HR0084

LRB094 06799 CSA 36901 r






1

HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, Duck hunting is an important recreational 
3
activity in Illinois with approximately 50,000 duck hunters 
4
participating and contributing significantly to Illinois' 
5
economy annually; and

 
6
    WHEREAS, Duck hunting is an important recreational 
7
activity in the United States with approximately 1.6 million 
8
duck hunters participating and contributing significantly to 
9
the U.S. economy annually; and

 
10
    WHEREAS, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 
11
acknowledges that duck zones are used to distribute hunting 
12
opportunities and harvest according to temporal, geographic, 
13
and demographic variability in duck populations; and

 
14
    WHEREAS, Previous analyses (40 assessments prepared by the 
15
Service, Flyway Councils, and the states) of zone-split 
16
configurations have not detected adverse effects on duck 
17
populations or harvests; and

 
18
    WHEREAS, The federal rules for zones and splits for duck 
19
hunting have remained essentially static for 20 years; it is 
20
appropriate for the Service to consider additional options; and

 
21
    WHEREAS, There are currently five states that have four or 
22
more zones and permission to split the duck season; and

 
23
    WHEREAS, The Service's current duck zoning rules do not 
24
permit Illinois and 38 other states to use more than three 
25
zones or permit them to split the duck season into two time 
26
periods if three zones are used; and

 
27
    WHEREAS, The current set of options for state selection of 
28
zones and splits is not broad enough to address inequities in 
 


 






HR0084
- 2 -
LRB094 06799 CSA 36901 r




1
hunting opportunity caused by diverse physiographic 
2
characteristics and/or size among states; and

 
3
    WHEREAS, Providing states with the option for four zones 
4
without split seasons would allow greater likelihood of 
5
satisfying hunters and accommodating hunter preferences; 
6
therefore, be it

 
7
    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
8
NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
9
we urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to change federal 
10
rules to allow states the option to add a fourth duck zone 
11
without split seasons beginning in 2006; and be it further

 
12
    RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to the 
13
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Governor, the Illinois 
14
Department of Natural Resources, and to each member of the 
15
Illinois congressional delegation.