All Counties Back Hunting, Fishing Amendment

Wild red deer in the Aletsch Forest Nature Reserve [Giles Laurent]

A constitutional amendment on hunting and fishing rights was backed Tuesday by majorities of voters in every county, as it received more than 67 percent support statewide. The measure, which appeared on the ballot as Amendment 2, was one of only two constitutional amendments that passed. The other, Amendment 5, made a property-tax change and received support from 66 percent of voters. Amendments need at least 60 percent support to pass. Amendment 2 said, in part, that it will “preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife.” While the proposal drew opposition from some groups such as the Sierra Club, results posted on the state Division of Elections website showed broad support. Among large and mid-sized counties, the outcome was closest in Alachua County, where the amendment passed by 4,400 votes. Four other amendments on Tuesday’s ballot received more than 50 percent of the vote but did not reach the 60 percent threshold. That included amendments on allowing recreational use of marijuana and enshrining abortion rights in the Constitution.