For Release: July 21, 1998

Contact: Michael Lapisky 222-3075 or 789-3094

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management's Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public hearing and accept public comment August 12 on the 1998-1999 proposed hunting season regulations, the 1999-2000 proposed freshwater fishing regulations, and proposed changes to management area regulations concerning special events and motorcycle use.

Wildlife regulations will include season dates, bag limits for upland game, deer, and wild turkey, and present little, if any, change, with the exception of several changes to the Prudence/Patience Island archery deer regulations to reflect the decrease in numbers of deer seen last summer. The proposed changes shorten the season, limit the density of hunters, and limit the deer take to one per hunter and 50 deer overall on the islands.

"The reason for the proposed changes on the Prudence Island archery hunt is directly related to a dramatic decrease in the island deer population," said Michael Lapisky, Deputy Chief of Wildlife Resources at DEM. "The Division is still investigating reasons for the herd reduction."

DEM is also proposing changes in management area regulations, based on recommendations by the state's Trail Advisory Committee, to protect the ecological integrity of the state's management areas. The Department proposes to designate authorized motorcycle trails in the Arcadia Management Area, with motorcycles confined to those trails, and to place in effect a policy to limit special events attracting 75 or more people to four per year at both Arcadia and George Washington Management Areas.

"The new management area regulations will afford the Department greater control over special events that have been increasing in both participants and spectators," Lapisky said. "The management areas should be used for low impact recreation such as fishing, hunting, and hiking."

DEM has chosen a centralized location for the August 12 hearing, which will take place at 7 p.m. at the Warwick Police Station, 99 Veteran's Memorial Drive in the Apponaug section of Warwick, easily accessible from Route 95. The meeting room is handicapped accessible.

Attendees can comment at the hearing or submit comments in writing either at the hearing or to the DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife at the Oliver Stedman Government Center, 4808 Tower Hill Rd., Wakefield, RI 02879 no later than August 12. Comments may be faxed to the Division office at 783-4460 by that date.

The proposed regulations are available at the Division office in the Stedman Government Center Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.