By Bruce Ross, Executive Director
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s July, 2020 Newsletter edition.
Our Policy team, lead by Director Randy Helbach, is growing, with some exceptional talent and commitment. Just in time for some exciting challenges:
By law, Duck Stamp funds are dedicated to habitat improvement: 67% here in Wisconsin and 33% in Canada. WWA holds a seat on the DNR’s Migratory Game Bird Committee that selects projects worthy of your stamp purchases. This past year, WWA helped guide some of that Canadian-bound funding to Delta Waterfowl to acquire and protect important waterfowl production land. The DNR just shared a report of how that $34,000 of WI waterfowlers’ funding will help state duck hunters through the acquisition of conservation easements on nearly 160 acres of high-quality Canadian wetlands and associated uplands important for nesting success. And that funding was leveraged into another 430 conservation-eased acres through NAWCA and Canadian matching funds!
- Now imagine what increasing the duck stamp fee to account for inflation ($5 – the cost of a box of shells on the clays course) would do for waterfowl production tomorrow and into the future. Here’s a letter and response we worked on with the usual duck hunting suspects… er, conservation groups, to help get this ball across the goal line this coming year. We need legislators to hear this message and we’ll be needing your help to share it with them. Want to play a role? Let me know at [email]bruceross@wi.rr.com[email].
- In case you missed it, the 2020 waterfowl season structure has been approved by the NRB, and published by the DNR. WWA, based on your survey feedback, had a significant responsibility in helping to shape the outlines of the season. And further, your input, through WWA, helped solidify the value of an open water zone that will be implemented next year (2021). Assuming, of course, that the US Fish and Wildlife Service approves the Wisconsin plan. Check out our special edition newsletter (published only a couple of weeks after the NRB) as the most comprehensive overview of this new Wisconsin zone that is available today!
- There’s a long back story on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program; Wisconsin’s outdoors lovers have benefited almost beyond measure in the thirty-one years of its existence: tens of thousands of acres public hunting lands, public stream access, habitat restoration funding and scores of parks and trails and improvements. WWA will be partnering with other conservation organizations to raise a loud voice to continue this important program – adding your own voice to this chorus will be important.
- A few months ago, new volunteer Kim Shady, after coming to his first WWA annual meeting, told me he wanted share some of his time and talent to help future Wisconsin waterfowlers. We considered that over 85% of you want WWA to support a sustainable Sandhill Crane season (according to our latest survey). Then we agreed that he would undertake some research on their burgeoning population. Kim’s research came in unexpectedly handy when the Natural Resources Board considered the topic of Sandhill Carne population and management just a few days ago. Here’s the initial letter of interest we shared with the Natural Resources Board on behalf of our members. Looks like the NRB will be taking up this issue again in a month or two. But regardless of NRB’s position, new legislation would be required to authorize such a season, and WWA will want to offer our members’ perspective on why the time to consider such a season may have arrived.
