This is off the web site. (Copied strangely tried to clean up)Names and contacts x-ed out
NWCOA only has a few members in Nevada, and only one in the affected area, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx based in Reno. xxxxx became aware of a petition being sent to the Nevada Wildlife Commission that would have effectively banned every kind of trap except box/cage traps for all non-domestic animals in a couple of days. The ban would have covered the corporate limits of Reno, Sparks, and approximately 130 square mile of surrounding developed areas and suburbia stretching to the northern shore of Lake Tahoe. Washoe currently has a firearms, no discharge zone established in the county, and this petition would have made it illegal to trap in the same areas.
This issue arose due to a pet being caught in an illegally set trap during the 09-10 fur trapping season on the outskirts of town. (See news articles on NWCOA.info)
With extremely short notice, NWCOA acted quickly and responded with a letter and phone calls to the NWC Commissioners who would hear the petition prior to their meeting on Friday, 12.3.2010. NPMA also mobilized its pest control members in the area to oppose the measure. After hearing opposition from NWCOA, NPMA, local businesses, US- DA-WS, and the State Ag Dept., the petition was killed for the time being. The sponsor of the petition,
www.Trailsaife.org, will undoubtably bring up the issue again, but this time, all affected stakeholders will be heard.
One very troubling aspect of this petition was the endorsement by the Nevada Trappers Association. In short, the NTA made no allowance for WCO's or ADC trapping in the affected areas. Supposedly, one "animal control company" was contacted for comment in developing the petition, but we have yet to deter- mine who that may have been. All of the suburban and urban areas were sacrificed in an effort to compromise with the anti-trapping group in hopes that the anti-trappers would leave them alone to trap in other areas. This is a prime example of why our industry needs NWCOA and why the industry cannot rely on recreational or professional fur trappers to represent our issues
and protect our livelihoods.
The following is the letter NW- COA sent dated December 1, 2010.
NWCOA Letter to County Commissioners
Dear Chairman Raine,
I'm writing on behalf of the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) and our Nevada membership in regards to proposed rulemaking for Washoe County that would ban the use of all traps except box or cage traps within 1,000 yards of occupied structures in the Washoe County Congested Gun Area. NWCOA is the largest national trade group representing private wildlife control service providers.
Our Nevada State Representative has made us aware of the proposed changes to the Nevada Code, and the potential loss of widely accepted tools and management options. Further, we are quite dismayed that the business stakeholders who offer wildlife control services in the affected area were not included in the negotiations considering those same businesses stand to be severely impacted by the proposed regulation change. We would encourage the Commission to table this proposal until such time that all affected stakeholders could be heard and have their input considered.
Private wildlife control service providers primarily remove depredating wildlife from residential and commercial properties in urbanized areas, however, those services also extend to more rural areas and agricultural operations. In the urban setting, wildlife control services commonly include trap and removal of wildlife from houses and businesses, control of vertebrate pests, and animal proofing of structures. Our industry has developed many, highly specialized, species-specific traps and techniques that would be prohibited if the current proposal is adopted. Our Association encourages and trains our membership to utilize integrated wildlife dam-
age management practices when addressing human-wildlife conflicts, and if tools and techniques are eliminated, integrated management will also be eliminated. Service providers will be limited in options to solve problems, and as a result, the public will incur higher costs. As an example, any service provider attempting to solve a depredating coyote or fox issue in the congested area will be forced to utilize box or cage traps, scientifically proven to be the least effective capture method for those species. The consumer will bear the burden of long and ineffective trapping sessions, and may never solve the problem. Even if the service provider effected a positive outcome, the additional costs associated with the added time and labor involved would not be cost effective. In the end, the consumer has no legitimate solution to the problem.
The current language is too broad, too vague and will bring many unintended consequences if adopted as proposed. (From the petition) NAC 504.340 Ar- eas closed to hunting and trapping (11) Except as provided in NRS 503.470 and NAC 503.710 to 503.760 inclusive, trapping except for "box or cage trapping" is prohibited in Washoe County within 1000 yards of an occupied dwelling that is within the area designated and published as a firearm congested area by the Washoe County Commission.
For the purpose of this Section, "box or cage trap" is defined as a trap that is not designed to close on any portion of the animal's body.
As written, this language would eliminate virtually all means of non-chemical control for ground dwelling rodents, including ground squirrels, pocket gophers, commensal rodents etc. as those animals are normally controlled with a lethal, body gripping traps and/or pesticides. Moles, while not a rodent, are also commonly controlled by utilizing a spear or body gripping traps that would be prohibited under the proposed language.
While we respect the motivation of the petitioners to eliminate non-target catches by other resource users, we fear that the proposed language would adversely affect
the operations of wildlife control service providers and severely hinder ones ability to operate a business. In addition, we feel that the loss of tools and techniques to professionals would put the public at greater risk to economic loss and zoonotic disease transmission than any risk posed by the tools themselves.
Should this petition not be tabled or referred to committee for further discussion, we would ask that wildlife control service providers be allowed to continue to operate under their existing permits to control nuisance and depredating wildlife. Since Nevada Code currently allows for depredating wildlife to be taken in areas closed to hunting or trapping (NAC 503.710 to 503.740), we ask that commercial enterprises also be exempted when providing for-hire wild- life control or pest management servic- es within the affected area should this proposed language be adopted.
NWCOA State Representative and Reno area businessman, xxxxxxxxxx, is eager to participate in the rulemaking process and work with other stakeholders to develop a workable solution without comprising the ability to wildlife control operators to offer useful services to protect property, public health and wildlife for Washoe County citizens. xxxxx can be reached at xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thank you for your time and consideration, and please do not hesitate to contact our association if you have any questions. We can be reached at the contact information provided below.
