(a) General
statewide rules. This section governs use of all lands and waters acquired or
administered by the Commission, including lands and waters enrolled in the
Department's Access Yes Program. Department publications or signs shall
designate any exceptions to this regulation.
(i) Public hunting, fishing and trapping
shall be allowed on areas as designated by Commission regulation, Department
publication or sign.
(ii) The
Department may exclude, withhold or revoke access to Department managed lands
granted by permission slip or permit.
(iii) No person shall drive a motor vehicle
on lands acquired or administered by the Commission, except on designated or
established roads and as designated by Commission regulation, Department
publication or sign.
(iv) Camping
shall only be allowed in areas designated by Department publication or sign. No
person shall camp in excess of the posted camping limit, and in no case more
than fourteen (14) consecutive days, or leave a camp unattended for more than
forty-eight (48) hours unless approved in advance in writing by the Department.
Once a person has camped for the camping limit, such person shall not camp on
the same lands acquired or administered by the Commission without vacating such
lands for at least seventy-two (72) hours. Camping equipment left unattended
for more than forty-eight (48) hours without approval shall be deemed abandoned
property and may be removed and disposed of.
(v) Recreational livestock shall not be
allowed to consume existing natural forage. While not in use, recreational
livestock shall be high-lined or contained in corrals, if such corrals are
provided by the Department.
(vi) No
person shall possess hay, straw, grain, seed or mulch that does not have weed
free certification.
(vii) No person
shall discharge any fireworks, exploding (tannerite) targets or other
pyrotechnic devices.
(viii) No
person shall cut, destroy, deface or remove any living tree, shrub or plant.
The cutting or gathering of naturally fallen trees or dead shrubs is allowed
for open fire use on site.
(ix) No
person shall remove, destroy or deface any geological, historical,
archaeological or paleontological item.
(x) No person shall vandalize, deface,
destroy or remove signs, fences, structures or facilities.
(xi) All food and refuse shall be acceptably
stored or attended when required by Department signage.
(xii) No person shall drain, deposit, or dump
litter, pollutants or refuse.
(xiii) Limited range weapons shall be
required to take wildlife or for recreational shooting in areas designated by
Commission regulation, Department publication or sign.
(xiv) No person shall light, maintain, use or
attend an open fire or use smoking materials when prohibited or in a manner
that threatens, causes damage to, or results in the burning of property,
resources or creates a public safety hazard. No open fires or smoking materials
shall be left unattended. All open fires and smoking materials shall be
completely extinguished upon termination of use.
(xv) No person shall engage in any use that
interferes with public safety or authorized uses including:
(A) Uses authorized by Commission
regulation(s);
(B) Uses authorized
by written agreements approved by the Department;
(C) Uses for which the lands or waters were
acquired or administered; or,
(D)
Uses allowed by Commission regulation, Department publication or
sign.
(xvi) No person
shall engage in a commercial or business use on lands and waters acquired or
administered by the Commission unless authorized by written agreement with the
Department.
(xvii) Outfitting for
hunting, angling or other wildlife related activities is permitted on the
Commission's Wildlife Habitat Management Areas and Public Access Areas when
that use does not conflict with public use or the purpose for which the lands
or waters were acquired, except that there shall be no commercial or business
use or outfitting of hunters or anglers on the Spence and Moriarity Wildlife
Management Area or Osage Pond Public Access Area.
(xviii) No person shall place or erect a
hunting blind, tree stand or similar structure on lands administered by the
Commission unless otherwise allowed by Commission regulation, Department
publication or sign. Placing or erecting a hunting blind, tree stand or similar
structure does not reserve or guarantee exclusive use of that structure or
location for hunting or any other purpose for the person(s) placing said
structure. Any hunting blind, tree stand or similar structure permitted shall:
(A) Not be placed or erected more than seven
(7) days prior to the opening date, and removed no more than seven (7) days
following the close of the hunting season for the species for which the
structure was placed;
(B) Be marked
with the name and address of the person who placed or erected the structure;
and
(C) Be considered litter if not
removed in accordance with this section.
(b) Additional restrictions on lands enrolled
in the Department's Access Yes Program. Persons shall only hunt, fish or take
the species of wildlife and within the time period designated on the
Department's Access Yes webpages. Only the landowner or representative thereof
may grant permission for any uses not expressly allowed on the Department's
Access Yes webpages. In addition, no person shall conduct the following
activities or uses on lands enrolled in the Department's Access Yes Program,
unless such activities or uses have been approved by the landowner or person in
charge of the property:
(i) Open fires or
lighted smoking materials;
(ii)
Recreational livestock use;
(iii)
Recreational shooting;
(iv)
Trapping;
(v) Use of blinds, pits,
tree stands or similar structures;
(vi) Other activities not directly related to
the taking of the specified species of wildlife;
(vii) Travel by motor vehicle except as
designated by Department publication or sign;
(viii) Wood cutting; or,
(ix) Commercial outfitting of hunters or
anglers.
(c) Where and
when additional restrictions or authorized uses apply, including emergency
restrictions, the public shall be advised of such uses or restrictions by
explanatory signs placed at designated parking areas or points of access to
said lands and waters. Signs shall specifically explain restrictions or
authorized uses, shall be approved by the Director of the Department or their
designee, and shall serve as an official regulation of the
Commission.
(d) Failure to abide by
restrictions indicated by Commission regulation, Department publication or sign
is a violation of this regulation.
