HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 35
(By Delegates Dempsey, Tomblin, Whitman
and Ellis)
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to make
a study of the crop damage caused by deer in West Virginia.
Whereas, There are reports of damages to crops in West
Virginia each year totaling in the thousands of dollars; and
Whereas, The owners of the crops are not compensated for the
damages caused by deer, the ownership and title to which, are by
law and tradition in the State of West Virginia as trustee for
the people; and
Whereas, The only remedy available to land and crop owners is
the acquisition of a special permit that allows the holder to
kill one or more deer or other wildlife in the manner determined
by the director of the division of natural resources; and
Whereas, Some states in the United States provide land and
crop owners assistance for damages to their crops by deer or
other wildlife in the form of technical and educational
assistance, while other states provide actual monetary
compensation or a limited amount of fencing material and deer
repellent; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
directed to review, examine and study the magnitude of crop
damage in West Virginia, the need for financial and otherassistance to land and crop owners whose crops are damaged
annually by deer and other wildlife; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and
Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 1997,
on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with
drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its
recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct
this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary
legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint
Committee on Government and Finance.