Committee approves study of eastern gray fox decline in West Virginia

The West Virginia Senate Natural Resource Committee voted to adopt Originating Concurrent Resolution 2, requesting a joint committee study into the reported decline of the eastern gray fox population and recommendations to stabilize and rebound the species.

Committee counsel told members that the resolution’s recitals indicate a decline beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s and that "there is no scientific evidence to explain the decline," urging a formal study. The resolution directs the joint committee to file a report with the Legislature in 2027.

The committee agreed to the resolution by voice vote and then voted to report the measure to the full Senate with a recommendation that it be adopted. The chair declared the motions adopted.

The study will seek to identify causes for the population decline and recommend actions to stabilize eastern gray fox numbers; the resolution does not itself change hunting or wildlife-management rules. The committee did not specify study membership, a budget for the study, or timelines beyond the 2027 reporting requirement.