§ 113-291.10. Beaver Damage Control Advisory Board.
§ 113‑291.10. BeaverDamage Control Advisory Board.
(a) There isestablished the Beaver Damage Control Advisory Board. The Board shall consistof nine members, as follows:
(1) The ExecutiveDirector of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, or his designee,who shall serve as chair;
(2) The Commissioner ofAgriculture, or a designee;
(3) The Director of theDivision of Forest Resources of the Department of Environment and NaturalResources, or a designee;
(4) The Director of theDivision of Soil and Water Conservation of the Department of Environment andNatural Resources, or a designee;
(5) The Director of theNorth Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, or a designee;
(6) The Secretary ofTransportation, or a designee;
(7) The State Director ofthe Wildlife Services Division of the Animal and Plant Health InspectionService, U.S. Department of Agriculture, or a designee;
(8) The President of theNorth Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., or a designee, representingprivate landowners; and
(9) A representative ofthe North Carolina Forestry Association.
(b) The Beaver DamageControl Advisory Board shall develop a statewide program to control beaverdamage on private and public lands. The Beaver Damage Control Advisory Boardshall act in an advisory capacity to the Wildlife Resources Commission in theimplementation of the program. In developing the program, the Board shall:
(1) Orient the programprimarily toward public health and safety and toward landowner assistance,providing some relief to landowners through beaver control and managementrather than eradication;
(2) Develop a prioritysystem for responding to complaints about beaver damage;
(3) Develop a system fordocumenting all activities associated with beaver damage control, so as to facilitateevaluation of the program;
(4) Provide educationalactivities as a part of the program, such as printed materials, on‑siteinstructions, and local workshops; and
(5) Provide for thehiring of personnel necessary to implement beaver damage control activities,administer the program, and set salaries of personnel.
No later than March 15 of eachyear, the Board shall issue a report to the Wildlife Resources Commission, theSenate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Natural and Economic Resources,and the Fiscal Research Division on the results of the program during thepreceding year.
(c) The WildlifeResources Commission shall implement the program, and may enter a cooperativeagreement with the Wildlife Services Division of the Animal and Plant HealthInspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, to accomplish theprogram.
(d) NotwithstandingG.S. 113‑291.6(d) or any other law, it is lawful to use snares whentrapping beaver pursuant to the beaver damage control program developed pursuantto this section. The provisions of Chapter 218 of the 1975 Session Laws;Chapter 492 of the 1951 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 506 of the 1955Session Laws; and Chapter 1011 of the 1983 Session Laws do not apply totrapping carried out in implementing the beaver damage control programdeveloped pursuant to this section.
(e) In case of anyconflict between G.S. 113‑291.6(a) and G.S. 113‑291.6(b) and thissection, this section prevails.
(f) Each county thatvolunteers to participate in this program for a given fiscal year shall providewritten notification of its wish to participate no later than September 30 ofthat year and shall commit the sum of four thousand dollars ($4,000) in localfunds no later than September 30 of that year. At least three hundred forty‑ninethousand dollars ($349,000) each fiscal year of the biennium shall be paid fromfunds available to the Wildlife Resources Commission to provide the State sharenecessary to support this program, provided the sum of at least twenty‑fivethousand dollars ($25,000) in federal funds is available each fiscal year ofthe biennium to provide the federal share. (1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1044, s. 69; 1993, c.561, s. 111; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 769, s. 27.3; 1995, c. 358, s. 7; c.437, s. 5; c. 467, s.4; c. 507, s. 26.6; 1996 Second Ex. Sess., c. 18, s.27.15; 1997‑256, s. 10; 1997‑347, s. 6; 1997‑401, s. 6; 1997‑418,s. 5; 1997‑443, c. 15.44; 1998‑23, s. 16; 1998‑212, s.14.18(a)‑(c), (e); 1999‑237, s. 15.1(b), (c); 2005‑386, s.1.7; 2007‑484, s. 13; 2009‑451, s. 13.10.)