Current Legislative Issues

The Wisconsin Waterfowl Association consistently works to stay up-to-date and involved in those legislative issues most important to our membership and our mission.  Here are some of the issues we are currently involved in:

March 31, 2011 - Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp Proposed Price Increase:

BACKGROUND: Th e Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp has generated $13,236,927 for habitat work since the stamp was authorized in 1978. Projects include wetland restoration and protection, wetland development, and management, including increased and improved public access for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. First issued in 1978 at a price of $3.25. Th e stamp price was increased in 1991 to $5.25 and again in 1997 to $7.00. However, the price of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp has not been raised for 14 years. Inflation, increasing user demand, increasing public land base, and the cost of maintenance for significant wetland infrastructure means many habitat activities are going unfunded.  Read more...

March 4, 2011 – Update on State & Federal Legislation, from Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and Wisconsin Waterfowl Association:

A. State Legislative and Budgetary Matters

1. SSSB10 – Brown County Wetland Filling. This highly publicized bill, which has passed, authorizes the filling of approximately 2 acres of wetlands for commercial purposes. Initially as drafted, the bill would have authorized the potential filling of over 1000 acres of wetlands in Brown County. Efforts by the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, and Ducks Unlimited led to an amendment restricting the bill’s application to about 2 acres.

2. ASSB 8 – Changes to State Rulemaking Authority. This bill makes many changes to state rulemaking authority, including: hunting, fishing, and trapping rules. It requires an economic analysis for every rule no matter how minor. Every hunting, fishing, and trapping regulation will need an economic analysis. These analyses require that DNR must consult with businesses, local units of government and individuals affected by the rule, which may involve hundreds of thousands of contacts. Still unchanged, but commitments have been made to clarify this language.

3. Current Year Stewardship Lands Purchases. The DNR is substantially reducing the amount of land it will purchase before the end of the fiscal year, July 1, 2011. It is doing this in order to better prioritize state land purchases. However, this will not have a major impact, since only $7.5M remains in the fund for this year, out of approximately $50M authorized for this year.

4. Proposed 2011-2013 Budget Stewardship Funding. The Governor has retained the full $86M annually for state land purchases and development grants for land purchases for local units of government and land trusts. However, there may be efforts in the Legislature to significantly reduce this funding. The budget bill also makes some good changes regarding access for hunting, fishing, and trapping – an area that WWA has long fought for, in past years. The bill however, ends Payment in Lieu of Taxes to local units of government for DNR land purchases. This will results in significant local opposition to DNR land purchases, and should be removed from the bill.

5. Anticipated Further Wetland Regulation Changes. NR 103 is the major state regulatory program protecting wetlands in Wisconsin. Its adoption in 1991 has saved the filling of tens of thousands of acres of wetlands. Current legislators have indicated they will introduce bills to change the bill, and weaken protections in Wisconsin. While everyone agrees that there are legitimate changes that can be made to NR 103, we need to work together to assure that wetland protections in Wisconsin are not substantially damaged.

B. Federal Budgetary Changes

1. The US Congress is in the process of adopting a Budget for the current fiscal year, ending October1, 2011. The U.S. House of Representatives adopted its version, HR1 in late February, which makes unduly severe cuts in many federal conservation programs, including: the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, Farm Bill Conservation Programs, the Land & Water Conservation Fund, and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. DU, WWA, and WWF all have efforts underway to convince our US Senators to restore substantial funding for these programs. (View WWA's Call to Action) Realistically, we know that conservation cuts must be made to handle the Federal deficit situation, yet the elimination of funding for these programs is excessive.

C. Ducks Unlimited’s Message in Regards to NAWCA funding elimination:

1. The future of North America’s waterfowl and waterfowl hunting traditions rests in the hand of your Congressional leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives has proposed cutting nearly $2 billion from key conservation programs.

2. These proposed cuts would: • Eliminate funding for the NAWCA program • Prohibit federal agencies from even considering changes to the Clean Water Act that would protect waterfowl breeding habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region. • Eliminate State Wildlife Grants that enable state wildlife agencies to help manage all wildlife within their borders. • Diminish U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s ability to acquire land for conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region. • Ducks Unlimited fully supports reasonable means and actions to reduce and eliminate the budget deficit. Hunters and anglers generate nearly $80B into the U.S. economy each year, with billions of tax dollars per year – a net gain for the federal treasury – returned through direct taxes paid by those who work in that industry. This is simply the wrong investment to target for reduction.

3. DU maintains that cuts to these programs would have the opposite effect, paralyzing programs that help contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and support more than 20,000 jobs.

4. In an era of tight budgets, these conservation programs represent how limited federal funds can be invested to maximize results for taxpayers. The programs area effective and fiscally responsible, which is why they traditionally have broad, bipartisan support.

D. North American Wetland Conservation Act.

1. Proposed spending cuts to NAWCA would take the program from $47.6M in 2010, to ZERO for 2011.

2. Wisconsin Waterfowl Association had submitted two grant proposals, either individually, or as a part of a larger group, for use in 2011, in excess of $70,000. The loss of these funds will have a dramatic impact on our organization’s ability to pursue the opportunities that have been prepared for work, this year and next.

3. Please consider contacting your Senators, using the link above, or at: Senator Ron Johnson 202-224-5323 Ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index/cfm/contact Senator Herb Kohl 202-224-5653 Kohl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Announces Camo Coalition 

 WWA is a member of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF), which is an alliance of the many conservation and sportsman's organizations in Wisconsin.  WWF has unvelied a new Action Network, an email-based alert system.  This network of email activists will be contacted about important and timely issues, encouraging you to send emails or faxes to your elected officials.  With each action alert, you will be given concise information about an urgent issue and instructions on how to contact targeted officials simply and effectively.  To get a general overview of the coalition go to the Camo Coalition's site.  To become a member of the camo coalition simply follow the link and click on "Sign Up".