An animal advocate has been named to the Nevada Wildlife Commission the first such appointment in recent memory to a board that has come under fire by critics who say it’s unfairly stacked with hunters.
Karen Summers Layne is president of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. She was appointed to the nine-member policy board by Gov. Brian Sandoval on Oct. 3. Her appointment follows that of former Clark County Sheriff Bill Young in July. “It’s going to be an interesting position,” Layne told The Associated Press.
Layne, 65, spoke against hunting black bears when the commission held hearings on instituting Nevada’s inaugural bear season in 2010. The hunting season was ultimately approved and continues. “I’m not a fan of bear hunting. That’s not going to be a surprise to anybody,” she said. She also has worked on trapping regulations for the Mount Charleston region outside Las Vegas, an effort she said helped forge a working relationship with other members of the commission.
Commission Chairman Jack Robb said Layne and Young “bring a breadth of experience and knowledge” to the board. “The wildlife issues we face today are not like those faced by our predecessors,” Robb said. “The commission needs a diversity of perspectives to help address the unique and complex wildlife issues in Nevada.” Continue reading more…. Article source Las Vegas Sun