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Letter from DNR Secretary Matt Frank to hunters

Dear Hunter:

Fall hunting in Wisconsin is one of the great traditions of our state, and for good reason. Wisconsin’s varied landscape is home to a wide range of game, making Wisconsin one of the top hunting states in the nation. Our forests and prairies, wetlands and waterways provide abundant opportunity to hunt deer, bear, turkey, waterfowl and other game.

Whether you’ve hunted all your life or are a new hunter, you’re part of a wonderful tradition that has brought family and friends together for generations. Through the license you pay for and the game you harvest, you contribute to sound game management and help ensure great hunting for future generations. And through the generosity of Wisconsin hunters, donated venison helps feed the hungry. You can learn more about food pantry donation programs in your area at the links to the DNR Web site listed below.

You can contribute in another important way. Consider introducing a new hunter to field sports this year. Every study shows that it takes a hunter to make a hunter. The youth deer hunt provides safe, low-pressure hunting for youngsters and gives you quality time with a son, daughter, family member or friend. You can find out about youth hunt opportunities in your area on the DNR Web site at the links listed below.

We constantly work to deliver great customer service, and I encourage you to use our expanded Call Center. Our trained staff are ready to answer all your questions about hunting regulations and buying a license, helping you spend less time tracking down answers and more time enjoying the great outdoors. Last year we even got calls from hunters in tree stands. You can call us toll free or chat online from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. See the contact information below.

On behalf of all of us at the DNR, best wishes to you for a safe, enjoyable and memorable hunt this fall. Thank you for all you do to maintain this great tradition and help to pass it on to future generations.

Sincerely,

Matt Frank
DNR Secretary

For more information

• Call the DNR toll free at 1-888-936-7463 or chat online from 7 a.m. to 10 pm. seven days a week.
• Find information on venison donation 2008.
• Find information about Youth Hunts.

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October gun deer hunt set to run October 16-19

MADISON – Wisconsin’s October antlerless deer only gun hunt returns in 2008 giving hunters an opportunity to harvest extra deer under mild season conditions, donate deer to statewide venison donation program and prequalify for Earn-a-Buck (EAB) authorization prior to the traditional November 9-day gun deer hunt.

During the Oct. 16-19 hunt, only antlerless deer may be harvested. The hunt will take place in most deer management units statewide. The only exceptions are deer management units with limited antlerless deer quotas (those units without any shading or striping on the map) and the Central Forest deer management region (white with black dots) where hunters met a benchmark 2:1 antlerless deer to antlered deer harvest ratio in herd control units over the 2006-2007 seasons. If the antlerless to buck ratio between the archery and gun seasons does not meet 2:1 during the 2008 season in the Central Forest deer management region (units 53, 54A, 55, 56, and 58), the October hunt will return in those units in 2009.

October gun deer hunting had been under a two-year trial moratorium that sunset when hunters in most deer management regions did not meet the required 2:1 antlerless to antlered deer harvest ratio designed to pressure deer populations down, closer to unit population goals. The October season is very effective in moving deer populations toward goals by targeting antlerless, or mainly female, deer say wildlife managers.

“October is a great time to hunt for folks who have trouble with cold conditions,” said Keith Warnke, big game ecologist with the Department of Natural Resources. “It’s also a great way to prequalify for Earn-a-Buck for those hunters who hunt in EAB units and want to have a buck sticker in their pocket on opening day during the November 9-day hunt.”

Besides gun deer hunters, many other game hunters will be in the woods and fields during the October gun deer hunt. All hunters, except waterfowl hunters are reminded that blaze orange requirements are in effect during all gun deer seasons. Hunters and other outdoor recreationalists should be aware of these other user groups and should respect others activities as they wish their activity to be respected by others.

Biologists estimate the 2008 prehunt deer population at between 1.5 and 1.7 million animals. Excessive deer populations contribute to increased car-deer collisions, costly agricultural and horticultural losses and reduced or stagnant forest regeneration due to deer selectively browsing certain forest tree and plant species.

Additional information on antlerless deer tags and EAB authorizations including a map of Wisconsin deer management units is in the 2008 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations pamphlet.

Wildlife managers remind hunters of the statewide venison donation programs available in both the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) management units and non-CWD units. Since 2000 hunters have donated over 2.8 million pounds of venison to the program which makes the meat available to needy families.

A list of deer drop-off sites is being updated weekly as meat processors sign-on to participate. All hunters must do to donate to the program is harvest, tag and register a deer as they normally would, then transport the deer to a participating processor. There is no charge to the hunter. It is suggested that hunters call ahead to the processor to verify hours of operation and capacity.

Precautions for Eating Deer Harvested with Lead Ammunition

Deer harvested with lead bullets have been shown to potentially have tiny lead particles or fragments remaining in the processed meat. These are often too small to be seen and can disperse far from the wound channel. Although lead in venison does not rival lead paint in older homes as a health risk for the public, the risk is not low enough to ignore. Children under 6 years and pregnant women are at the greatest risk from lead exposure.

The amount of lead found in a small percentage of venison samples suggests that long term effects of lead consumption could occur in people who regularly eat venison shot with lead ammunition. However, there is currently no known evidence linking human consumption of venison to lead poisoning.

These suggestions can reduce exposure to lead in venison:

• Consider alternative non-lead ammunition such as copper or other high weight-retention bullets, such as bonded bullets.
• Practice marksmanship and hunting skills to get closer, making cleaner, lethal shots away from major muscle areas. Aim for the neck or the head, or the vitals behind the shoulder. Don’t shoot at running deer.
• Avoid consuming internal organs, as they can contain extra lead from heart-lung shots.
• Request your meat processor to not use deer meat with excessive shot damage. If you process your own venison, trim a generous distance away from the wound channel and discard any meat that is bruised, discolored or contains hair, dirt, bone fragments or grass. Do not use deer with excessive shot damage.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023 or Jason Fleener 608-261-7589

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October antlerless deer hunt good time to “earn-a-buck”

Hunters in Earn-a-Buck units will need to harvest an antlerless deer before a buck

MADISON – Deer hunters hunting in any of the 57 Deer Management Units under Earn-a-Buck regulations for 2008 must “earn” a buck sticker authorizing them to shoot a buck by first shooting an antlerless deer.

Hunters can meet this requirement in several ways. They can shoot an antlerless deer during the current 2008 hunting season in either the early archery deer hunt, or during the Oct. 16-19 antlerless-only deer gun hunt or they can use an unused buck sticker from the 2007 season. Hunters may also tag an antlerless deer and then harvest a buck, which may accompany the antlerless deer upon registration, as long as they are tagged by the same hunter registering both deer.

2008 Earn-a-Buck pre-qualification

Under a program started in 2006, some hunters may be pre-qualified for a buck harvest sticker by virtue of having killed and registered an antlerless deer last year in a deer management unit that is under EAB rules this year. This includes more than 113,000 registered antlerless deer from 2007 EAB and CWD units, which earned hunters green “2007-2008” Buck Authorization Stickers. These stickers were awarded to hunters upon deer registration and are still valid in 2008 if they were not used to tag a buck during the remainder of the 2007 deer season. An EAB Buck Authorization Sticker is good in any EAB or CWD unit, regardless of where the sticker was earned.

If the unit where the antlerless deer was killed was not EAB in 2007 but is under EAB in 2008, the hunter should be in the EAB Prequalification Database. Hunters in this category will be mailed a buck sticker. Mailing began in August, and more than 16,000 stickers were mailed to hunters who harvested deer from at least one of eight Deer Management Units during the 2007 season that are now under EAB regulations in 2008.

How to check your EAB status

Deer hunters who believe they have pre-qualified for a Buck Authorization Sticker in one of these units can check their status over the Internet.

Hunters will need to have their Department of Natural Resources customer identification number handy when they go online to the deer hunting page of the DNR Web site and click on the link for “EAB Pre-qualification Status” and follow the instructions to check on your authorization.

The on-line check allows hunters to determine if their information is in the database to receive a buck sticker for the 2008 Earn-A-Buck (EAB) season.

Hunters should be included in this database if they registered an antlerless deer in 2007 in any Deer Management Unit that was not EAB 2007 and is EAB in 2008.

“Hunters should not wait until the last minute to check their status,” said Keith Warnke, big game ecologist with the Department of Natural Resources. “No one wants to be scrambling for a sticker the week before the opener, so please check and take action now.”

Hunters who believe they have pre-qualified by registering an antlerless deer in 2007 in units that were not EAB in 2007 and are EAB in 2008 but do not find a buck authorization associated with their customer identification number should contact DNR via email directly from the Web page. Press the ‘enter my info’ button and enter everything you can remember about the deer they killed.

Hunters are encouraged to make sure the address DNR has associated with their customer identification number is correct. This address is where the buck authorizations will be mailed.

People who don’t have access to the Internet either at home or at a local library or through a friend, can contact their local DNR service center who will look up the information. People may also contact the DNR Call Center toll free at 1-888-936-7463.

Repeat EAB Units

Hunters who killed and registered an antlerless deer in an EAB unit in 2007 received a green 2007-2008 buck sticker at the registration station last year and will not be listed in the on-line database.

Units that had earn-a-buck requirements last year and again this fall include: 22A, 54B, 54C, 59B, 59C, 59M, 60M, 61, 61A, 62B, 63A, 64, 64A, 64M, 65B, 66, 67A, 67B, 68A, 68B, 74A, 77C, 77D, 80A, 80B, 80C, 81 and all CWD management units.

The sticker a hunter received last fall is the sticker needed for this hunting season. Hunters who used all their buck stickers last fall or did not kill any antlerless deer in these units last fall will need to register an antlerless deer in an EAB or CWD unit this year to get a buck sticker.

Hunters were advised last fall to keep track of the green buck stickers they earned. The same is true of stickers that will be mailed in August – close to the start of bow hunting. These will be the stickers they need to harvest a buck this year.

The EAB “watch list”

Hunters looking ahead to the 2009 seasons can get an idea of which units might be in Earn-a-Buck by looking at the EAB watch list described below.

Based on population trends, deer management unit history and harvest history, deer managers have created an EAB watch list. These are deer management units that could potentially be designated as EAB in 2009. Hunters harvesting and registering an antlerless deer in these units in 2008 will pre-qualify for a Buck Authorization sticker if the unit is designated as EAB in 2009.

Because harvest information is taken directly off the deer registration stub, hunters are reminded to completely and legibly fill out the registration stub if they want to receive their Buck Authorization sticker in 2009.

The following is the watch list for 2009: all 2008 EAB and CWD units, plus units 1, 1M, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32, 42, 46, 47, 51A, 51B, 53, 54A, 55, 56, 57, 57A, 57B, 57C, 57D, 58, 59A, 60A, 62A, 63B, 65A, 69, 69C, 77E, 77M and 78.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023

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Hunters in northern Wisconsin being asked to help check deer herd health

SPOONER - Hunters in northern Wisconsin planning to hunt the October antlerless only deer hunt from Oct, 16-19 are being asked to assist state wildlife officials in a deer herd health check. Hunters willing to help with this important project should drop off adult deer heads (no fawns) at a Department of Natural Resources collection point.

DNR wildlife biologists say that assisting in this effort will help the department insure the quality of deer hunting in the north.

“Our primary heath monitoring is for CWD and Bovine TB,” says Mike Zeckmeister DNR Northern Region wildlife expert, “but we will be looking for any health concerns and issues in our deer herd.”

The goal is to sample 500 adult deer per sampling unit with most sampling units equaling one county. Zeckmeister says wildlife health specialists especially want heads during the early bow, youth deer hunt, and October antlerless season in Herd Control Units.

DNR needs bow and antlerless only deer from participating units in Polk, Barron, Washburn, Burnett, Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Rusk, Taylor, Sawyer, Price, Lincoln, Langlade, Oneida, Vilas, Forest, and Florence counties. Hunters should also check the 2008 Deer Hunting Regulations pamphlet for the participating units and other information about the antlerless hunt.

Hunters can find the nearest collection point by calling any of these DNR Service Centers: Antigo – (715) 627-4317; Ashland- (715) 685-2900; Cumberland- (715) 822-3590; Florence -(715) 528-4400; Hayward- (715) 634-2688; Ladysmith -(715) 532-3911; Park Falls -(715) 762-3204; Rhinelander- (715) 365-8900; Spooner- (715) 635-2101; Superior -(715) 392-7988; or Woodruff- (715) 356-5211.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Zeckmeister (715) 623-4190 ext. 3121 or the nearest DNR wildlife biologist

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Hunters reminded of coyote season closures during gun deer hunts

MADISON – With the first of the gun deer seasons just around the corner, hunters are reminded that coyote hunting is closed in approximately the northern third of the state during gun deer seasons, including the Oct. 16-19 antlerless gun deer hunt, the Nov. 22-30 gun deer season, the Dec. 1-10 muzzleloader deer hunt and the Dec. 11 – 14 antlerless gun deer hunt. The lone exception is that the coyote season remains open statewide during the Oct.11-12 youth deer hunt.

“Coyote season closes in the north to avoid misidentification and unintentional shooting of gray wolves,” says Adrian Wydeven, mammalian biologist with the state Department of Natural Resources. “Although there are documented wolf packs in the mid-state region, the majority of wolf habitat is in the north and that is where misidentification is most likely.”

Wildlife biologists caution that lone wolves can occur almost anywhere in the state, and especially in forested areas. In those areas of the state where coyote hunting is still allowed during the gun deer hunts, it is the hunter’s responsibility to accurately identify their target.

See page 52 of the 2008 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Regulations for the southern boundary of this special closed area or check regulations online.

Also, this rule does not apply to any deer management unit that does not have a gun deer season occurring, which is the case in the regular deer management units. A person may still hunt coyotes in the northern coyote closure zone from Oct. 16 -19 if they are hunting in a regular deer management unit that is not open to the antlerless hunt.

The gray wolf was returned to the federal endangered species list following a Sept. 29, 2008 Washington, D.C. U.S District Court decision making any shooting of gray wolves illegal. The wolf had been taken off the federal endangered species list in the Midwest states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in February 2007. Groups sued the USFWS claiming the agency violated the Endangered Species Act in the way in which the delisting was promulgated.

As with all hunting seasons, hunters are reminded to be absolutely sure of their target before they shoot. Mistakes in identification can be very costly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Wydeven (715) 762-1363

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New law: Blaze orange required on some ground blinds

Natural vegetation, tree and elevated stands excluded

EDITOR'S ADVISORY: - This news release has been updated to reflect that the requirement for blaze orange on blinds applies only to blinds placed on lands under the ownership, management or control of the Department of Natural Resources. This rule does not apply to federal, county or municipal lands open to hunting, or to private lands. It also does not apply to privately owned lands that are enrolled in the state's Managed Forest Law (MFL) or Forest Crop Law (FCL) programs.

MADISON – Wisconsin gun-deer hunters who use ground blinds on lands controlled by the Department of Natural Resources should note a new state law requires blaze orange visibly displayed on the exterior.

DNR Warden Tim Lawhern who administers the agency’s Hunter Safety Education program, said the patch of blaze orange material must be visible from all directions.

“This blaze orange material must be at least 144 square inches – that’s 12 inches by 12 inches. And it must be visible all around the blind – that’s 360 degrees,” Lawhern said of the state law that took effect this year. “This law is all about keeping hunters safe while they enjoy one of Wisconsin’s traditions.”

Lawhern said the new law, however, does not apply to blinds made of dead vegetation found on the property nor does it apply to tree stands or other elevated stands.

“However, it wouldn’t hurt if those hunters hunting from tree stands or other type blinds did the same thing,” he said.

This new law also contains requirements for unoccupied ground blinds.

“When the ground blind is left unoccupied, the owner must post their DNR customer identification number or name and address written legibly in English somewhere in a conspicuous spot on the outside of the structure and near its entry,” Lawhern said.

To learn how to get a DNR customer ID number or about this new law, call 1-888-936-7463 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. or visit a DNR Service Center.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Lawhern, Hunter Safety Education – (608) 266-1317

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Ring-necked pheasant season opens October 18 at noon

Summer surveys reveal fewer wild, naturally-reproducing birds, in 2008

MADISON – Hunters heading out to Wisconsin’s prairies and marshes in search of ring-necked pheasants this fall may find fewer birds afield this season according to state wildlife officials. The 2008 pheasant hunting opens statewide at noon Oct. 18 and closes on Dec. 31.

On -- correction -- Oct. 18 and 19, the daily bag limit is one cock and possession limit is two. For the remainder of the season the daily bag limit is two cocks and the possession limit is four. Some public hunting grounds have both hen and rooster pheasant hunting (requires free permit and tags) and/or 2 p.m. closure times. The 2 p.m. closure requirements are only in effect for the first two weeks of the pheasant season, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 3. A pheasant stamp is required to hunt pheasants statewide.

During the 2007 pheasant hunting season, more than 70,000 hunters went out in search of pheasants and reported harvesting 360,207 birds. The top counties for harvest included Kenosha, Dane, and Dodge.

Weather impacts wild pheasant populations

“Wisconsin’s wild, naturally-reproducing pheasant population experienced a challenging winter and nesting season this year,” said Scott Hull, DNR upland game biologist. “Both major surveys used to gauge pheasant populations showed decreases in 2008. The spring crowing count survey showed a 30 percent decrease and the rural mail carrier pheasant survey showed a 18 percent decrease in the number of roosters counted compared to 2007.”

Brood survey information collected in July and August also showed a 42 percent decrease in the number of broods seen per observer and a 12 percent decrease in the average brood size. Brood rearing conditions in 2008 were slightly cooler and much wetter than in 2007. While wet and cool conditions did not occur statewide, they likely did have an impact on local brood survival. As a result, pheasant numbers should be down compared to last fall’s hunting season.

“Conditions that favored some species, such as waterfowl broods, were tough on others,” adds Hull. “Still, there is no substitute for searching out good habitat, scouting and securing landowner permissions in determining hunting success. While there may not be as many wild pheasant out there, being in the field, in the fall, can be a reward all in its own.”

What to look for

In Wisconsin research has shown that wetlands are one of the most important year-round cover types for pheasants. Areas within the pheasant management counties that contain adequate winter cover such as cattail and shrub-carr marshes and well established native prairie fields, and with 15 percent or more of the landscape in idle grassland will have the highest pheasant densities. It will be important for hunters to identify areas with high quality habitat and concentrate hunting efforts in that area.

Pheasant stocking program

This fall Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists plan to stock 70 public hunting grounds with approximately 52,000 game farm pheasants. This is a slight decrease from 2007 when 58,000 game farm pheasants were stocked on 70 public hunting grounds. The decrease is partially the result of higher feed and gas costs.

Hunters can check the Special Pheasant Regulations and Maps on the DNR Web site for the 2008 Pheasant Stocking Information Sheet identifying public hunting grounds slated for pheasant stocking. Stocked public hunting grounds are primarily located in the southern part of the state. Hunters should carefully verify which public hunting grounds have a 2 p.m. closure and/or allow hen pheasant hunting.

Blaze orange requirement Oct. 16-19

An antlerless only, gun deer season will be held Oct. 16-19 in many deer management units throughout the state. This means that all pheasant hunters hunting in a deer management unit that has this antlerless season must also be wearing 50 percent blaze orange above the waist, including the hat if one is worn.

More information on the 2008 pheasant population outlook is available on the DNR Web site. See the 2008 Small Game Hunting Regulations available on the hunting and trapping regulations page for additional details.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hull, DNR upland wildlife ecologist - (608) 267-7861 or Sharon Fandel, assistant upland wildlife ecologist - (608) 261-8458

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Hunters urged to help eliminate feral pigs

MADISON – State wildlife officials are encouraging hunters to help eliminate a growing problem population of feral pigs by reporting feral pig sightings or shooting them if they encounter them in the field while pursuing other game.

“Free roaming pigs can be found across a wide variety of habitats and are highly destructive because of the rooting they do in search of food,” says Brad Koele a Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist. “They’re also efficient predators preying on many species including white-tailed deer fawns and ground nesting birds like grouse, woodcock, turkeys, and songbirds.”

Feral pigs are known to carry a number of diseases of importance to the domestic swine industry, including swine brucellosis, pseudorabies and leptospirosis; infected feral pigs have not yet been documented in Wisconsin.

“Our goal is to aggressively remove these animals from the landscape and we are encouraging any hunters who encounter them to shoot them on sight,” said Koele.

Feral pigs are also known as wild pigs, wild hogs, wild boars, European wild boars, Russian wild boars, or razorbacks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says they can be found in as many as 39 states and some experts estimate their population at 4 million in the United States. In some states they are descendents of European swine released by Spanish and European explorers. In others, they are descendents of escaped or released domestic swine or even hybrids of European and domestic swine.

Hunting feral pigs in Wisconsin

Feral pigs have now been found in at least 29 Wisconsin counties. Information on feral pig hunting, including a list of counties where feral pigs have been sighted or killed, is available on the Department of Natural Resources Web site. Maps showing public hunting grounds are also available DNR Managed Lands then Recreational Lands for opportunities to perhaps find wild pigs on public hunting grounds.

Feral pigs are considered unprotected wild animals and may be hunted year-round. The only day they cannot be hunted with a gun is the Friday before the nine-day gun deer hunting season. Also, hunting hours are the same as deer during the nine-day season. During the rest of the year, there are no hunting hour restrictions.

There is no bag limit on feral pigs. Landowners may shoot feral pigs on their own property without a hunting license. Anyone else can shoot a feral pig as long as they possess a valid small game license, sport license, or patron license and have landowner permission if they are on private land.

State officials do ask that anyone shooting a feral pig call a DNR service center or contact a DNR wildlife biologist so that blood and tissue samples can be collected for disease testing in collaboration with USDA and the State veterinarians office.

Feral pig sightings can be reported through the DNR Web site or by calling Brad Koele, Wildlife Damage Specialist at (608) 266-2151.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Koele - (608) 266-2151 or Dave Matheys - (608) 637-3938

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Furbearer trapping seasons set to open

MADISON – Trappers should have a good season this year, with good numbers of most species available in most areas, according to John Olson, furbearer specialist with the state Department of Natural Resources.

Although, he also cautions that spring flooding may have affected a few species locally so successful trappers will want to do some scouting ahead of time. The 2008 trapping seasons open in the north on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 in the south.

“Wisconsin is blessed with a wonderful diversity of common and unique members of this interesting group of wildlife,” Olson says. “Beaver, coyote, raccoon, and muskrat are good examples of the more abundant and common species. In contrast, the more secretive bobcat, fisher and otter are doing well in the North, and slowly expanding southward. And then there's the American marten, barely holding its own in two small regions of the North.”

Mike Zeckmeister, northern region wildlife supervisor from Antigo, urges trappers and hunters to “make sure you do your homework with pre-season scouting and make sure you obtain permission from the landowner well in advance. ”

Detailed regional information on furbearing species by area biologists and conservation wardens is available on the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: John Olson, Furbearer Specialist, (715)685-2934, or Caleb Bilda, Assistant Furbearer Specialist, (608)261-6452

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Wisconsin Updates Wetlands Strategy

MADISON – Sixteen organizations and government agencies have created a strategic plan to help reverse the destruction of wetlands in Wisconsin and are calling on all citizens to help “protect, restore and explore” these valuable natural resources.

“Wisconsin has lost almost half of its original wetland acres in the last 150 years,” says Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank. “We don't expect to restore all 5 million acres and we understand that some wetland loss is necessary for development. But protecting remaining wetlands and restoring others where it makes sense will help prevent flooding, keep our lakes, rivers and drinking water clean, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife and recreation for people.”

The plan, “Reversing the Loss,” was developed by the Wisconsin Wetland Team, which includes representatives from federal, state and regional agencies and conservation organizations such as the Wisconsin Wetland Association, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. The plan endorsed by the Wisconsin Realtors Association and the Wisconsin Builders’ Association.

The 16 member groups will continue to pursue their own mission and strategies, but agree to work toward the plan’s common vision of “reversing the loss” and to detail more specifically what they’ll do in action plans. The 2008-2010 action plan is available on the Wisconsin Wetlands Strategy: Reversing the Loss page of the DNR Web site.

The plan recognizes significant progress in Wisconsin in cutting wetland losses occurring as a result of construction projects that gain the needed permits: since 1991, the DNR’s permit program stressing avoiding and minimizing wetland losses has cut such permitted losses by 90 percent to an average of 100 acres for non-transportation projects.

But the plan also cites growing challenges occurring on local, regional and global scales, including global climate change, environmentally unfriendly construction and agricultural practices, invasive species and overuse of groundwater aquifers.

“The issues connected with restoring and protecting wetlands in the state are so complex we need a number of groups working on them,” says Becky Abel, executive director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association. “The partnership and Reversing the Loss address a lot of the complexities of wetland protection and restoration.”

Abel says that misunderstandings about wetlands “are so pervasive, both with respect to what wetlands are and why they matter. It should be the responsibility of multiple organizations and agencies to work on providing that information.”

Don Hammes, who chairs the Wetland Committee of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, says the strategic plan is a good one but that the process of creating it was even more important.

“DNR staff in particular had to make some tough decisions as to how they could best use their limited resources to help people protect, restore and explore wetlands. Then, priorities had to be determined,” he says.

The most valuable thing external groups did, Hammes says, was bring in varied perspectives.

The report notes that fully 75 percent of remaining wetlands are in private hands and several dozen agencies and organizations involved in wetland work play a large role in restoring wetlands and educating people about wetlands.

“Wisconsin wetlands cannot be protected and managed without help from wetland partners and citizens,” the report states. “Together, we can strive to Reverse the Loss of Wisconsin wetlands and leave for future generations these special places and the many benefits they bring.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Cherie Hagen, DNR (608) 266-7360 or Becky Abel, WWA (608) 250-9971, Don Hammes, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, (608) 836-1205

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Tracking system shows activities affecting wetlands for good or bad

MADISON - The Wisconsin strategy to reverse the historical loss of wetlands begs the question, how is the state doing today in protecting and restoring wetlands?

“We know that about 5 million acres, or 47 percent, of Wisconsin's original wetlands were drained or filled over the decades to make way for farms, cities, and roads,” says Tom Bernthal, a Department of Natural Resources wetland ecologist. “The good news is state and federal permitting systems have greatly slowed wetland loss and we are working to restore lost wetlands.”

To report on that progress, Bernthal and Brynda Hatch, a DNR computer mapping expert, have, through work funded in part by federal grants, developed one of the nation's first wetland tracking systems.

The system uses mapping technology to summarize and show the locations of activities that affect wetlands, both positively and negatively. Beneficial activities tracked include restoring filled, dredged or drained wetlands, and improving the health of existing ones. Potentially harmful activities tracked range from projects that get government permits to fill in wetlands, to construction activities that disturb wetlands while roads, pipelines and transmission lines are being built.

“The tracking system gives us a pretty good idea of positive and negative effects on wetlands each year, and its results can serve as a report card on Reversing the Loss-A strategy to Protect, Restore and Explore Wisconsin Wetlands,” he says.

An audio slide show on how Wisconsin wetlands have fared in the last two years is available on the Wetland Activity Tracking page of the DNR Web site.

Bernthal says that information from the tracking system will be particularly valuable when combined with other mapping information about areas with potentially restorable wetlands.

“We’ll be able to identify areas that if restored can be especially beneficial for water quality, flood control, habitat or some other function.”

“We know we won’t restore all 5 million acres of wetlands Wisconsin’s lost, but we are setting realistic goals for our watersheds and wildlife, and this tracking system is an important part of doing that.”

“Wetland Activities in Wisconsin: Status Report for 2007” and the 2006 report are available on the Wetland Activity Tracking page of the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Bernthal (608) 266-3033

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Study offers picture of next generation of woodland owners

MADISON – Nearly 25 percent, or one-out-four, family-owned woodlands will be sold, subdivided or converted to another use over the next five years according to a recently completed survey of current woodland owners and their sons and daughters. At least half of the sons and daughters expecting to inherit their parents’ woodlands may not be prepared for the challenges of owning and managing a living asset.

The study was conducted to learn more about the next generation of Wisconsin woodland owners who are on the verge of inheriting a large portion of the state’s forests.

“Knowing the attitudes of the people who, in the next few years, expect to inherit a large portion of Wisconsin’s forests is crucial in creating the kind of sound public policy needed to sustain Wisconsin’s forests now and in the future,” said Paul DeLong, Wisconsin Chief Forester and administrator of the DNR Division of Forestry.

The benchmark Tomorrow's Woodland Owners study was undertaken by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Forestry Division in partnership with the Pinchot Institute for Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service.

More than half of Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of forest are in private non-industrial ownership. Roughly 360,000 individual landowners care for 9.1 million forest acres in Wisconsin and 60 percent of them are age 55 or older. Almost half, 49 percent, are already retired.

“Given the key role the state’s forests play in Wisconsin’s economy, environmental health and quality of life, understanding the views and the needs of the next generation of woodland owners is of huge importance,” added DeLong.

This pending shift in forest ownership raises questions that aren’t easy to answer, say forestry officials. For instance:

• What happens when a parcel of forested land is inherited by multiple siblings? Will brothers and sisters (and their respective spouses) be able to agree on what should be done to manage the land? The study results suggest there is disagreement on these issues.
• Will family challenges, such as health emergencies, result in the land being sold? Fifty-one percent of offspring say yes, they would sell if money is needed)
• Are financial concerns -- such as taxes on the forested property, costs connected with land management, and the ability to generate money from the property -- more important than a desire to keep a piece of property as a family legacy? The study results suggest that pocket-book issues and fish and wildlife purposes are more important than land stewardship to the next generation of owners.
• Will the next generation decide to hold on to the living asset they will inherit from their parents and keep the property as forested land? Or will it be easier to sell the land for development or divide it up among multiple siblings? Sixty percent of males and 38 percent of females indicated that income from the family forestland was important to them.
• What barriers are faced by the next generation who say they'd like to keep the forested land they will inherit?
• Does the next generation of landowners have the same values and knowledge base as their parents? Can they make the same investment of time and energy as their parents, particularly if the forested property is located a considerable distance from where the new owners live?

“Sibling disagreements could have a major impact on continued ownership and management of family forestlands,” says Carol Nielsen, DNR Private Forestry Specialist. “At least half of the multiple-sibling families participating in the study said they disagreed with in three critical areas: in the degree to which siblings wanted to be involved in family forest management; in whether parents would divide the family property among multiple siblings or to an individual; and in identifying the conditions that would ultimately result in the sale of land.”

“The data from this survey will help guide the work of everyone who is interested in a economically vibrant, environmentally responsible future for Wisconsin’s forests,” Nielsen said.

Detailed survey analysis, additional forest ownership and management information, and forest resources can be found on the Tomorrow's Woodland Owners page of the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Carol Nielsen, 608.267-7508