HF3124 Summary

• Establishes requirements for fish collector certification, fish health inspection standards, and training procedures for collecting fish samples from facilities and water bodies for disease testing.

• Modifies aquatic farm health inspection requirements for trout, salmon, salmonids, and catfish with effluent discharge, requiring inspections every 12 months using Fish Health Blue Book laboratory methods.

• Creates sucker egg harvesting provisions allowing the commissioner to limit the amount of sucker eggs taken based on historical harvest levels, new requests, and spawning run conditions at historical streams and rivers.

• Amends various hunting and fishing license provisions including refund procedures (within 90 days of purchase), apprentice hunter validation (valid for two license years), elk license separate selection (20 percent of licenses), and turkey license separate selection for landowners with 40+ acres.

• Modifies wildlife-related regulations including deer stand restrictions within highway rights-of-way, bear hunting permit procedures, beaver trapping seasons (third Saturday in October in forest trapping zone), and fish transportation and stocking rules with exceptions for aquaculture and disease prevention.