter in the state of La.
(9) One member appointed by the commissioner of agriculture from three nominations
submitted by the La. Farm Bureau Federation.
(10) One member appointed by the governor's executive assistant on coastal activities from
the staff of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
(11) One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries from
three nominations submitted by the Association of Levee Boards of La.
Provides that the members of the task force serve without compensation; however,
authorizes them to receive the same reimbursement of travel expenses for attending the
meetings as is allowed for other state employees' travel.
Provides that the task force is hereby charged with the responsibility to make
recommendations with respect to issues pertaining to feral hog management efforts,
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HCR NO. 9
including public awareness programs, to the various state agencies charged with
responsibility for managing the feral hogs in this state, including the Dept. of Wildlife and
Fisheries, the Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry, and the legislature. Requires the task force
to consider hunter-based solutions based on input from stakeholder groups.
Requires the task force to submit an annual report by Feb. 1
st
of each year and sunsets the
task force on Jan. 1, 2020.
Directs the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, from monies appropriated to the department, to
provide an additional $360,000 to fund activities related to feral hog management, education,
research, and control during FY 2016 over and above the amount expended during FY 2015.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and
Environment to the original bill:
1. Provide that the commissioner of agriculture appoint the member nominated by
the La. Forestry Association.
2. Add members as follows:
One member appointed by the commissioner of agriculture from three
nominations submitted by the La. Farm Bureau Federation.
One member appointed by the governor's executive assistant on coastal activities
from the staff of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
One member appointed by the secretary of the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries
from three nominations submitted by the Association of Levee Boards of La.
3. Adjust the quorum to reflect a majority of the commission members.
4. Remove the provision specifying funding the task force from the Feral Hog
Management Account.
5. Require the task force to submit an annual report by Feb. 1
st
of each year.
6. Sunset the task force on Jan. 1, 2020.
7. Direct the Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, from monies appropriated to the
department, to provide an additional $360,000 to fund activities related to feral
hog management, education, research, and control during FY 2016 over and
above the amount expended during FY 2015.
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