[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6310749,"mediaKeyId","2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0","parentId",2398403,"title","Committee approves amendment to maintain higher catch limits for snapper-grouper species (S.219)","audioSeconds",109,"startMs",3497000,"endMs",3606000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0&start=3497&end=3606","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0/thumbnail_3497000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6310749/South-Carolina/Committee-approves-amendment-to-maintain-higher-catch-limits-for-snapper-grouper-species-S219","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310749-4e7cf799aca1609f799120aee183e153/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207279&Signature=ncjh567TQGXkNXbiuBlddJIZaf0L5uNuPXMsy9MN-jZvfXmuxpvGrhVMrcnroTRWX47dnzrbBFcocUh7nAqPoQQS9N67JQD-zFtfrK98mMlhFT0lf7vKG8s5g94M0xMvrHj9nxAeubmnz2Bcigf7AcqSf2-YdnfPX1KSIujWDSKzeLkxA6qEi5NOugpGdwnqlJ7l9sRZ-AByoPfrNGZZnf2tSfjSgvsA7vp8SdpSjMMRac8Q5JyQdei76kHd-8IGkItO6Z3HKPnCRIkyC3aRLADITltzAgaWsCOFHOGuuWLQ3K4FEbosvNbR-iLZIKNwMmMVd9c9zpqvYnevomPbYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee approved an amendment and gave a favorable report to S.219, a bill addressing catch limits for the snapper-grouper fishery in state waters.

A representative of the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council explained the bill’s purpose: to prevent a federal closure of the snapper-grouper fishery from automatically reducing state limits by decoupling state limits from federal limits and instead setting state limits to reflect the 2024–2025 South Carolina hunting and fishing regulations or federal limits, depending on which is higher for catch and lower for minimum size.

\"The subcommittee amendment provides that the lawful catch limit for a snapper grouper species will be the limit published in the 2024–2025 guide or the federal limit for the species, whichever is higher,\" the council representative said. The amendment further provides that the lawful minimum size limit is the limit published in the 2024–2025 guide or the federal limit, whichever is lower.

Senator Goldfinch, sponsor of the bill, said the change gives the state \"its ability to control its own destiny with fisheries\" and would provide a mechanism should state jurisdiction expand beyond three miles.

The committee moved, seconded and approved the amendment and gave the bill a favorable report by voice vote; the chair declared \"the ayes have it.\" The transcript records proxies voting aye as well on committee matters.

The amendment and favorable report advance S.219 to the Senate floor for further consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee -- Fish, Game and Forestry Committee on S.165 and S.219 - 02/19/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 219 was amended and given a favorable report after committee members approved language allowing state limits for snapper-grouper species to be the higher of the state or federal limits and the minimum size limit to be the lower of the two.","taxTitle","Senate Fish, Game and Forestry, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina","taxId",60722,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6310753,"Committee gives favorable report to South Carolina Conservation Education Act (S.165) after broad testimony",2608,815000,3423000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0&start=815&end=3423","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0/thumbnail_815000.jpg","/articles/6310753/South-Carolina/Committee-gives-favorable-report-to-South-Carolina-Conservation-Education-Act-S165-after-broad-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310753-e83f5f96c5645a7a8ae7324b0f59bdd7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207279&Signature=lFb~kvz79q7IesX3HetSO8t2uVstovoJK3zamxUzNrC4nEO9uFWmrrHjrRv0CJmRMD-3kFhk8LrwLgg7gG7vRUkYCk6XRRC7DmcJzi9iWO5Y2ol2Xs0qLpLPhRZm1uWzu9Hr0~71f-oUIG8HlOF4z6gGIQFTJYGDslLLZ-94Jc3o4c8Flo2rvWOu87Q7t-fHSfgYzT-lGrsDPbji5DbyiE~w0ED5as3xxFV9UgF6IV8XCePdsfLslpgiIcmNce5W5tEsI3ejnWlkguFMp2uGvxi64uCqN3PdIkI5tEOrNnrtYuNFy42qC6ngwLFXk2N30FKuEljcbhGGF3n-QaRq6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee unanimously voted to give a favorable report to S.165, the South Carolina Conservation Education Act, following testimony from conservation educators, school officials and former campers who described educational and health benefits of outdoor, hands-on programs for children.

David Walicki (Walicki), CEO and founder of the South Carolina Waterfowl Association, told the committee that the organization operates the nation’s largest wildlife conservation education center and operates Camp Leopold, a school-year program aimed at fourth graders. He framed the bill as addressing mental and physical health, cognitive development and environmental literacy: \"Children who participate in this have a 55 percent lower risk of developing mental health disorders,\" Walicki said, and he cited studies showing improved test scores and retention from outdoor learning.

Walicki told senators there are roughly 64,000 fourth graders in South Carolina and estimated that sending each child to a one- to three-day conservation education program statewide would cost about $13 million per year to cover tuition and transportation. He said Camp Leopold can accommodate about 13,500 youth annually for overnight programs and that other partners such as Clemson’s Learning Institute and the Interlake and Wildlife Foundation could expand capacity.

Steven Lance, executive director of the Learning Institute at Clemson, and Richard Rankin, director of the Interlake and Wildlife Center, described long-running programs that deliver multi-day, hands-on conservation education. Rankin described a fishing program at Interlake that brought virtually all fourth graders from two Calhoun County schools to a 2,200-acre site; volunteers helped 60 students at a time and 75% of participants had never caught a fish before.

Several senators raised administration and equity questions, asking who would administer the funding and how the program would remain nonpartisan. Walicki said details about administration and oversight are matters for the legislature to decide and suggested programs would compete for funding and be held to educational standards; DNR or the Conservation Bank were mentioned as possible administrators. Senators also stressed equitable access and the need to ensure the program reaches students statewide, including those with limited school resources.

Teachers and administrators from First Baptist School of Charleston and Spartanburg District 3 described student benefits, including reduced anxiety and improved executive-function skills after outdoor programs. Alex Cockrell, a former camper and current college student, described the camps’ influence on her decision to study biology.

With a motion, second and voice vote, the committee recorded a favorable report on S.165. The chair noted that the committee controls substance but not the appropriation; funding would be decided by the finance and ways-and-means committees.

The committee’s action advances S.165 to the Senate floor; transcript excerpts show the vote was unanimous and proxies voted in favor.","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee voted unanimously to report S.165, the South Carolina Conservation Education Act, after multiple presenters described benefits of outdoor conservation education for fourth graders and schools.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6310757,"Committee approves sending DeVoe Bank intertidal closure regulation to floor",502,339000,841000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0&start=339&end=841","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0/thumbnail_339000.jpg","/articles/6310757/South-Carolina/Committee-approves-sending-DeVoe-Bank-intertidal-closure-regulation-to-floor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310757-24ae760ab2a561187bcae42954730388/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207279&Signature=iPxnIYl0goAndCyhrUgxv~IJi2Ekw35qQXt9SpFVjf2miUv6722SCdevAXc6qnRKopiYy58vEVZoQfMXpCiQoV56nXF4pb6e151JNktbxxwwxztAVDJ4OrUYApMHB2YuRtiFCkkcaV1xbc9s6WcQZHPjQtKSNHZrCLrN~-KzNhMK8vvetq~fCXcVu-uYVhzPEDoB2TS8AeSMz~~lqmffTodf75q4GZevaB6ZhsgW90YnGCDWmHgtFCPiDllcHd~PwJ2NFDYBhbS~8V2~VSsSNl3EGSbB5t88ybAg6L9NE0NIylUAQPEchoAl~f3mAC9zLX7J4IAAqJ2VuXU3uIfyHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee voted to move to the Senate floor a Department of Natural Resources regulation that would close the intertidal area at DeVoe Bank from March 15 through Oct. 15 to protect nesting and migratory birds.

Committee members heard DNR testimony that DeVoe Bank is a highly dynamic, eroding inlet site that has shrunk sharply in recent decades. \"It's very dynamic,\" Will Dillman, assistant chief of wildlife for DNR, told the committee, adding that more than 27 bird species use the site and that in an average year the department documents about 3,800 nests. Dillman said counts have fallen from as many as about 7,000 nests in previous years to 5,709 nests in 2021, roughly 3,200 in 2022 and 2,316 after 2023’s Hurricane Adelo.

Dillman said DeVoe Bank has been designated a sanctuary since February 2006 and that the site is an important stopover for long-distance migrants such as red knots and whimbrel. He described the closure period as the island’s nesting season and urged protection because disturbance during nesting can lead to predation by gulls and loss of eggs and chicks.

Committee members asked DNR staff for additional data on bird population trends and horseshoe-crab resources that support shorebird refueling; staff said marine-resources division personnel were examining horseshoe-crab data and offered to follow up with the senators about signage and site postings. One senator asked whether the prohibited areas would be posted; DNR staff said it was their understanding that the areas would be posted and offered to follow up with details.

A motion to move the regulation to the floor was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the chair declared \"the ayes have it.\" A committee member urged expedited consideration to meet the March 15 protection start date.

The regulation, as described in committee, would close DeVoe Bank’s intertidal area March 15–Oct. 15 each year; the regulation adds DeVoe Bank to existing site rules and leaves other posted areas unchanged.

No formal roll-call tally was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the committee advanced the regulation to the Senate floor for further consideration.","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee voted to move a regulation closing DeVoe Bank’s intertidal area from March 15 to Oct. 15 to the Senate floor after DNR staff described nest declines and the site’s importance to migratory shorebirds.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6310762,"Senate Fish, Game and Forestry committee reappoints Jerry Lee to DNR board",377,1000,378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0&start=1&end=378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2398403-650cde3dcdc2e235369b6165ea04c6a0/thumbnail_1000.jpg","/articles/6310762/South-Carolina/Senate-Fish-Game-and-Forestry-committee-reappoints-Jerry-Lee-to-DNR-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6310762-491737c1a581b91c38f513e286dd482a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207279&Signature=H1DgMbXJT1cT9N8qh76WRB8vS7EHvFKAoM7PPtWMWDoRbz-YYhVUlHUyvVoX3R2oEAbnBecrt0Ca4I-DZFHdTJeB8x7MmLqYB9Hc-kEKE2xUDYbJY6Ml5c6wAqO8VvjPrf~erZ18Vt-fOyQGmvu7LJdbGGqWEtbjWdKJC-Tzb7MVgiLesGQb5V5S7shOUjwYU5Ez8TgEMPS4Hl2gjkGSPoGQepwD0FqKXct~DRsq036sOh4aN240cSpoIvBfmtt0EciEcKkaA12~txxNUqGL99c0mDv7nQJ9H-5T8hdzLT3Jx79ZvwFLBj~thpwIWOMJsDDHirpVCEsuZtZBmBVsuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee unanimously gave a favorable report to the reappointment of Jerry Lee to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources board, the committee chair announced after a voice vote.

Lee, who is being screened for reappointment to a term that expires July 1, 2028, was sworn in at the start of the committee’s consideration. \"My name is Jerry Lee. As you know, I've been on the board now for about 4 years,\" Lee told the committee, adding that DNR is \"a lot more than fish, furs, and feathers\" and that he hoped to continue to serve South Carolina outdoors enthusiasts.

The committee chair and members praised Lee's field experience and engagement with subcommittees. The chair noted Lee's frequent attendance at committee and field meetings and described him as a \"conservationist\" with particular experience on deer depredation issues; the chair also said Lee is farm manager for McCall Farms.

Staff told the committee it had received Lee's personal data questionnaire, a SLED background check, a credit report and a driving record; Lee answered the committee's questions on those items in the affirmative that there were no changes or outstanding investigations. With no additional questions from committee members, a motion was made and seconded for a favorable report and the committee proceeded to a voice vote. The chair declared, \"the ayes have it,\" and congratulated Lee.

No formal roll-call tally was recorded in the hearing transcript excerpt; the committee recorded the motion as approved by voice vote.

Lee declined to introduce family members at the hearing. The reappointment now moves forward according to the committee’s usual process for confirmed nominees.

The committee hearing transcript shows the oath-taking and the favorable motion took place during the committee’s morning agenda and that Lee emphasized his commitment to DNR work and to serving outdoor constituencies in South Carolina.","The Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee voted to give a favorable report to the reappointment of Jerry Lee to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources board; Lee was sworn in and described his conservation priorities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves amendment to maintain higher catch limits for snapper-grouper species (S.219)

Committee gives favorable report to South Carolina Conservation Education Act (S.165) after broad testimony

Committee approves sending DeVoe Bank intertidal closure regulation to floor

Senate Fish, Game and Forestry committee reappoints Jerry Lee to DNR board