HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3180 FILED ON: 1/16/2015
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 714
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Kevin J. Kuros
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to Establish a Beaver Damage Control Commission.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
Kevin J. Kuros | 8th Worcester | 1/16/2015 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3180 FILED ON: 1/16/2015
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 714
By Mr. Kuros of Uxbridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 714) of Kevin J. Kuros for an investigation by a special commission relative to the impact of beaver dams in the Commonwealth. Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)
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An Act to Establish a Beaver Damage Control Commission.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law or regulation to the contrary, a special commission hereafter referred to as the commission, is hereby established for the purpose of investigating the environmental, public health, safety, personal property rights and financial impacts of beaver dams and their effect on ponds, streams, rivers and their surrounding areas.
The commission shall be chaired by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, or his designee, and shall consist of thirteen members:
2 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the house minority leader; 2 of whom shall be appointed by the senate president; 1 of whom shall be appointed by the senate minority leader; the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, or his designee; the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health, or his designee; the president of Mass Audubon, or his designee; and 3 of whom shall be subject matter experts appointed by the Governor.
The commission shall determine the best means to assess the impact of the beaver population on the Commonwealth, including but not limited to surveying cities and towns for local impact, reviewing data already available at the state and local levels, conducting hearings and inviting testimony from experts and the public, and other means as deemed necessary by the commission.
Members of the commission shall be named and the commission shall commence its work within 60 days of the effective date of this act. The commission shall report to the general court the results of its investigation and study, and recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to implement its recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives on or before January 1, 2016. The clerks of the house and senate shall make the reports available to the public through the internet.