August Executive Director’s Column

By Bruce Ross, Executive Director

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s August Newsletter edition.

It’s hard for me to appreciate that I’ve been with WWA for six months now – how time flies.  And I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m already behind in preps for my upcoming waterfowl season!  I think the two items are related.  While I’ve addressed my malfunctioning shotgun, there’s remaining work on my shooting eye, my blocks and my blinds!  My reality is those annual preps have to take second fiddle to what’s happening at our WWA:

  • The new Board Committees intended to expand our state-wide impact (habitat, education, policy, development) are standing up and beginning to flex their wings. Want to help?  Here’s a list of “help wanted” positions.
  • The duck stamp fee increase is not dead and we’re working with DU and others to help focus that policy effort.
  • Events like the recent well-received Decoy Carving Contest and golf outings, and recent and future shoots – and calling contests and banquets – are coming faster than a flock of teal!

All this effort – and more – is reflected in this newsletter. It’s getting bigger!  We will be organizing how you can find everything inside and outside our newsletters over the coming months to help you get the information you want in a easily findable and digestible way… bear with us.

DNRlogoprocessDNR Corner – It only makes sense for WIWaterfolwers to be connected with what’s happening at the DNR with regard to waterfowling and wetlands around the state.  If you’re like me, you subscribe to a lot of different DNR email lists to informally survey what’s going on.  But that means I have to sort through a lot of chaff to find the wheat.

So, WWA and the DNR are working together to make it easier for you to stay abreast of such information.  Key DNR waterfowl specialists have agreed to write articles about topical issues for this newsletter.  While we may not always agree on policy issues, at least we will be able to hear it directly from the horse’s mouth and take some of the surprise and mis-information out of any legitimate policy debates.  Expect to hear from Wisconsin DNR’s:

The initial updates are a bit dense with info, but I’d like to call your attention to the DNR’s proposal to update the waterfowl refuge regs.   We met with Taylor last week to find out what’s really happening here, since it’s such a lot of information to digest.  The DNR reps spent over an hour with us going through the changes – the first in over 40 years! – and why they are needed now. We made several observations, and the DNR was extremely responsive to our desires and concerns.  WWA is not yet taking a position on the changes, but you should know:

  • We understand and agree with the need to update and simplify the regs to make them easier for waterfowlers to understand and comply.
  • We asked the DNR to provide additional public information in two areas:
    • What are the overall state-wide changes to the refuges?
      • Has critical refuge acreage grown or shrunk under the proposals?
      • Is there more or less hunting opportunity as a result?
      • What’s the net state-wide impact?
    • Refuge-by-refuge, closed area-by-closed area, what has changed?
      • The DNR should highlight the specific changes in each location. If your hunting area is impacted, please review the changes in detail and provide feedback to the DNR site.

And we told the DNR we would send this information out to you as they make it available.

We also asked the DNR that, after providing the above info, they please allow ample time for impacted waterfowlers to provide public comment by extending the deadline.

I am pleased to report that the DNR was extremely positive about meeting these requests. Taylor provided the first installment in the August newsletter.  This is an example of how WWA is seeking to better serve the needs of you, the WIWaterfowler.  Have more ideas?  Let me know! bruceross@wi.rr.com.