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develop and manage certain important wetland habitats. 



I am referring specifically to wetland habitats dominated by 

 plants that germinate on exposed mudflats or in other moist 

 habitats -- species commonly referred to as "moist-soil" plants. 

 Moist-soil plants are valuable for a variety of reasons. These 

 species produce seeds for waterfowl that are often more 

 nutritionally complete than common agricultural crops like com, 

 soybeans or sorghum. Furthermore, energy for migrating and 

 wintering waterfowl in the form of moist-soil plants can 

 generally be produced more efficiently and economically than can 

 energy from row crops, particularly in areas frequently flooded. 

 Communities of moist-soil plants and other natural vegetation 

 also provide benefits to a great variety of wildlife in addition 

 to waterfowl . 



Unfortunately, practices like mowing or discing that are designed 

 to facilitate hunter access, decoy placement and duck retrieval 

 in otherwise dense stands of moist-soil plants or other natural 

 vegetation can according to existing federal law create a 

 "baited" situation. On one hand the federal government, 

 specifically the Fish and wildlife Service, encourages the 

 adoption of moist -soil management by waterfowl managers and on 

 the other hand enforces regulations that prohibit hunters and 

 managers from employing practices like mowing or discing that 

 allow them to expeditiously retrieve downed waterfowl. Waterfowl 

 hunters pride themselves on being conservationists. We should 

 not be discouraging hunters from applying scientifically proven 

 management practices that benefit the resource. 



In Illinois and elsewhere, hunters often ask our law enforcement 

 officers why creating paths through vegetation to a hunting site 

 or creating a small opening to place decoys is considered 

 baiting. The standard answer is that federal regulations 

 prohibit the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing, or 

 scattering of feed so as to constitute a lure, attraction, or 

 enticement to, on, or over any areas where hunters are attempting 

 to take waterfowl. Hunters feel trapped by regulations that 

 bind them so tightly that regardless of intent, it is nearly 

 impossible to avoid violating the letter of the law. 



Let me emphasize that it is not my desire to criticize the fine 



