North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina Senate Bill S687 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	S 1
4		-	SENATE BILL 687
	3	+	S D
	4	+	SENATE BILL DRS45279-MH-70
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: NC Land and Wildlife Act. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Senator Smith (Primary Sponsor).
9		-	Referred to: ~~Rules and Operations of the Senate~~
10		-	~~March 26, 2025~~
11		-	~~S687 -v-1~~
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRS45279 -MH-70
12	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13	14		AN ACT TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO INVEST IN INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH 2
14	15		AND HABITATS OF THE STATE'S WILDLIFE POPULATIONS. 3
15	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
16	17		SECTION 1. Purpose and Findings. – The purpose of this act is as follows: 5
17	18		(1) To provide additional funding and awareness of Chronic Wasting Disease in 6
18	19		the State's deer population. 7
19	20		(2) To enhance wildlife conservation programs, especially northern bobwhite 8
20	21		quail habitat restoration and red wolf recovery initiatives. 9
21	22		(3) To expand hunting and fishing accessibility through modernized licensing 10
22	23		structures and public-private partnerships. 11
23	24		(4) To protect rural economies and private landowner rights while supporting 12
24	25		voluntary conservation efforts. 13
25	26		SECTION 2. CWD Monitoring and Incentives. – The sum of five million dollars 14
26	27		($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year is appropriated from the 15
27	28		General Fund to the Wildlife Resources Commission. The Commission will use these funds to 16
28	29		expand statewide monitoring, reporting, and mitigation efforts for Chronic Wasting Disease 17
29	30		(CWD), including the creation of an incentive program to provide cash bounties to any person 18
30	31		reporting a confirmed positive CWD case, a reduced-price hunting license to hunters 19
31	32		participating in CWD tracking programs, and grants for research into CWD transmission and 20
32	33		mitigation to universities and nonprofit wildlife research entities. 21
33	34		SECTION 3. Quail Conservation and Habitat Restoration. – The sum of five million 22
34	35		dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year is appropriated from the 23
35	36		General Fund to the Wildlife Resources Commission. The Commission will use these funds to 24
36	37		establish a statewide habitat restoration initiative for northern bobwhite quail, to include the 25
37	38		following programs: 26
38	39		(1) A cost-share grant program to provide matching grants of up to five thousand 27
39	40		dollars ($5,000) to landowners who agree to participate in northern bobwhite 28
40	41		quail habitat restoration activities on their lands. 29
41	42		(2) A quail translocation program in areas of the State identified by the 30
42	43		Commission for reintroduction of northern bobwhite quail. 31
43	44		(3) A study regarding sustainable quail hunting regulations by the Commission. 32
44	45		The Commission shall provide a report on this study, including any 33
45	46		recommendations for funding needs and legislative changes, to the chairs of 34
46		-	the House Committee on Wildlife Resources and the chairs of the Senate 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 Senate Bill 687-First Edition
	47	+	the House Committee on Wildlife Resources and the chairs of the Senate 35
	48	+	FILED SENATE
	49	+	Mar 25, 2025
	50	+	S.B. 687
	51	+	PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRS45279-MH-70
48	53		Committee on Agriculture, Energy, and Environment no later than December 1
49	54		1, 2026. 2
50	55		SECTION 4.(a) Red Wolf Conservation and Rural Landowner Support. – The sum 3
51	56		of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year is 4
52	57		appropriated from the General Fund to the Wildlife Resources Commission. The Commission 5
53	58		will use these funds to establish the following initiatives for red wolf conservation and rural 6
54	59		landowner support: 7
55	60		(1) A cost-share grant program to provide matching grants of up to ten thousand 8
56	61		dollars ($10,000) to landowners who agree to provide protected habitat for red 9
57	62		wolf populations on their land. 10
58	63		(2) Grants to local governments and local tourism development organizations in 11
59	64		rural areas of the State with nearby red wolf populations to promote and 12
60	65		establish red wolf tourism programs and activities. 13
61	66		The Commission shall provide a report on its implementation of this section, 14
62	67		including any recommendations for funding needs and legislative changes to accommodate 15
63	68		making these initiatives permanent, to the chairs of the House Committee on Wildlife Resources 16
64	69		and the chairs of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Energy, and Environment no later than 17
65	70		December 1, 2027. 18
66	71		SECTION 4.(b) Red Wolf Wildlife Crossings. – The Department of Transportation 19
67	72		will utilize the grant received from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossings 20
68	73		Pilot Program to install wildlife crossings for red wolves on U.S. Highway 64 in and adjacent to 21
69	74		the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. 22
70	75		SECTION 5.(a) WRC Fee Adjustments. – The Wildlife Resources Commission 23
71	76		shall adopt rules to revise its fees and fee payment options for lifetime hunting and fishing 24
72	77		licenses in a revenue neutral manner as set forth in this section: 25
73	78		(1) Create the following age-based categories: infants (0-2 years), young children 26
74	79		(3-6 years), youth (7-12 years), teenagers (13-17 years), young adults (age 27
75	80		18-25 years), adults (26-39 years), middle-aged adults (40-59 years), and 28
76	81		seniors (60 years and over), with the middle-aged adult category charged the 29
77	82		maximum fee, seniors receiving a fifty percent (50%) discount on the 30
78	83		maximum fee, and younger age groups charged less than older age groups. 31
79	84		(2) Offer a multi-generational license discount to families purchasing three or 32
80	85		more lifetime licenses at the same time. 33
81	86		(3) Offer a monthly installment payment option for licenses that exceed one 34
82	87		thousand dollars ($1,000) in cost. 35
83	88		SECTION 5.(b) Other Funding Sources. – The Commission shall seek additional 36
84	89		sources of funds from non-State sources for the initiatives funded by this act, including grants 37
85	90		from federal and nonprofit wildlife conservation organizations. 38
86	91		SECTION 5.(c) Report. – The Wildlife Resources Commission shall report on its 39
87	92		implementation of this section as a part of the annual report required by G.S. 143-250. 40
88	93		SECTION 6. Effective Date. – This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 41