Wednesday, March 25, 2015

DSORe POLL S1013

Should Wisconsin sell naming rights to our state parks?

4 COMMENTS  

   










THIS WEEK’S POLL
032815_dsore_s1013_pollpicHunting with silencers in Wisconsin?

Outdoor News blogger Kristen Monroe wrote:

I think of a hardcore criminal on the big screen trying to kill their enemy in silence when I hear the word silencer, or suppressor. I certainly never thought about them in a positive light. Why would anyone consider using them for hunting?

It is legal to purchase and hunt with suppressors in Wisconsin, but owning a suppressor that is not properly registered and taxed is a felony. To my surprise, only a few states prohibit them. And two of them are our neighbors.

It is currently illegal to own a silencer in Minnesota and Illinois. Illinois is in the process of adopting a new law that may change things in the future. In Michigan, you can own suppressors, but not for hunting. The process is the same for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) authorization; you must check with the state laws to see which state allows them and for what. Some states, like Michigan, only allow them for citizens' personal use, while in South Dakota it is only legal to use them for varmint hunting.

I found the site for the American Suppressor Association to be very valuable, but I still made a call and spoke with the Wisconsin DNR to verify that it is legal to use them for hunting in this state. According to Knox Williams, president and executive director of the American Suppressor Association, the process to own one legally is the same in every state in which it is legal.

In Wisconsin, you can legally hunt and own a suppressor if the ATF gives authorization. YOU need the stamp if approval. A licensed dealer can also walk you through the process.

Giving poachers more tools to wipe the deer population certainly isn’t something I would ever support. Then again, if criminals are willing to poach I bet they already are.

A friend told me, we can’t legislate based on what fear of what poachers or other law breakers might do. Williams explained several benefits that I had never thought about in the past.

READ MORE http://www.outdoornews.com/February-2015/Hunting-with-silencers-in-Wisconsin/


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Wednesday, February 25, 2015

OUTDOORS RADIO POLL s1009


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Is the Natural Resources Board dead in the water, now, due to Gov. Walker’s budget proposal stripping it of oversight authority over DNR?

  COMMENTS  












THIS WEEK’S POLL 



Conservation Congress Opposes Walker Budget Proposal

MADISON -- Text of letter Wisconsin Conservation Congress Chairman Rob Bohmann sent to Gov. Walker and State Legislators on Feb. 13:
021415_dsore_s1007_pollpic-smThe Honorable Governor Walker and Wisconsin State Legislators,
With full appreciation for your efforts to bring more efficiency to state government and the public sector, I must respectfully but vehemently disagree with the proposal in the 2015-2017 state budget to remove the policymaking authority from the Natural Resources Board and make them strictly an advisory council. The repercussions of this action will have a significant and adverse effect on our state’s natural resources.
Wisconsin has been widely regarded as the center of the conservation movement. It was renowned conservationists Aldo Leopold, William Aberg, and Haskell Noyes that helped forge the Conservation Act of 1927, which created the Conservation Commission (predecessor of the Natural Resources Board). With great foresight these pioneers of conservation created a unique system to keep conservation and politics separate by creating an independent board, beholden to no one. The Natural Resources Board has successfully operated with its policy-making authority uninterrupted for the past 88 years during which time Wisconsin has continuously been a national leader in environmental protection and wildlife conservation efforts.
Nowhere else in Wisconsin state government do the people of this state have such a direct avenue for input as through the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and the Natural Resources Board. Currently, natural resource policy decisions are made in full view of the public, broadcast online, and with ample opportunity for citizens to provide testimony or written comments. The unsurpassed level of citizen involvement we have in the anagement of our state’s resources is the envy of many other states. This proposed change would take the policy-making authority from the public arena to the political arena. Giving the policy-making authority solely to the department secretary would potentially allow for important natural resource decisions to be made behind closed doors without any public vetting. Any potential gains in efficiency that may result from this proposal do not justify the loss of an open and transparent government. The division of power and citizen involvement is essential for the long-term management of the state’s resources which are held in public trust and belong to all citizens of the state.
The Natural Resources Board and Wisconsin Conservation Congress have been working tirelessly in shaping conservation policies for over 80 years. Eliminating the authority of the Natural Resources Board and making the Conservation Congress advisory to the DNR secretary would undermine this proven system of citizen engagement that so many have worked so hard for and would irreparably mar the legacy we leave for future generations. I respectfully ask that the Natural Resource Board retain their policy-making authority and Conservation Congress remain the citizen advisory body to the board to ensure the continuation of Wisconsin’s rich tradition of citizen involvement in conservation.

Respectfully,

[signature]

Rob Bohmann, Chair 
Wisconsin Conservation Congress

Milwaukee Journal Senitnel Sports Show - plan to attend - FEB 27 - MAR 1

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

DSORe POLL S1008


LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

Do you support a legislative change to ban deer baiting and feeding statewide from September 1 through the last day of any deer hunting season?

  COMMENTS



 






THIS WEEK’S POLL 


MADISON -- Proposed rules related to deer management, hunting, and implementation of the 2012 White-tailed Deer Trustee's Report and white-tailed deer population objectives for Wisconsin deer management units are among the issues the state Natural Resources Board will take up at its February 25 meeting in Madison.
The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, in Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 South Webster St., Madison.
The board will also consider:
  • Wisconsin Conservation Congress logoproposed revisions to administrative rules intended to provide consistency and standardization of eligibility and reimbursement standards for the state, counties, and municipalities for their assistance with Department of Natural Resources law enforcement programs, such as all-terrain vehicle, snowmobile and boating.
  • a request for the state parks program to undertake a master plan amendment process at Rib Mountain State Park for the purpose of expanding the Granite Peak Ski Area;
  • a request for public hearings for emergency and permanent rules related to the DNRs environmental analysis and review program;
  • making adjustments to laboratory certification and registration program fees.
The board will also hear updates on the history of the Natural Resources Board and the proposed 2015-17 DNR budget.
The complete February board agenda is available by searching the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov for keyword "NRB" and clicking on the button for "view agendas."
The public may testify at board meetings on topics open for public comment (listed on the agenda) and during the citizen participation period. The deadline to register to speak at the board meeting or to submit comments is 11 a.m. on Friday, February 20, 2015. The public may also submit written comments about issues that come before the board. For more information see the board public participation page of the DNR website.
Board meetings are webcast live. People can watch the meeting over the Internet by going to the NRB page of the DNR website and clicking on "NRB webcasts" link under the "Meeting materials" tab. Then click on this month's meeting. After each meeting, the webcast will be permanently available on demand.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT  Laurie Ross, board liaison, 608-267-7420 or Bill Cosh, DNR spokesperson, 608-267-2773




Milwaukee Journal Senitnel Sports Show - plan to attend - FEB 27 - MAR 1

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

DSORe POLL S1007

021415_dsore_s1007poll_response_s1006 LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

Do you agree with Gov. Walker’s proposals to freeze Stewardship Fun spending and make the Natural Resources Board advisory to DNR? 

  COMMENTS



 






THIS WEEK’S POLL 


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Change deer baiting and feeding laws 

Each spring, Wisconsin holds the annual Fish & Wildlife Rules Hearings and Wisconsin Conservation Congress County Meetings in every county at the same time and date. This year, attendees have the opportunity to vote on proposed changes to conservation rules and on advisory questions posed to gauge stakeholder opinion on various conservation issues. Conservation Congress Advisory Question No. 8, listed on Page 41 of the questionnaire, deals with baiting and feeding of deer. Current laws enacted by the legislature prohibit baiting and feed of deer in all counties where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been detected in either wild or game farm deer. In those counties not affected by CWD, it’s legal to bait and feed deer which creates inconsistent hunting regulations between counties. Banning deer baiting and feeding from September 1 through the last day of any deer hunting season could eliminate numerous issues that many associate with the distribution and movement of deer. 

READ MORE: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/hunt/bait.html





Wednesday, February 4, 2015

DSORe POLL S1006


Last Week's Poll:  

Are there enough public shooting ranges in Wisconsin?




VOTE THE POLL ...  
Do you agree with Gov. Walker’s proposals to freeze Stewardship Fun spending and make the Natural Resources Board advisory to DNR?


Gov. Walker’s proposed Budget freezes stewardship purchases, makes DNR board advisory

Gov. Scott Walker announced major components of his proposed biennial budget at a joint session of the State Legislature Tuesday evening. Among the elements of the Governor’s proposed budget, several would impact the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Board. In the Feb. 4 issue of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reporters Lee Bergquist and Paul Smith wrote:
The Department of Natural Resources faces fundamental changes under Gov. Scott Walker's two-year budget, with one proposal to freeze state land purchases and another to eliminate the authority of its venerable citizens board.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.jsonline.com/news/budget-freezes-stewardship-purchases-makes-dnr-board-advisory-budget-freezes-stewardship-purchases-b-290723841.html 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

DSORe POLL S1005

LAST WEEK'S POLL RESULTS: Do you think "Learn to Hunt" events are the best way to recruit new hunters?
COMMENTS (2)

THIS WEEK'S POLL

Are there enough public shooting ranges in Wisconsin?


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Are there enough public shooting ranges in Wisconsin?
This Weeks OUTDOORS RADIO Poll Question
Give us your opinion - Take the Poll (CLICK)

Open house and public hearing set for shooting range in Columbia County

PORTAGE, Wis. – The public is invited to an open house and public hearing on two draft documents that are part of the development of a new public shooting range on the Mud Lake Wildlife Area in the Town of Lowville, February 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Columbia County Law Enforcement Center, 711 East Cook Street, Portage.
Both documents are available for review by visiting dnr.wi.gov, and entering the search words, “Columbia County Shooting Range Proposal.” Online comments will be accepted through February 27.
The open house is scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m. Department of Natural Resources staff will be on hand to answer questions on the proposed amendment to the Columbia County Planning Group Master Plan and the Environmental Impact statement for the project.
At 7 p.m. a formal hearing on the EIS will begin.
“This is the second scheduled opportunity to provide comment before these documents are presented to the Natural Resources Board for approval at its April 8 meeting in Madison,” said Eric Lobner, a DNR wildlife supervisor for the area. “At that time the board will also take additional public comments before acting on the documents.”
Based on comments received at the first public listening session held for these documents on December 17, the layout of the range has been updated to include perimeter fencing and a gate controlling access.
The Mud Lake location for the new public shooting range was selected by an ad hoc citizens committee after reviewing the pros and cons of seven possible state-owned sites within the county and public input on two of the sites the committee felt were the best candidates.
The proposed master plan amendment is needed to reclassify approximately 10 acres of the Mud Lake WA from “habitat management area” to “special management area.” The draft EIS evaluates potential impacts to natural resources in and adjacent to the site.
“Our master planning guidelines require us to craft an amendment that reclassifies the area designated for the range to a category that allows this kind of development,” said Lobner. “The EIS identifies potential environmental impacts from the project and the significance of those impacts on habitat and area wildlife and nearby human populations.”
Following this open house and hearing and after the close of the online comment period the department will evaluate all comments and make modifications to the amendment and EIS if deemed necessary.
Persons wishing to speak to the board at their April 8 meeting must preregister with
The board liaison
Contact(s):
  • Eric Lobner, wildlife supervisor – (608) 275-3474
  • Bob Manwell, DNR communications – (608) 275-3317
READ MORE HERE: http://dnr.wi.gov/news/releases/article/?id=3463