Ohio Ag Connection - Rusty Bumble Bee Proposed for Ohio Endangered Species List

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Rusty Bumble Bee Proposed for Ohio Endangered Species List
Ohio Ag Connection - 08/21/2017

Changes to bag and size limits for fish in certain bodies of water and adding the rusty patched bumble bee to the list of state endangered species were among the rule changes proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Proposed changes to sport fishing regulations include: exempting striped bass, hybrid striped bass and white bass taken from Pymatuning Lake from statewide bag and size limit regulations to be consistent with Pennsylvania; removing the 15-inch minimum length limit on saugeye harvested from Lake Snowden; and reducing the bag limit to four fish in the aggregate for channel and blue catfish harvested from Hoover Reservoir. In addition, anglers harvesting channel and blue catfish from Hoover Reservoir would be limited to taking only three fish less than 18 inches and one fish 28 inches or larger, in an effort to develop and promote a trophy catfish fishery.

Additional proposed rule changes include defining elk as a game quadruped; modifying requirements for field trials; adding the rusty patched bumble bee to the state's endangered species list to reflect the federal status of this species; and renaming the unnamed cave isopod to Kindt's cave isopod to reflect the correct common name for this species.

A complete list of proposed rules changes can be found at wildohio.gov.

A statewide hearing on the proposed rules will be held at the ODNR Division of Wildlife's District One office on Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. The office is located at 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, Ohio 43215. For those unable to attend the hearing, comments will also be accepted online at wildohio.gov. The online form will be available until Sept. 13.

The Ohio Wildlife Council is an 18-member board that approves all ODNR Division of Wildlife proposed rules and regulations. The council will vote on the proposed rules and season dates after considering public input at their meeting on Oct. 18.

Council meetings are open to the public. Individuals who want to provide comments on a topic that is currently being considered by council are asked to register at least two days before the meeting by calling 614-265-6304. All comments are required to be three minutes or less.

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