County spring hearing voters for CWD program, oppose banning lead

Results from the 2019 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Fish and Wildlife Rules Hearings are available online.

More than 10,000 individuals participated, with 3,402 attending the meetings April 8, and another 7,310 using the new online feature that ended April 11.

The meeting results, combined with written comments and DNR recommendations, are used to advise the state Natural Resources Board. The results will be reviewed at the board’s May 22 meeting in Madison. Votes are non-binding and are presented to the board as a gauge of the public’s support or non-support for proposed changes.

On questions involving Shawano County, those in attendance at the April 8 meeting or who voted online were against establishing an 18-inch minimum length limit and a daily bag limit of three for walleye (question 27) by two votes (27-25). That same group was against reducing the daily walleye bag limit from five to three (question 16) by a 29-22 vote.

However, online votes from respondents who recreate in the county were for both resolutions. The vote tally was 228-123 on question 27 and 211-147 on question 16. Overall state results also voted in favor (4,756-1,959 on question 27, and 5,120-2,488 on question 16).

Question 52 regarding conducting a pilot CWD Payment for Positives program in 2019 was a hot topic at the Shawano County hearing. In-person and online voters voted in favor by two votes, 25-23.

Online voters who recreate in the county were in favor of the resolution (176-127). Across the state, citizens were also were in favor (4,408-3,265).

The baiting and feeding ban resolution (question 56) was opposed by those in attendance or voted online (31-26), but again was accepted by the online voters in the county (184-144) and by those around the state (5,390-2978).

Implementing a ban on lead ammunition and fishing gear (questions 85 and 86) was opposed by those in attendance or voting online. Vote totals were 39-13 against banning lead ammo and 40-12 against banning lead fishing equipment.

Online voters also voted against both resolutions (181-144 for question 85, and 187-138 for question 86). The rest of the state voted against as well (4,297-3,868 on question 85, and 4,237-3,931 on question 86).