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Statement of Participation; and approve Budget Amendment#2-A to include the additional <br /> $45,561 in ROAP funds in OPT's budget. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 8. Reqular Aqenda <br /> a. Huntinq Deer with Doqs: Update and Action Plan <br /> The Board received an update on Hunting Deer with Dogs legislation with <br /> recommendations and action steps to the Board that can be taken during the upcoming <br /> hunting season. <br /> Annette Moore gave background information on this item. Last year, the County <br /> Commissioners asked the Legislature to enact local legislation prohibiting hunting deer with <br /> dogs. It went to Committee of the General Assembly and it stayed in Committee. This is back <br /> at square one with statewide legislation that preempts Orange County from enacting local <br /> legislation. The General Assembly did do something and enacted a Landowner's Protection <br /> Act, which provides that sportsmen need written permission dated within the past 12 months, <br /> signed by the landowner or lessee. Hunters must carry written permission on their person and <br /> if a hunting club has leased the land, hunters must have a copy of their hunt club membership <br /> with them and a copy of the landowner's permission given to the club. This was enacted June <br /> 23�d. Animal Services is looking for more things that can be done in addition to this. <br /> Animal Services Director Bob Marotto said that there has been concern in the past <br /> about the reporting process, and so staff has updated this process, and he reviewed this <br /> process. He said that the Sheriff's Department had 11 calls in northern Orange about hunting <br /> that involved dogs in 2010 and Animal Services had two specific calls last hunting season <br /> about hunting deer with dogs. He said that the Wildlife Resource Enforcement Officer <br /> indicated that he had received no calls specifically about hunting deer with dogs last year, <br /> although he had numerous calls about other forms of deer hunting. <br /> Bob Marotto reviewed the options for public outreach: <br /> - Distribute informational brochures and post public awareness flyers throughout <br /> northern Orange County <br /> - Run paid advertisements in select newspapers raising awareness of the importance of <br /> "rights, responsibilities, and reporting" <br /> - Develop a billboard advertisement for the billboard at the northeast corner of Highways <br /> 70 and 86 in Hillsborough. <br /> Because the number of complaints received about hunting deer with dogs is far less <br /> than the number of complaints received about hunting in general, the focus will <br /> continue to be on hunting as a whole. Nonetheless, staff has identified several action <br /> steps to continue the collaboration of the past hunting season during the 2011-12 <br /> hunting season. These are: <br /> - Action Item 1: Coordinated Complaint-Making and Responses: The Communications <br /> (911) Division of Emergency Services will coordinate with the Sheriff's Department to <br /> receive and dispatch resident complaints in order to ensure timely and effective field <br /> services responses. <br /> - Action item 2a: On Saturdays during the deer hunting with dog season, the protocol <br /> for the on-call Animal Control Officer will be redefined to include stray dogs identified as <br /> hunting dogs <br />