Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission to hold quarterly meeting March 21 in Frankfort

​FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 14, 2025) — The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission has scheduled a meeting starting at 8:30 a.m. (EDT) on Friday, March 21, 2025.​​

​​The meeting will take place in the Administration Building on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources campus in Frankfort, and it is open to the public.

​​The meeting will be livestreamed and archived on the department’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/FishandWildlifeKY. A link to the livestream will be posted on the department’s homepage at fw.ky.gov before the start of the meeting.

Among the Action Items on the commission’s meeting agenda are boating-related proposals to modify the definition and usage of electric trolling motors in selected water bodies (301 KAR 6:001 and 301 KAR 1:015), and to clarify and define definitions for watercraft types to better determine fee classifications (301 KAR 6:001 and 301 KAR 6:005).​​

​​The commission will also consider a proposal to create Fishing Outfitter, Hunting Outfitter, Fishing Guide and Hunting Guide license types (301 KAR 2:030) and to establish resident and non-resident fees for each license type (301 KAR 5:022).

In addition, the commission will consider proposals to establish incremental, biennial license and permit fee adjustments based on consumer price index (301 KAR 5:022), and will consider adding or amending additional licenses and nominal fees, including amending language to create conformity across a number of related regulations (full list available on the March 21 meeting agenda).​​

The commission will also consider proposals to establish free annual shooting range permits for annual license holders, as well as paid annual and one-day shooting range permits for non-license holders, on any department managed, leased or affiliated shooting ranges (301 KAR 3:015 and 301 KAR 5:022), and to require groups or clubs that hold events on department shooting ranges to maintain a sign-in sheet for event participants and to regularly submit that information to the department (301 KAR 3:010).​​

Finally, the commission will also receive a status update on Chronic Wasting Disease and will consider a request to stock first generation hybrid bass (F1), a mix between a Florida Bass and a Largemouth Bass, on Paintsville Lake in eastern Kentucky before hearing the Discussion Items and New Business Items listed on the agenda.​​

The full meeting agenda can be found at fw.ky.gov. On the homepage, click on the “Commission Meetings/Agendas and Recaps” link.​​

​​Public comments for the meeting will be handled as follows:

In Person:​​

• In-person attendees who would like to comment on “New Business Items” or “Discussion Items" on the agenda will be asked to sign up on the public comment request form on the table at the meeting room entrance by 9 a.m. (EDT) on the day of the meeting, and specify their county and state of residence, organization represented and position held if applicable, and the specific agenda items they intend to address in their comments.
• During the “Public Comments" time on the agenda, attendees who have signed up to comment will each have up to three minutes (total time per person) to offer comments about the “New Business” or “Discussion Items” that they have specified to address on the sign-up sheet.

Email:​​

• People may email comments about “New Business Items” and “Discussion Items" on the agenda to FW.PublicAffairs@ky.gov through 5 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Please include “commission meeting" in the email's subject line. In the email, commenters should include their first and last name, county and state of residence, and organization represented with position held in the organization, if applicable.
• Emailed comments will be distributed to all commission members at least 24 hours prior to the meeting for their review individually. Time permitting and at the discretion of the commission chair, emailed comments will be read by department staff for up to three minutes total per commenter during the “Public Comments" time on the agenda, provided the commenter does not speak during the public comments time during the meeting.
• Anonymous comments submitted via email will be distributed to the commission members but may not be read during the meeting.
• The commission will review all emailed comments, and questions will receive an email response.
• Contact information is not required for emailed comments but will be necessary if information is requested, and other than name and affiliation that information will not be publicly disclosed if provided.
• The commission chair reserves the right to not read publicly or allow any comments that are considered libelous, profane, derogatory of others, repetitive or not relevant to the new business or discussion items on the meeting agenda.

The commission is a nine-member board, comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms. Commission members are nominated by active hunters and anglers at public meetings, appointed by the governor, and confirmed by the Kentucky senate. The commission recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations to conserve fish and wildlife and support related outdoor recreation opportunities in the commonwealth.​​

​​The next quarterly meeting date following the March meeting is to be determined.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's main campus is located at 1 Sportsman's Lane (formerly 1 Game Farm Road) in Frankfort, and its Administration Building is a large, two-story brick building about ½ mile north of the campus entrance. The entrance is located off U.S. 60, approximately 1½ miles west of U.S. 127.​​