Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Region IV - Law Enforcement - Area 43
General:
Area 43 is comprised of eight counties in upper East Tennessee including Hamblen, Hawkins, Greene, Washington, Sullivan, Unicoi, Carter, and Johnson Counties. The Area has 14 Wildlife Officers, one Boating Officer and two Supervisors that enforce laws and regulations, conduct I&E programs and handle the nuisance wildlife problems.
Several details were organized including those dealing with bear baiting, commercial fishing, paddlefish harvesting, road hunting, spot lighting, walleye snagging, dove hunting, decoy deer, turkey baiting, sport fishing, river and quality trout zone tailwater fishing and waterfowl hunting.
Following is a breakdown of the cases written, phone calls taken and other work accomplished in Area 43 during the 2006/2007 fiscal year:
Violations: |
||
Citations |
Warnings |
|
Hunters |
395 |
35 |
Anglers |
309 |
109 |
WMA hunters |
53 |
15 |
WMA anglers |
19 |
16 |
WMA general |
29 |
10 |
Other |
67 |
13 |
Total |
872 |
198 |
Individuals Checked: |
||
Anglers |
6,970 |
|
Hunters |
2,229 |
|
WMA hunters |
1,512 |
|
WMA anglers |
377 |
|
Others |
280 |
|
Total |
11,368 |
|
Phone Calls Taken at Home: |
||
Information |
1,662 |
|
Violations |
396 |
|
Other |
333 |
|
Nuisance related |
557 |
|
Total |
2,948 |
|
Law Enforcement Programs: |
||
Radio |
134 |
|
Television |
23 |
|
Newspaper articles |
46 |
|
School groups |
235 |
|
Sportsman groups |
17 |
|
Civic groups |
21 |
|
Other groups |
22 |
|
Total |
498 |
|
Boating:
Area 43 personnel are responsible for boating enforcement on Boone, Cherokee, Fort Patrick Henry, South Holston and Watauga Reservoirs. The Holston, Nolichucky and Watauga Rivers are the three waterways in the area. Area 43 also contains two small impoundments and many feeder creeks and streams.
Full-time Officers are budgeted to work 34 man-days and part-time Officers 80 man-days for boating enforcement. Since the numbers of boaters and complaints received has increased, each Wildlife Officer spent more than the time budgeted. Various boating details targeted safety equipment, PWC complaints, no-wake and noise level violations.
The number of reported accidents worked by Officers increased during this fiscal year. BUI arrests and PWC complaints increased along with the number of vessels on the water. Individual courts were encouraged to use the Boating Home Study Course as part of sentencing.
2006/07 Boating Enforcement Summary:
Checked |
Citations |
Warnings |
|
Boats |
4,665 |
437 |
258 |
Access Areas |
1,690 |
79 |
9 |
| |
|||
Total |
6,355 |
516 |
267 |
