Dear Friends,
It’s been over a year since our last update and a lot has happened in that time. Here’s a brief recap plus an update on the latest developments.
As you’ll recall, in June 2022, Texans for Mountain Lions submitted a Petition for Rulemaking to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) requesting several actions to ensure stable mountain lion populations in Texas.
Though the petition was denied, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission requested that a Mountain Lion Stakeholder Group be formed to advise the Commission on the actions requested in the petition.
The Mountain Lion Stakeholder Group (MLSG) was chaired by former Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman Joseph Fitzsimons and conducted five meetings in 2023. Members of the working group were selected by TPWD and included affected landowners, land managers, trappers, houndsmen, livestock producers, academic researchers, private wildlife biologists, and subject matter specialists. The group was charged with discussing the following items in the petition:
The final MLSG report was presented to the Commission during a public work session on January 24, 2024. The full report is available online at Mountain Lion Stakeholder Report (texas.gov)
The Commission directed TPWD Wildlife Division staff to come back to them during their March 27-28, 2024 meeting with a proposal to address a 36-hour trap check requirement and a prohibition on canned hunting.
The Commission also directed TPWD staff to start working on a management plan and identify the resources needed for data collection for the purposes of developing a mountain lion management plan. They also directed staff to begin taking actions to address the mountain lion data deficiency and present a plan to the Commission for the long term.
Members of Texans for Mountain Lions and all those who cherish the native wildlife of our state are deeply grateful to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for taking on the challenge of developing a management plan for mountain lions and for directing staff to come up with proposals related to the 36-hour trap check requirements and canned hunting.
We look forward to continue working with TPWD staff and all other stakeholders who are committed to the long-term survival of mountain lions in Texas.
We plan on updating you in March after the Commission meeting once we have clarity on what staff will propose.
Thank you for your continued support of Texas mountain lions!
Sincerely,
Patricia Harveson, Ben Masters, Monica Morrison, Pam Harte, Romey Swanson, Mark Elbroch, and Jay Tischendorf
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Let Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas state officials know that you support the sustainable management of mountain lions using the form.
The letter will be emailed to the following people/offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, your State Senator, your State Representative, TPWD Wildlife Division, and TPWD Executive Director-Carter Smith.
OUR ADDRESS
P.O. Box 2484
Alpine, TX 79831
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