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Minutes for HB2743 - Committee on Agriculture
Short Title
Allowing deer permits to be transferred to residents and nonresidents of the state of Kansas.
Minutes Content for Thu, Feb 15, 2018
Chair Hoffman opened the hearing on HB2743 at 3:36pm.
Kyle Hamilton, Assistant Revisor, Office of The Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview of HB2743 and the statutes that it affects. (Attachment 1) There is a Fiscal Note for HB2743.
PROPONENTS
Representative Ken Corbet, 54th District, Kansas House of Representatives, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2743. (Attachment 2) Our family has been in Kansas since the 1850's and farming and ranching is still a constant challenge. In 1985 I started Ravenwood Lodge and have been using our farm for hunting. As you know, the farmers and ranchers are caretakers of almost all of the Kansas wildlife. They provide the food and habitat for them to live and propagate. This bill will open up thousands of acres for hunting that may have never had access. Hunters need a place to hunt. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) has a WIN-WIN with increases in license sales, making more private land available and KDWPT does not have to pay money to lease more public hunting lands.
Mike Beam, Senior Vice President, Kansas Livestock Association, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2743. (Attachment 3) Why does the Kansas Livestock Association have an interest in deer hunting and in HB2743 specifically? I'm often reminded that farmers and ranchers are not just producers of grain, forage and livestock. If you think about it, they are also managers of the natural resources on privately owned lands. These producers are also entrepreneurs and it's only natural for them to consider alternative and/or unconventional opportunities to generate income that's sustainable and compatible with their existing operation.
Keaton Kelso, President, Kansas Guide and Outfitters Association, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2743. (Attachment 4) We support this bill because it will act as a "back up plan" to ensure that we can provide hunts for clients who want to purchase Kansas hunts and provide revenue for our business/landowner partnership and ultimately the state of Kansas.
Debbie Lyons-Blythe, Owner, Blythe Family Farms, LLC, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2743. (Attachment 5) This bill is crucial to have the ability to expand our income options, and therefore the ability to support the sustainability of family farms in Kansas. Hunting enterprises provide additional income to farm families, allowing young people to move back to rural areas and be involved in daily operations of their family farms. Ultimately, that means more farms will stay together, maintain their land in production, and increase sustainability of rural Kansas.
Representative Steven Johnson, 108th District, Kansas House of Representatives, appeared before the Committee in support of HB2743. (Attachment 6) For many years following my father's death, friends and colleagues from Arkansas traveled to Kansas to help me harvest and plant each spring and fall. They loved hunting deer. They entered the lottery for an out of state tag, although I think they were only able to obtain one or possibly two over many years. (You may be glad to know they did not get a deer.) I would have liked to help them to secure a tag and ensure they could enjoy their passion while helping me. It would be the best form of payment I could offer.
Written only testimony in support of HB2743 was submitted by:
John Donley, Kansas Farm Bureau (Attachment 7)
Joel Wimer, C&W Ranch Ltd, Smolan KS (Attachment 8)
Doug Bigge, Stockton KS (Attachment 9)
Wes Traul, Richmond KS (Attachment 10)
OPPONENTS
Christopher Tymeson, Chief Legal Counsel, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, appeared before the Committee in place of Robin Jennison, Secretary, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism, in opposition of HB2743. (Attachment 11) This makes an already complicated permit system more complicated and confusing for hunters, landowners and law enforcement personnel. Does a landowner invest in an expensive permit then not be able to "market" it because available tags exceed demand (this was a common complaint when transferable permits were available 10 years ago)? Or a landowner invests in a tag and can't sell it to a prospective buyer because that person is ineligible to receive a tag for a variety of reasons. Does a non-resident hunter gamble they can find a transferable tag where they want to hunt and miss the opportunity to get a permit in the regular non-resident draw? All of these lead to problems and complaints for the Department and your offices.
The Department believes this bill is unnecessary as the overwhelming majority of applicants already receive non-resident permits. And if passed it will unnecessarily complicate the process of receiving non-resident deer permits.
There were no neutrals of HB2743.
The hearing on HB2743 was closed at 4:32pm.
The Chair adjourned the meeting at 4:32pm.
