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TESTIMONY OF ROBERT STREETER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR REFUGES AND 

 WILDLIFE, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE 

 INTERIOR, BEFORE THE HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE, OVERSIGHT HEARING 

 REGARDING MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT, "BAITING" AND FISH AND 

 WILDLIFE SERVICE'S LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES DURING THE DIXIE 

 COUNTY, FLORIDA, DOVE HUNT. 



May 15, 1996 



Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss the 

 Migratory Bird Treaty Act; "baiting,-" and the U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service's law enforcement activities during the Dixie 

 County, Florida, dove hunt. Accompanying me today from the 

 Service's Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia, are 

 Assistant Regional Director for Law Enforcement, Monty Halcomb, 

 and Special Agent Joseph Oliveros. They will assist me in 

 responding to your questions about the Dixie County Dove hunting 

 incident . 



First, all comments are within the framework that the Service 

 recognizes sustainable hunting and other harvest-related 

 activities as useful management tools. The Service also 

 recognizes that hunting is a legitimate recreational and 

 subsistence activity. Revenues from migratory bird hunting 

 activities contribute about $3.6 billion to the U.S. economy each 

 year. Fifty percent of the units of the National Wildlife Refuge 

 System are open to regulated hunting and more have been proposed. 

 We take seriously our responsibilities to provide continuing 

 recreational opportunities that are compatible with the purposes 

 of our wildlife refuges. 



The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 implements treaties with 

 four of our neighboring countries to protect and conserve this 

 valuable international resource. The Act requires the Secretary 

 of the Department of the Interior to determine, by regulation, 

 "...when, to what extent, if at all, and by what means, it is 

 compatible with the terms of the conventions to allow hunting..." 



Implementing regulations for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act are 

 found in Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Our Federal 

 law enforcement agents are authorized to enforce the Migratory 

 Bird Treaty Act and the regulations codified therein. The 

 baiting regulations are found at section 20.21 (i) under the 

 Hunting methods section. Section 20.21 (i) reads: 



"Migratory birds on which open seasons are prescribed in 

 this part may be taken by any method except those prohibited 

 in this section. No person shall take migratory game birds: 

 [ (a) - (h) ] (i) By the aid of baiting, or on or over any 

 baited area. As used in this paragraph, 'baiting' shall 

 mean the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or 

 scattering of shelled, shucked, or unshucked corn, wheat or 



