OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Eoaorable C. 2. Patterson County Attornap Erewster Comty Alpha, Tsxaa Dear 

### Sir: Oplnlon No. o-3895 Ral Comlssioasrel Courtr - 8mgloyment of roll trappers Your request for opinion hae been rooalred and camfully considered by thls deprtsont. Xa quote from your request as follows~

“Can a county le~slly ?ay out funds to apply on l/3 of the salary 

### for a govermont trapper, and if they oan are they ltiited to numberor trappers that maybe employed?

“The praetloa as fOllOwed 1~: for an. assoolatlon to*my l/3 of the salary oi .:overnzsnt trappers, the state government a l/3 and the commissioners aourt the other l/3. *Aatistated before, I would agproolate an op’inlon as to whether or not the Corz.iseloners Court can.lemlly _3aythe i/3 or said salaries, and if they oan, are the limited on rumbar

## or trappers that maybe thus emgloyed.”

se assume rraa your roGueat that you are reterring to wolr trappers ecgloyed by the United States Department or agioulture, Eureau of Slolo~lcal Survey, in cooperation With the Chalrzan or the Llvest.ook Sanitary COmmiGSlOn of Texas and the Commissioners’ Court of your County, end our answ3r hereto Is b2sed ugon t&t assumption.

Article 192b, 3action 1, Vernon’s Annotntad Texas Civil Statutes, reeds as r0iloprs:

“380. 1. T:?latthe %htA Of Telli Will cooperate through the Live Stock Sanitary

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Eonoreble C. 3. Patterson, Page 2

Comlselon of Texna with United States Departmnt of Agrloulture, Sureau of ~lolo~lo~l aurvoy, In doetroylng ooyotes, wolves, ziountaln ll&ms, bobcats and other .medatory anlzala, end throw the +rioDtural and Eo ’sohanlcal Coll3ege of Texas will cooperate with the United States Depar??ent of Asrioulture Bureau of Slolo;ical arvey, in destroy1

“g i ;o+srs (salammders pra rle dam, pocket s&rrols and othsr jack rabbits, ground rldent pests In the lntereat of the proteotlon of live stock, crops and ranges,” - .

Article 192b, seotion 4, Vsrnon@s Annotated Teraa Civil Statutes, reads as followsa

“SBC* 4. The Chalman of ths Live Stook -lanitary Comleslon of Texas la hereby authorized and dlreoted to exeoute a ooopsretive a rtie~nant*::lth the 33oretar:: OSA&.oulture or ths i7nlted States of America or the ijuraau or Blolo&ioal Survey of the United Statee of A~erloa for carryir.6 out euoh cooperative work iz predatory anlml oontrol in such manner und under such regulations as my be stated ln sali! agrement. The president of the Agloultural r,ndXecZhaaloal Colle,:e of Tams Is hereby authorized and dlreotad to execute a oooperativa ageement With the Seoretary of Azrloulture or the Bureau of Blolo~loal Survey for carryisg out such cooparative work In rodent control In suoh manner and under such ragulatlons aa fray be stcted in said agr3ement~m Article 192b, Section 5, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Civil Statutes, reads ar followa;

*Sec. 5. Tbnt the Comlsslonors’ Court 

### of any county within the State or the governin;.: body or any Incorporated oltp or town within the Stata 1s empowered and authorized at Its dlsoratlon to appropriate tunds for the proaeoutlon of tha predatory animal and rodent control u:ork oontelaploted by this Aot (Art. 192b; P. C. art. 1378a) end In ooopsrai. . .- .- 

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Honorable C. 3.Patterson, Page 3

tion vSth &ate and Federal authorities to anploy laborand to mrohaoe and provide supplies ra:*zlred for the o?feotiveprosecution or this vor!:." Article 192b, %&ion 6, Civil Ltatutos, roads 25 rollowsr vernon*sAnnotatedTexss ., .

"SBO.a. All furs, sk.insand 5ytELmens taken byh'&ters or trappers,

### pildfroraState funds shall be sold under fules rrescrlbedby tha Live stock sanitary Cocmlsslon of Tews und .ths

procoedso? suoh sales shall be paid iiito the State Trsasu2y tobe Oredited and added tc soid.?rsdatoryan&al fund. All furs,, skins, :ci s;octienstaken by hunters 

### or trappers ?aid from-county funds &all be sold 3s prescribedby the Cormlssl~nsrs~ Court of the comty, and the ;rooasds cl euoh sale shall be ?!~lc 1r.t.o

the County Trsasury to be credited A& added to such predatory enimal fund, jrovidod t.het

ncy speohen so takenrraybe presented free of charge to tho iqpicultural and L;'ocharloal

Coller,e,

or any othsr St3te lnstltution or to the United States Rational ?r'usasm fcr scientific_=ur;osos.* @inion Xo. Q-2709 of this de;?artzentholdsthat the Comlssionorel Court ofHavarro County had authorityto help pay the srlzry ofa wolf trqqe,rwhere theUnited

### States Degzrtxnt or z&gloulture,Bureau of ?Solo~lc3l Survey,i;aid 'rh9 rs.m+ndsr of thswolf trapper's salary. Ye enolosehere- ?ith a copy ofsaid o~lnion foryour informtion.

You are rosgaotfuilyidvised thet it is the oplnlon sf this de~~rtmnt th3t the Comisaloners~ Courthasauthority to gay 0ut county funds (fro31 the general 

### ruad0r the county) to agplp on theaalery oi suoh government 

### wolf trapper. It is our furthsr opinion that the Cozmissioners~ Courtmay eclploy or assi:stin thepayzontof the oalarles of 85 raany euohgovernlrentwo:lrtrappersas the Court In its sound dieorationdetsrm;ncs t,o

be necessary. Your5 very truly

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