Public Comment Invited on Wildlife Issues

Open houses will be on first Saturday in March

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife invites the public to its annual open houses on Saturday, March 5, from noon until 3 p.m. Open houses are scheduled for the same day and time in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay and Xenia.

"Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio's professional wildlife management process is welcome," said Vicki J. Mountz, acting chief of the Division of Wildlife. Mountz added that at each open house location, fish and wildlife biologists along with law enforcement officers will be on hand to answer questions.

This year’s topics include fishery management changes for the Ohio River. Season dates and bag limits of game species will be available, which will include Ohio's most popular game animal, the white-tailed deer.
Public input gathered at these open houses will be forwarded to the division's central office in Columbus, and considered during the formulation of regulations.

For more information or directions to the open houses, visit the Division of Wildlife's Web site at wildohio.com or call 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).

A statewide hearing on all of the proposed rules will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 10 at the Division of Wildlife's District One office, located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus. This hearing is open to the public and input is permitted within specific time limits.

After considering public input, the Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on the proposed rules during its April 6 meeting.

March 5 Open House Location Information

Central Ohio- Wildlife District One Office, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, (614) 644-3925
Northwest Ohio- Wildlife District Two Office, 952 Lima Avenue, Findlay, (419) 424-5000
Northeast Ohio- Wildlife District Three Office, 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron, (330) 644-2293
Southeast Ohio- Wildlife District Four Office, 360 E. State Street, Athens, (740) 589-9930
Southwest Ohio- Greene County Fish and Game Club, 1538 Union Road, Xenia, (937) 372-9261

Related Article:
Deer proposals make upcoming Division Open Houses interesting