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An additional justification sometimes given for mowing is to provide for boat access. 

 Current regulations, however, adequately address this issue, allowing vegetation to be mowed 

 prior to development of mature weed seeds, thus preventing the indirect baiting of waterfowl. 

 Thus, new and more liberal mowing regulations are unnecessary. 



Another concern is that by allowing the cutting of vegetation and the associated 

 knock-down of natural food sources, it would be much more difficult for law enforcement 

 officers to discern when individuals actually violate regulations by obtaining and distributing 

 weed seed to lure waterfowl. With agency enforcement budgets being stretched thinner and 

 thinner, creating situations where the result of legal manipulation of vegetation would be 

 nearly indistinguishable from violating the law by baiting, is inadvisable. 



For these reasons, NWF believes that waterfowl baiting regulations should retain the 

 prohibition against luring or enticing waterfowl through direct or indirect deposition of feed, 

 including the mowing of mature seed-bearing vegetation. 



CONCLUSION 



In conclusion, let me reiterate that the National Wildlife Federation supports the 

 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. We support hunting of the migratory bird resource where it is in 

 compliance with the MBTA and is consistent with sound conservation practices. And we 

 oppose liberalization of baiting regulations as scientifically unjustifiable as well as 

 unnecessary. Finally, we urge all fish and wildlife agencies to facilitate compliance with 

 game regulations through education and the use of "user friendly" regulations. 



Thank you. 



