WHEREAS, the Louisiana state hunting and fishing regulations have increased in detail and complexity throughout the decades, and
WHEREAS, this increasing detail and complexity are due to Louisiana’s legal code for wildlife and fisheries which, for the most part, allows activities unless they are expressly prohibited, and
WHEREAS, this increasing detail and complexity are increasingly costly for the state to publish and require more rigorous study by the public for a competent understanding of the law, and
WHEREAS, Missouri appears to have a simpler wildlife code than Louisiana, described as follows by the Missouri Department of Conservation: “The Wildlife Code of Missouri is a permissive code. A permissive code means that rather than giving you an endless list of “thou shalt nots,” we keep it simple by telling you what you may do. You may take or attempt to take only those animals and furbearers permitted by the Code, and only by methods, and only at the times and under the circumstances mentioned in the Code.”, and
WHEREAS, a state should strive to make its legal code more understandable to the common person and the Missouri-style wildlife and fisheries code might be more understandable than the Louisiana-style wildlife and fisheries code by being simpler, and
WHEREAS, a state should strive to be cost-effective and shorter/simpler wildlife and fisheries regulations pamphlets might be less expensive to publish annually.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) urges the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries to study the feasibility of adopting a Missouri-style permissive code for wildlife and fisheries regulations for the sake of simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in convention assembled, February 28, 2010 at Cypress Bend Resort, Many, Louisiana.