Wisconsin Wildlife Update: Conservation Congress Issues And More

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

Larry Meiller finds out about upcoming conservation congress issues, spring clean-up and spring wildlife activity, plus some great ways to get out and enjoy our natural areas.

Featured in this Show

  • Conservation Congress Gives Public Chance To Be Heard

    It’s hard to imagine life in Wisconsin without access to wonderful natural areas and the wildlife that inhabits them. But those places and animals need to be managed in a way that balances needs and resources and it’s important that the public’s voice be heard in the process.

    The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will be holding their annual Conservation Congress spring public hearings on Monday, April 14, at 7 p.m. in every county of the state.

    Scott Craven, an emeritus wildlife specialist with the University of Wisconsin Extension, said that those hearings are “a chance for citizen input.” At those hearings on April 14, delegates will be elected and those delegates then make up the congress, Craven explained.

    The congress is organized into committees that deal with more specific aspects of wildlife management in Wisconsin. Craven said that those committees and the congress as a whole work on conservation issues throughout the year and then make recommendations. It’s those recommendations that go before the public at the spring hearings. The results from the hearings are considered advisory to the Natural Resources Board.

    Craven emphasized that this annual set of hearings is completely open to the public.

    “The perception is that it it’s strictly a ‘hook and bullet’ crowd, and in some counties and under some circumstances yes, it’s dominated by hunting and fishing interests. But, anybody is free to attend,” he said.

    In addition, according to DNR officials, “Wildlife management staff will provide a brief overview of the status of the deer herd and some upcoming changes to the deer season that are a result of the implementation of the deer trustee report.”

    The locations for all of the meetings are available for download from the DNR website. In addition, there are instructions on how to write a resolution, the spring meeting questionnaire, information on how delegates are elected, and a flow chart of what happens when a resolution is introduced. Information for first-time attendees to the public hearings is available from the DNR in English, Spanish and Hmong.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Scott Craven Guest

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