PRATT – The seven-member, non-partisan commission that serves as the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) regulatory body will meet Thursday, November 15, 2018 in Russell to conduct a public meeting. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Dole-Specter Conference Center at Fossil Creek Hotel, 1430 S. Fossil in Russell. Time will be set aside for public comment on non-agenda items at the beginning of both the afternoon and evening sessions.

Attendees will first hear a report on the agency and state fiscal status, and an update on the upcoming 2019 legislature. General Discussion items will then be discussed, to include e-bicycles (pedal-assist electric bicycles), operational requirements for controlled shooting areas, public lands regulations, and squirrel regulations.

Topics that will be discussed during the Workshop Session include squirrel hunting regulations; antelope and elk hunting regulations; public land regulations; big game regulations, including deer; 2019-2020 turkey hunting regulations; Coast Guard navigation rules; the use of unmanned aerial vehicles; electronic licensing; fishing regulations; and backcountry access passes.

The Commission will recess by 5 p.m. and reconvene at 6:30 p.m. to hold a Public Hearing and vote on the following items:

-Camping utilities and fees

-Trail access passes

-The taking and/or use of baitfish or minnows

-The commercial sale of fish bait

-Rules and restrictions for importing and/or possessing select wildlife

If necessary, the Commission will reconvene at 9 a.m. at the same location, November 16, 2018, to complete any unfinished business. Should this occur, time will again be set aside for public comment on non-agenda items.

Information about the Commission, as well as the November 15, 2018 meeting agenda and briefing book, can be downloaded at ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Commission/Upcoming-Commission-Meetings.

Live video and audio streaming of the meeting will be available at ksoutdoors.com, and live updates of the evening Public Hearing will be tweeted on KDWPT’s Twitter account (@KDWPT).

If notified in advance, the Department will have an interpreter available for the hearing impaired. To request an interpreter, call the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at 1-800-432-0698. Any individual with a disability may request other accommodations by contacting the KDWPT Commission secretary at (620) 672-5911.

The next KDWPT Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 2018 at the Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St. N., in Wichita.

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