COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 336
(By Senator Bowman)
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[Originating in the Committee on Natural Resources;
reported February 23, 2010.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2-5a of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to forfeiture by persons causing
injury or death to game or protected species of animal; adding
additional replacement value for antlered deer based upon
antler spread; and clarifying forfeiture procedures and costs.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-5a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-5a. Forfeiture by person causing injury or death of game or
protected species of animal; additional replacement
costs for antlered deer; forfeiture procedures and
costs.
(a) Any person who is convicted of violating
any a criminal law
of this state
and the violation causes or that results in the
injury
, or death
or destruction of game, as defined in section two, article one of this chapter, or a protected species of animal, in
addition to any other penalty to which he
or she is subject, shall
forfeit the cost of replacing
such the game or protected species of
animal to the state
. For such purpose, replacement values for game
and protected species of animals are as follows:
(1) For each game fish or each fish of a protected species
taken illegally other than by pollution kill, $5 for each pound and
any fraction thereof;
(2) For each bear or elk, $500;
(3) For each deer or raven, $200;
(4) For each wild turkey, hawk or owl, $100;
(5) For each beaver, otter or mink, $25;
(6) For each muskrat, raccoon, skunk or fox, $15;
(7) For each rabbit, squirrel, opossum, duck, quail, woodcock,
grouse or pheasant, $10;
(8) For each wild boar, $200;
(9) For each bald eagle, $5,000;
(10) For each golden eagle, $5,000; and
(11) For any other game or protected species of animal, one
$100.
(b) In addition to the replacement value for deer in subsection
(a)(3), the following cost shall also be forfeited to the state by
any person who is convicted of violating any criminal law of this
state and the violation causes the injury or death of antlered deer:
(1) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams
of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 14 inches or greater but less than 16 inches, $1,000;
(2) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams
of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 16 inches or
greater but less than 18 inches, $1,500;
(3) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams
of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 18 inches or
greater but less than 20 inches, $2,000; and
(4) For any deer in which the inside spread of the main beams
of the antlers measured at the widest point equals 20 inches or
greater, $2,500.
(5) Any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation
of any criminal law of this state which violation causes the injury
or death of antlered deer is subject to double the authorized range
of cost to be forfeited.
(c) The court upon convicting such person shall order him Upon
conviction, the court shall order the person to forfeit to the state
the proper amount based on the values set forth herein for amount
set forth in this section for the injury or death of the game or
protected species of animal the injury, death or destruction of
which he caused or which resulted from his criminal act. If two or
more defendants are convicted for the same violation causing, or
resulting in, the injury, or death or destruction of game or
protected species of animal, the forfeiture shall be declared
against them jointly and equally paid by each person in an equal
amount. The forfeiture shall be paid by the person so convicted and
ordered to pay the forfeiture within the time prescribed by the court, but not exceeding not to exceed sixty days. In each
instance, the court shall pay such the forfeiture to the state
Treasury where it shall be credited to the Division of Natural
Resources to be deposited into the License Fund- Wildlife Resources
(3200) and used only for the replacement, habitat management or
enforcement programs for injured, or killed or destroyed game or
protected species of animal.