The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting public meetings over the Iowa Communications Network on February 26^th, from 6 to 9 p.m., to listen to the public’s thoughts on the hunting and trapping regulations for this fall. The nearest meeting locally will be held at the Creston High School. Another meeting will be held in Council Bluffs, but the location has yet to be determined. The meetings are part of the process for making rules in state government.

Dr. Dale Garner, chief of the wildlife bureau says “Any rule changes must be discussed with Iowa’s citizens who might be impacted by the changes before the rule changes are proposed. The process helps ensure that rule changes serve the public’s wishes and do not impact Iowa’s economy.”

At each meeting DNR staff will facilitate a discussion about what went well last fall, what didn’t, and what changes hunters and trappers would like to see for this fall. The discussions along with the data that the wildlife bureau collects on harvest and population numbers will be used to develop recommendations for any rule changes this fall. Any changes must be approved by the Natural Resource Commission and then go back to the public for further comment before taking effect next fall.

A complete list of the ICN meeting locations are available online at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting