The Fish and Wildlife Commission returns to its meeting schedule July 20-21 at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Ray Bell Region II Building in Nashville.
The two-day session will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, a change from the standard 1 p.m. starting time of a two-day meeting. The Friday formal meeting starts at 9 a.m.
Chuck Yoest, assistant chief of the Wildlife and Forestry Division, will provide a follow-up presentation to the recent chronic wasting disease (CWD) introduction to the commission. Yoest will share an update on recent discoveries regarding CWD, and offer thoughts on how to further limit the possibilities of it being discovered in Tennessee.
Tennessee is in the middle of its boating season. Glenn Moates, assistant chief in the Boating and Law Enforcement Division, will give an outline of TWRA boating safety and enforcement efforts for 2017. He will also provide boating statistics from Memorial Day, Operation Dry Water, and Independence Day.
A review of the Tennessee in Need of Management List and Threatened and Endangered Species List will be presented to the commission. The guidelines for state listing and delisting are to be conducted every two years for consideration of possible addition or deletion of species.
Discussion regarding possible funding options for the Brandt Information Services marketing proposal made at the commission’s May meeting will be discussed. Brandt became the agency’s new license vendor last Oct. 31.
TWRA Executive Director Ed Carter and members of the staff will present a preliminary look at the annual agency budget. It will be for fiscal year 2018-19.