The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold its final 2020 meeting this Thursday-Friday at the Edgewater Hotel and Convention Center in Gatlinburg. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The second day of the meeting starts at 9 a.m.
The December meeting will include a chronic wasting disease update. TWRA’s program coordinator for CWD will present the latest information on the commercial incinerator, targeted removal, testing, communications and research.
A rule preview of public lands duck hunting and duck blind draw procedures will be given. The TWRA is looking at changes to the current duck blind draw system that are fair and equitable for everyone and to improve overall access for Tennessee waterfowl hunters.
An R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation) overview will be presented on community fishing lakes, fishing 101 classes and other efforts to get people outdoors. TWRA has developed a virtual education center online and is offering various virtual opportunities to enhance outdoor skills on topics like wilderness survival, wildlife tracking, deer processing and scouting.
In an effort to help those affected by breast cancer, the TWRA sold pink logo merchandise during October. A report on the project which raised more than $8,200 for the Tennessee Chapter of Casting for Recovery. Casting for Recovery is a nonprofit organization that exists to take women affected by breast cancer fly fishing.
Jefferson County resident, Lynne McCoy, who has served almost 50 years as a wildlife rehabilitator, will be a guest and recognized at the meeting. She has been involved in rehabbing nearly 16,000 wildlife species.