Committee approves forestry updates, DNR land change and drone permit for hog control

The South Carolina House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee approved three bills affecting state forestry authority, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land language and the use of unmanned aircraft to manage feral hogs and coyotes during a committee meeting.

The committee adopted an amendment to House Bill 3945 to remove the word “relocate” from the bill’s list of wildlife management activities and approved the measure, after DNR staff said the department does not intend the required permit to carry a fee. The committee also approved House Bill 3629, which updates provisions related to the Forestry Commission and allows the agency to acquire timberland as well as submarginal agricultural lands; and House Bill 3872, which removes the phrase “leased land” from a DNR-owned-lands measure because leases can be terminated within 30 days.

The drone bill: permit, flight logs and “relocate” removed

Representative Farris introduced the drone bill (House Bill 3945) as a framework authorizing unmanned aircraft to manage wild hogs and coyotes on private property with the landowner’s permission. The bill requires a DNR permit and a daily flight log that DNR may inspect.

Duncan Croitwell, director of government affairs for the Department of Natural Resources, said the department did not intend for the permit to carry a cost: “I don't believe that we intended for that to be a cost associated with that permit,” and added that the department’s chief of wildlife had discussed the matter in earlier hearings.

Charles Ruth, a DNR biologist and supervisor of the big-game program, said the department expects to provide an online link for the permit: “I can envision if this becomes law that we will have a link on our website just like we do have for the night hunting permit.”

Representative Farris moved an amendment to remove the word “relocate” from the bill; committee members said DNR had raised concern that including “relocate” could be interpreted as allowing movement of animals across the state. The amendment passed; the full bill passed on a committee vote.

Forestry Commission updates and timberland authority (House Bill 3629)

Representative Hadden described House Bill 3629 as a set of updates submitted by the State Commission of Forestry and Representative Moore that repeal obsolete code sections, remove outdated processes and add clarifying language. An amendment added the word “timberland,” enabling the Forestry Commission to acquire timberland in addition to submarginal agricultural lands. Representative Hadden moved adoption of the amendment; Representative Forrest seconded. The amendment and the bill passed on committee votes.

DNR-owned lands language (House Bill 3872)

Representatives Cox and Bauer sponsored House Bill 3872, which concerns DNR-owned lands. The committee adopted an amendment that strikes the phrase “leased land” from the bill after members noted that a lease can be terminated within 30 days and therefore the agency could not control such lands by statute. The amendment and the bill were approved.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 3945 (drones to manage feral hogs and coyotes): Amendment to remove “relocate” adopted; bill approved by committee (vote recorded as 14 yes, 0 no, 4 not present on roll call for final passage). DNR indicated the permit is expected to be issued without an administrative fee and will require a daily flight log.

- House Bill 3629 (Forestry Commission updates; allows acquisition of timberland and submarginal agricultural lands): Amendment adopting the word “timberland” adopted; bill approved by committee (vote recorded as 13 yes, 0 no, 1 not voting, 4 not present on roll call for final passage).

- House Bill 3872 (DNR-owned lands language; removes “leased land”): Amendment adopted; bill approved by committee (vote recorded as 14 yes, 0 no, 4 not present on roll call for final passage).

Discussion, outreach and next steps

Committee members asked DNR how the public would access the drone-permit process. Croitwell and Ruth said permitting would be handled by DNR’s big-game section, that some permits are already available online and that the department would aim to post a permit link on its website and promote the change in its annual hunting-and-fishing guide and on social media. Croitwell said, “we just wanted to put a framework into the code so that somebody knew exactly what they could and couldn't do.”

Committee business and announcements

Committee materials on members’ desks included a schedule of committee dinners and a Farm Bureau dinner at 6 p.m. at 1215 Assembly Street. Staff also noted that the Department of Environmental Services (DES) has reconvened a mining stakeholder group, with the first meeting scheduled for March; members were directed to contact staffer Ellie for details.

Ending

All three bills cleared the committee and will move on according to the legislature’s next procedural steps; the committee did not set specific implementation dates in the hearing. The DNR said it will provide permitting information online if the drone bill becomes law.