Should WI DNR Allow Tundra Swan & Albino Deer Hunts? Enhance Trapping? You Can Vote Against the Hunts! On Monday April 14, there will be 72 public hearings, one in each county beginning at 7:00 p.m. Individuals can provide input by non-binding vote and testimony to the DNR, Natural Resources Board and the Conservation Congress on rule changes and advisory questions relating to fish and wildlife management in Wisconsin. Key issues include: • liberalizing the use of foot snares for trapping small animals • legalizing the hunt of white and albino deer • developing a hunting season for tundra swans • allow trapping 24 hours/day vs current law of 8am-4pm • allow hunters to retrieve their hunting dogs through legal trespass without landowner’s permission • consider mandatory wolf trapper education before individuals can trap wolves As the Wisconsin hunting scene continues its tilt towards fringe hunting, many park/trail users and mainstream hunters are becoming increasing alienated by DNR and legislative actions. Recent law changes including hunting wolves with dogs (which only occurs in a few places in the world including Kazakhstan) is reinforcing Wisconsin’s reputation as the Louisiana of the north. Disruption to normal wildlife flow has been well documented and tourism impacts are becoming more apparent. Make yourself heard by attending the April 14th Spring Hearings. For complete information on the DNR Spring Wildlife Hearings visit the DNR website here: dnr.wi.gov/about/wcc/springhearing.html Meeting locations in eastern WI are listed below: Sheboygan: Plymouth High School Auditorium, 125 Highland Avenue, Plymouth, WI 53073 Ozaukee: Webster Middle School Commons, W75 N624 Wauwatosa Road, Cedarburg, WI 53012 Milwaukee: Nathan Hale High School Auditorium, 11601 W Lincoln Avenue, West Allis, WI 53227 Manitowoc: UW-Manitowoc Theatre, 705 Viebahn Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220 Fond du Lac: Theisen Middle School, 525 E Pioneer Road, Fond du Lac, WI 54935 Biking Law Getting Shelved by WI Legislature Newly proposed biking legislation that encourages people to take greater care when driving motor vehicles near pedestrians and cyclists will likely not receive a floor vote. With time running out in this legislative session, floor leaders have decided to table it. The Vulnerable Users Law (Senate Bill 307) was passed overwhelming with bi-partisan support by Senate and House Committees. Political maneuverings aside, the Vulnerable Users Law seeks to fix current law which makes it difficult to charge drivers that kill bicyclists and pedestrians with anything other than a simple traffic violation. Supreme Court Decision May Void Popular Rails to Trails Legislation The case of Marvin M. Brandt vs. United States, defeated the right to convert a federally-granted right-of-way into a rail-trail for Wyoming’s Medicine Bow Rail Trail. This decision will not only block the completion of the Medicine Bow Rail Trail, but could also threaten existing rail-trails that utilize federally-granted rights-of-way. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and other hiking advocacy organizations argued in support of current trail/trail law. Some of the better known Midwest rail-trails include the Elroy-Sparta, & Bearskin trails in Wisconsin, the 112 mile Paul Bunyan State Trail in Minnesota, and the 62 mile North Central State Trail which runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City in northern Michigan. Rails to Trails legislation was established by Congress to maintain transportation and recreation corridors.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 19:26:27 +0000
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