COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

H. B. 4456

( By Delegates Stemple, Poling, Varner and Pethtel)


(Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary)


[February 22, 2006]
A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2-20 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to beaver trapping; removing limitations on numbers and location of traps; allowing disturbance of structures constructed by beavers when trapping; and removing certain duties for persons who unintentionally trap or kill beavers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-20 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-20. Trapping beaver.
No person shall at any time:
(1) Set or maintain more than the number of beaver traps, or groups of beaver traps, established as the season limit in any one year by the director;
(2) Set any traps for beaver within fifteen feet of the waterline on the structure of any beaver house;
(3) A person may not have in his possession an untagged beaver hide, or part thereof, within the period beginning thirty days after the end of the open season and ending with the first day of the next succeeding open season for beavers. and
(4) Destroy, disturb, or in any manner interfere with dams, houses, or burrows of beavers while trapping for or attempting to trap for beavers.
If any person shall unintentionally trap and kill more beavers than fixed by regulations as the season bag limit, he shall, within twenty-four hours thereafter, deliver said beaver or beavers to a conservation officer.