A committee of residents, who have had difficulty with trespassing, hunting and the safety issues associated with them, are making the proposal.&bsp; For example, a resident of Lake Adger recently found two bullets embedded in an outbuilding, even though the Lake Adger Development strictly prohibits the use of firearms. &bsp;

As a committee member said, &dquo;this should be a plus for landowners and law enforcement; and also for the hunters who will be able to be confident of their rights.&dquo; &bsp;

There are currently 14,000 acres in Polk County under the same rules as proposed because they fall under the Wildlife Commission&squo;s registered property program.

Technically, the proposed ordinance will have no impact on legal hunting because all hunters are currently required to have landowner approval.

&dquo;This ordinance will enable law enforcement to more easily enforce the current restriction ‐ requiring approval.&dquo; &bsp;

At a meeting last month, Sheriff Hill agreed, that with such an ordinance, his deputies would be able to tell when there is an issue.&bsp; Now it is next to impossible for the police to determine whether a hunter is legitimate.

According to commissioner Renee McDermott, this ordinance will have to be passed as a law by the N.C. legislature.&bsp; The legislature will be looking for very strong support from the board of commissioners. &bsp;

According to the North Carolina Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Wildlife Regulations Digest (Effective July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010) published by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, these counties have written permission laws: Anson, Bertie, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Cleveland, Davidson, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Harnett, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Lee, Martin, Orange, Perquimans, Pitt, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Scotland, Stanly, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson and Yadkin.&bsp; &bsp;Note: The following is the proposed ordinance regarding hunting rules that is on the agenda for Polk County commissioners on Monday night.

In an effort to protect the rights of hunters and landowners in Polk County, and to protect the safety of the public by clarifying where a hunter is allowed to hunt, consideration of the following is respectfully requested:

That the Polk County commissioners request an act from the North Carolina legislature to require written permission before hunting is allowed on the land of another in Polk County. The following draft is offered as an example:&bsp;

Draft Written Permission Ordinance

SECTION 1.&bsp; It is unlawful to hunt, fish or trap on the land of another without having written permission of the landowner.&bsp; Written permission shall be signed and dated for the current season and shall contain complete contact information for the landowner.

SECTION 2.&bsp; Violation of this act is a Class 3 misdemeanor.

SECTION 3.&bsp; This act is enforceable by law enforcement officers of the Wildlife Resources Commission, by sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, and by peace officers with general subject matter jurisdiction.

SECTION 4.&bsp; This act applies only to POLK County.

SECTION 5.&bsp; This act becomes effective _____________, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

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