Government Affairs

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the 2023 Spring Hearing questions and results are now available. More than 11,500 people responded to the 2023 Spring Hearing questionnaire available online April 10-13. The annual Spring Hearing is an opportunity for the public to provide input on a wide array of natural resources-related proposed rule change questions presented by the DNR and advisory questions presented by the Conservation Congress.

Governor Evers Announces Budget Initiatives to Bolster Conservation, Strengthen Forest Industry MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today will visit Milwaukee’s Arborist Apprenticeship Program to highlight his 2023-25 biennial budget initiatives to strengthen Wisconsin’s forest regeneration and management, take preventative action against invasive species, and expand the forestry industry workforce across the state.

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirms a wild deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Winnebago County in the town of Nepeuskun. This positive is also within 10 miles of the Waushara County, Green Lake County and Fond du Lac County borders.

Trapping data collected by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) indicates that the spongy moth (formerly Gypsy Moth), an invasive insect from Europe that feeds on the leaves of more than 300 tree species, is now established in Douglas County.  As a result, this county has been placed under state and federal spongy moth quarantine, joining most of eastern and central Wisconsin already considered to be infested with the pest.

WWOA members are encouraged to participate in both of these activities – the WDNR Open Houses and the online Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Hearings online survey.  Questions on the survey are not just about hunting and fishing regulations or issues. Your input on natural resource issues ranging from banning the Fall shining of wild animals, lead poisoning of eagles, hazardous wakes from wake surfing boats, to mining regulations is important!

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s Division of Forestry’s Strategic Direction is a five-year plan that builds off of the Wisconsin forestry community’s 10-year Statewide Forest Action Plan. It allows us to connect our vision for the future using tangible strategies and actions.

Today, the Governor’s office announced that he had signed AB 909 (now Act 230) with changes to the Managed Forest Law program.  Act 230, makes a number of changes to the Managed Forest Land (MFL) program, including modifying the 20-acre eligibility threshold by allowing two noncontiguous 10-acre parcels to qualify for enrollment into the program, creating an exception to the prohibition on buildings and improvements on MFL parcels, and requiring the DNR to promulgate separate…

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive insect from Asia that was first introduced into the United States in 2002. The Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in 64 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.  Since its discovery, EAB has caused the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees. Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is using ash trees against the pest to help preserve and protect the tree species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on March 22, 2022, a proposal to reclassify the northern long-eared bat as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The bat, currently listed as threatened, faces extinction due to the range-wide impacts of white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease affecting cave-dwelling bats across the continent. Bats are critical to healthy, functioning ecosystems and contribute at least $3 billion annually to the U.S.

The WWOA Board of Directors held a special Board meeting on January 12, 2022 to respond to the proposed WI DNR Forest Tax Law Handbook changes. WWOA’s response to the proposed changes can be read HERE.