Title 70, Wildlife Resources

If the agency receives a complaint or otherwise becomes aware of a potential water quality violation regarding property used in agriculture, as defined by § 1-3-105, the agency must notify both the department of environment and conservation and the department of agriculture, as s…

(a) An independent and separate administrative board of conservation for game, fish and wildlife of the state is created, to be known and referred to as the Tennessee fish and wildlife commission, hereinafter referred to as the “fish and wildlife commission” or the “commission,” …

(a) The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services as members of such commission, except that they shall be paid their actual and necessary traveling expenses for six (6) regular meetings each year and not more than six (6) called meetings during a…

(a) The commission shall elect a chair, a vice chair and a secretary. The secretary may or may not be a member of the commission. These officers shall be elected for a period of one (1) year. After organization, the commission shall hold six (6) regular meetings and may hold as m…

(a) Appointments to be made by the governor shall be made from districts of the grand divisions of the state in which the vacancy occurred, and the boundaries of the nine (9) districts shall remain the same as the boundaries that were in effect on February 9, 1959. (b) Appointmen…

(a) The governor may remove a governor-appointed commission member for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office, after first delivering to the commission member a copy of the charges and affording the commission member an opportunity of being publicly heard in perso…

(a) The fish and wildlife commission is directed and authorized to perform the following duties and functions:(1) Appoint and dismiss the executive director;(2) Approve the budget pursuant to § 70-1-306;(3) Promulgate necessary rules, regulations, and proclamations as required un…

(a) The fish and wildlife commission is authorized to develop rules and regulations for corporate sponsorship on appropriate agency motor vehicles and vessels; provided, however, that no corporate sponsorship shall be placed on agency law enforcement motor vehicles or vessels. Su…

The fish and wildlife commission created by this part is the successor to the wildlife resources commission. All rules, procedures, records, reports, functions and duties carried out by the prior commission are hereby transferred to the successor entity.

(a) There is hereby created a wildlife resources agency, which shall have full and exclusive jurisdiction of the duties and functions relating to wildlife formerly held by the game and fish commission or of any other law relating to the management, protection, propagation, and co…

(a) The wildlife resources agency is directed and authorized to perform the following duties and functions:(1) Make such expenditures from funds in the wildlife resources fund and the boating safety fund as it deems advisable subject to titles 9 and 12, and § 70-1-306(c)-(h);(2) …

(a) The office of executive director of the wildlife resources agency is hereby created. The executive director shall be appointed by the fish and wildlife commission and shall serve at the pleasure of the commission. In the selection of an executive director, preference should b…

(1) The executive director shall:(1) Be the head of the wildlife resources agency under the direction and supervision of the commission and shall have exclusive supervisory control of the agency;(2) Serve as recording secretary for the commission and shall be custodian of all min…

(1) The executive director of the wildlife resources agency has the power to:(1) Enforce all laws relating to wildlife, and to go upon any property, outside of buildings, posted or otherwise, in the performance of the executive director's duties;(2) Execute all warrants and searc…

(a) The expenses incurred by the agency for any purpose or in consequence of this chapter shall be limited to the amount of money in the wildlife resources fund. In no event shall the state pay or be liable, in any manner, for the expenses of the agency, except to the extent of t…

(a) It is the duty of the executive director, on or before September 15 of each year, to prepare and present to the governor and each member of the fish and wildlife commission an annual report showing what has been expended by the agency during the year immediately preceding, th…

(a) No employee or officer of the agency shall take any active part in political management or in political campaigns, nor shall such employee or officer use official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election or affecting the results of an election, o…

(a) The department of human resources and the Tennessee wildlife resources agency shall develop a salary administration plan for the agency's officers, biologists, and other positions unique to the agency. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, upon approval of the commis…

(a) Whenever a person is issued a citation pursuant to § 40-7-118 for a misdemeanor violation of any provision of this title, title 69, chapter 9, or for any offense for which an arrest is authorized pursuant to this title, prior to the time set for the person to appear in court …

For purposes of qualifying for the position of wildlife officer with the wildlife resources agency, at least ten (10) years of full-time work experience in wildlife or fisheries management, wildlife biology, or other related work experience in this state or another state may be c…

(a) If the wildlife resources agency contracts with a farmer to farm lands owned or under the control of this state under § 70-1-302(a)(6) or another law, not less than sixty (60) days before the expiration of the contract, the agency shall offer the farmer the opportunity to ren…

(a) All moneys sent to the state treasury in payment of licenses, advertising, contraband, fines, penalties, and forfeitures arising from the wildlife resources laws of this state shall be set aside. This fund shall constitute a fund known as the “wildlife resources fund” for:(1)…

The general assembly recognizes and reaffirms the importance of fostering appreciation among the citizens of this state for protecting and preserving for future generations the heritage of hunting and fishing in this state. Therefore, to aid in promoting access to, and participat…

(a) The lifetime sportsman endowment fund is an irrevocable trust for the exclusive benefit of lifetime sportsman license holders, as prescribed in a trust instrument approved by the trustees, to be administered by the state treasurer. The attorney general and reporter shall appr…

(1) The trust must be initially funded by a deposit of all of the assets held in the wildlife management endowment fund previously created in accordance with § 70-1-501 as such section existed prior to April 14, 2022. In addition to this initial funding, the lifetime sportsman en…

(a) The trustees shall adopt, in writing, an investment policy or policies authorizing how assets in the trust may be invested. The trust may invest in any security or investment in which the Tennessee consolidated retirement system is permitted to invest; provided, that investme…

The trustees shall prepare annual financial reports following the close of each fiscal year relative to the activities of the trust fund. The annual reports, books, accounts, and financial records of the trust fund are subject to audit by the comptroller of the treasury.