HB330 Summary

• Adds Section 9-11-2.1 to Alabama Code requiring the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to maintain no net loss of hunting land acreage on department-owned and department-managed lands.

• Department-owned and department-managed lands must remain open for hunting except for demonstrable public safety, fish or wildlife management, homeland security, department policy, or legal restrictions.

• When hunting lands are closed, the department must expeditiously find replacement acreage within the same administrative region and consistent with the type of hunting previously allowed on the closed land.

• State agencies and water management districts must cooperate with the department to open new hunting lands to replace lost acreage, except state park system lands may only be opened for hunting as wildlife control or management tools.

• Division director must submit annual reports to the Legislature by October 1 detailing acreage closed to hunting and acreage opened as compensation; other state agencies and water management districts must provide similar reports on their properties.