Connecticut General Statutes 26-25a – Regulation of feeding of wildlife on state-owned property
(a)(1) For purposes of this section:
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 26-25a
- Animal: includes birds, quadrupeds, reptiles and amphibians. See Connecticut General Statutes 26-1
- aquaculture: means the farming of the waters of the state and tidal wetlands and the production of protein food, including fish, oysters, clams, mussels and other molluscan shellfish, on leased, franchised and public underwater farm lands. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- farming: include cultivation of the soil, dairying, forestry, raising or harvesting any agricultural or horticultural commodity, including the raising, shearing, feeding, caring for, training and management of livestock, including horses, bees, the production of honey, poultry, fur-bearing animals and wildlife, and the raising or harvesting of oysters, clams, mussels, other molluscan shellfish or fish. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Ordinance: means an enactment under the provisions of section 7-157. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Wildlife: means all species of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals which are ferae naturae or wild by nature. See Connecticut General Statutes 26-1
(A) “Intentionally feed” means to place, provide, give, expose, deposit, scatter or distribute any edible material or attractant with the intent of feeding, attracting or enticing potentially dangerous animals.
(B) “Potentially dangerous animal” means any of the following: (i) The felidae, including, but not limited to, bobcat; (ii) the canidae, including, but not limited to, coyote and fox; and (iii) the ursidae, including, but not limited to, black bear. “Potentially dangerous animal” does not include any: (I) Domestic cat or dog, or (II) animal under the care, custody or control of any zoo or wildlife facility.
(2) No person shall intentionally feed any potentially dangerous animal on any land that is not owned by the state.
(3) The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to apply to: (A) Composting at facilities authorized pursuant to section 22a-208a or 22a-430, provided best management practices are used to mitigate the attraction of any potentially dangerous animal, (B) small-scale composting operations, (C) the composting of agricultural waste, (D) the disposal of agricultural mortalities, or (E) agriculture, farming or aquaculture.
(4) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this subsection.
(5) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 prohibiting or restricting the feeding of wildlife on state-owned property. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, procedures for designating areas subject to such prohibitions or restrictions. Any such designation shall be effective after public notice and a public comment period.
(b) Any conservation officer appointed pursuant to section 26-5 and any other officer authorized to serve criminal process may enforce the provisions of this section and any regulations adopted pursuant to this section. Any violation of this section or any such regulations shall be an infraction.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any municipal ordinance that is more restrictive than the provisions of this section concerning the intentional feeding of wildlife on land that is not owned by the state shall not be preempted by the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.