Permits for exotics to be discussed in Kerrville
Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be in Kerrville Thursday, Jan. 26 to meet with members of the Dallas Safari Club and the Exotic Wildlife Association concerned about recent changes regarding permits.
The meeting will be 9 a.m. at the Y.O. Ranch Resort Hotel on Texas 16 in Kerrville, according to information from the Dallas Safari Club.
The exotic species affected by new permit requirements are scimitar horned oryx, dama gazelle and addax.
Previously, these species were exempt from permits issued by the USFWS. Owners continued breeding and other activities, including hunting for herd management without the permits.
Several animal rights groups, however, challenged that exclusion with a federal lawsuit.
A federal district court directed the USFWS to provide opportunities for the public to review and comment on activities related to these species that otherwise would have been prohibited without permits.
USFWS officials said they considered ways to do that without requiring ranches or other facilities to get permits, but they were unsuccessful.
USFWS subsequently decided to eliminate the exclusion.
Timothy J. Van Norman, chief of permitting for USFWS, will attend Thursday’s meeting at the request of the sponsor groups to discuss the new changes.
Look for complete coverage of the new regulations in the next issue of Lone Star Outdoor News, available this Friday, Jan. 27.
