Duck Stamp Inflation Adjustment passes Joint Finance Committee hurdle
By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bruceross@wi.rr.com
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s June, 2021 Newsletter edition.
During the past few weeks, our efforts to make more funding available for wetland habitat through a duck stamp fee adjustment have hit a crescendo. We’ve been quite engaged on this issue, meeting with legislators and their staff in person, on zoom, and through written communications. And after the ten-year effort, we have some good news to share: The Joint Finance Committee has approved the modest $5 increase that adjusts the fee for inflation in the 23 years since the last adjustment.
Here’s the press release that acknowledges this milestone, recognizes the coalition of duck hunting organizations which advocated for this adjustment, and shares some love with the legislators who listened to the voice of the state’s waterfowlers who thought this increase was important to the future of our sport. Read the press release here.
This is a victory for Wisconsin’s ducks and duck hunters, who will admittedly have to reach a little deeper into their pockets to invest in the future of their fall passion. But there will be some vocal non-supporters (less than 16% according to our last poll). They may be vocal that they won’t be able to afford what equates to about seven shotgun shells. We can respect their concerns, but you might also ask them to consider this article that we first published a couple of months ago (and which last month got re-published by by Wisconsin and Illinois’ Safari Club International’s Hunters magazine).
Friday 4 June (TODAY!) representatives from [both] WWA’s, DU, Delta, TU, DNR and USFWS met with legislators at Horicon Marsh to discuss the value and urgency of investing in our wetland infrastructure. This was only one day after the Joint Finance Committee approved a $5 inflationary adjustment to the state duck stamp fee. Representative Born (far right, red shirt) was critical to this effort, and with important support from Senators Ballweg, Feyen and Jagler, and Representatives Dallman who were also in attendance.
