Farmland Hunting & Fishing Regulation

Senator Gex Williams formally requested a bill draft to undo a provision of 2023’s Senate Bill 241, a measure sponsored by Sen. Robin Webb, D-Grayson. The provision in question amended Kentucky Revised Statute 150.170 and imposed a five-acre threshold on farmland where residential landowners can hunt or fish under license exemption. Senator Williams’ Bill Request (BR) 15 simply removes the five-acre threshold.

“Senate Bill 241 had strong bipartisan support and, as a whole, is a good bill,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, I and every other lawmaker—including its opponents and even the Governor in his veto message—overlooked the five-acre threshold. If anyone had noticed, I believe an amendment to correct it would have readily passed. Nevertheless, shortly after members of the public pointed out the provision, I made a bill request and began lining up support for the measure.”

SB 241 clarified SB 217 from 2022, providing the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources with autonomy in land procurement activities, including the acquisition of a permanent easement of approximately 54,000 acres in Knox, Bell, and Leslie counties, at no cost to the commonwealth, to create a three-state elk habitat.