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Hunting access and wildlife passage prompt fencing and screening discussion
Summary
Commissioners addressed how standard security fencing could block wildlife and affect hunters, and discussed wildlife‑permeable fencing and targeted screening to protect migration and hunting traditions.
Commissioners and residents raised concerns that conventional security fencing around solar projects could alter animal travel routes and interfere with hunting access. One commissioner said Washington County "has a lot of hunters here" and urged that wildlife fencing allow animals to pass under or over barriers. "Wildlife fencing sounds doable," a member responded, and the commission discussed balancing vegetative screening with openings for wildlife and exemptions for contiguous parcels owned by the same landowner.
Staff noted Miami County’s screening and removal requirements as a model for some elements but commissioners emphasized tailoring rules for local hunting patterns and property‑ownership patterns. No concrete fencing standard was adopted; commissioners directed staff to consider wildlife‑friendly fence language and screening exemptions where practical.
