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| FishTails |
Legislature Approves Reciprocating License Agreement
By Chris Lawrence
Ryan Harman (left) and Jim Merical on the Ohio River during a tournament
in last season's WVBF Buddy Trail. |
A longstanding concern among Ohio and West Virginia anglers has now apparently been resolved. The legislature has
approved a change in the state code allowing for the West Virginia DNR Director to enter reciprocating agreements
with the state of Ohio on hunting and fishing license.
An agreement in the 1960's allowed Ohio anglers and waterfowl hunters to travel up to the first dam or riffle of
a tributary or embayment of the Ohio River on the West Virginia side. The agreement allowed the same for West Virginia
license holders on the Ohio side of the water. However, when the original West Virginia law was crafted a technicality
emerged when the word "embayment" way omitted.
"That's caused some confusion over the years." says Deputy DNR Director Bernie Dowler. "Because
of that technical flaw and the spirit of the original agreement, our law enforcement division has been fairly liberal
about enforcing that on the West Virginia side. The legislature's action clears that up."
What the legislature's action will do is allow the DNR Director to actually set the rules and clear up the technicality
himself rather than having to take it to the legislature.
"Nothing will change." says Dowler, "Except for one area that over the years that has from time
to time caused a concern and that's the Kanawha River. Currently, Ohio license holders can fish or hunt waterfowl
all the way to the Winfield Lock and Dam, which is about 30 miles."
Ohio has similar tributaries like the Muskegon River that travel several miles back to the designated cut off point.
Dowler says the Kanawha River situation will likely stay status quo unless they can agree to a clear landmark or
point that will let anglers know for certain where the agreement ends.
Dowler, who started his career about the time the modern high rise dams were being constructed, says the biggest
advantage to the change in the law is that it will allow the agreement to be clearly spelled out for hunters and
fishermen.
"We can proceed now with a long time plan to work with the state of Ohio on developing a brochure that tells
sportsmen exactly what this agreement allows and where they'll be allowed to hunt and fish under the agreement." |
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