HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 806        FILED ON: 1/17/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 866

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

David K. Muradian, Jr.

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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 relative to critical wildlife habitat management.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 806        FILED ON: 1/17/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 866

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 977 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act relative to critical wildlife habitat management.

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. Section 2A of Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following:-

Section 2A. There is hereby established within the Inland Fisheries and Game Fund, a wildland acquisition account which shall be credited monies received from the sale of wildland conservation stamps, the portion of the fees for sporting, fishing, trapping and hunting licenses to be credited under the provisions of section 2C, contributions thereto and any grant monies from the federal government or other public and private sources.

Said account, subject to appropriation, shall be used only for the purchase of land containing wildlife habitat and for costs directly related to the administration of the wildlands stamp program.

Two dollars and fifty cents from the sale of wildlands conservation stamp shall be dedicated to habitat management on lands managed by the division of fisheries and wildlife.

The director may contract with the seller of wildlands for installment payments provided that the total of all such installment payments does not exceed seventy-five percent of the previous year's income to the wildlands acquisition account. Acquisition of all lands so purchased shall be made with the advice and consent of the fisheries and wildlife board. All such lands shall be acquired exclusively for protection and management of wildlife habitat and shall be available for fishing, trapping, and hunting.

SECTION 2. Section 13A of Chapter 131 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety and inserting in place thereof the following:-

Section 13A. Except as hereinafter provided, no person shall fish, trap, or hunt in the commonwealth, or utilize any lands managed by the division of fisheries and wildlife without first having obtained a wildlands conservation stamp, which shall be issued by the director or his duly authorized agent upon the payment of seven dollars and fifty cents; provided, however, that persons who are exempted from licensing requirements need not purchase such a stamp; provided, further, that persons issued fishing, sporting, trapping, or hunting licenses without charge shall be issued said stamp without charge; and provided, further, that no person who has purchased a stamp with any current resident license to fish, trap, or hunt shall be required to pay the fee for a wildlands conservation stamp for any additional current license or any duplicate license. The director is hereby authorized to issue stamps in such form as he may prescribe and may issue rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of this section. The stamp may be imprinted directly on fishing, sporting, trapping, or hunting licenses or issued separately at the discretion of the director.