Vote April 5 and at a Conservation Congress on April 11 – Please!
As everyone knows, Governor Walker has made national headlines over controversial proposals. He seems to relish the publicity as well as the fight he provoked. Much of the ire has been directed, appropriately, at his attempts to bust unions and gut public education. But much more is also at stake, including wildlife and peaceful recreation in our state parks. Tomorrow’s voting is widely viewed as a referendum on Walker’s proposals. Let’s make it so. But there’s another important opportunity to vote next week.
The Wisconsin DNR is holding a Conservation Congress next Monday, April 11 to determine the fate of 85 proposals for changes that could have a dramatic effect on our state parks.
Here are just five of the proposals to be voted on:
1. To allow widespread hunting and trapping in state parks.
2. To kill 350 of the state’s 700 wild wolves.
3. To allow shooting within 100 feet of a human-occupied building.
4. To allow hunting of the 200 elk in the state.
5. To allow bears to be killed with dog packs.
With some exceptions for the annual hunting of deer, turkey, and other designated animals in designated sections of the parks, none of these things currently are legal in Wisconsin state parks.
You can make a difference by voting no on these and other ballot questions! But here’s the kicker: the rules stipulate that no public comments will be accepted. You must vote in person, you must vote on April 11, and you must vote in the one location designated for your county.
If you live in Milwaukee County, please vote at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis at 7 pm on April 11.
If you live in another county, click here to find the location.
To read ballot questions 52-53, which proposes to allow hunting and trapping, click here.
For more information, click here.
For the record, I have never opposed hunting deer on private lands in Wisconsin. Please join me in voting no on April 11 to opening our parks to widespread hunting. Who thinks 200 elk are too many for the state of Wisconsin, anyway?!!
Here's another thought: why is this voting so restrictive? It seems as if it's deliberately designed to reduce participation. Let's tell our legislators that our parks and the people of Wisconsin who use them deserve more respect.
Here's another thought: why is this voting so restrictive? It seems as if it's deliberately designed to reduce participation. Let's tell our legislators that our parks and the people of Wisconsin who use them deserve more respect.
lots of misinformation here...
ReplyDeleteThe DNR spring hearings are always open to the public, and run the same every year. Usually very specific hunting and fishing related rule changes. Very few people other than hunters and fisherman attend. Votes are just advisory, and just considered public input.
I'm as liberal as the next guy..but misinformation just hurts your cause.
go here for real info - http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/
btw..there already is an Elk season, you can already hunt in some state parks, you can already hunt bear with dogs (the dogs don't kill they bears, only tree them), and the wolf population is double its establishment goal number.
ReplyDeletealso....Conservation Congress is the only citizen advisory board of its kind in the nation. We should be lucky to have such in organization. They are also voting to extend their powers to all legislative natural resources issues...a huge step forward.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 64- WCC Process before Legislative Action (# 150210): Every year members of Wisconsin’s legislature introduce specific special interest legislation that circumvents or by-passes the grassroots ideals of the Conservation Congress (CC). In doing so, they deliberately and effectively keep the people of Wisconsin out of the debate on those issues. Wisconsin is currently the only state to have such a grassroots organization to advise the Natural Resources Board and the department on Natural Resources issues. The DNR and the NRB have shown great respect for this process and have demonstrated their willingness to work through the CC.
Would you support legislation requiring the procedure of allowing the Conservation Congress process of public input on all matters concerning conservation, hunting, fishing, trapping, habitat, wildlife, land and water issues to take place before a law on these matters can be acted on by the legislature?
64. YES_______ NO______
I do not claim to be an expert on this issue. In fact, I only now became aware of the Conservation Congress when I received the links that I have forwarded. I encourage all to defer to those links for details. I am grateful to the many people who have replied to me personally (and not anonymously), some of them much more knowledgeable than I about this issue. My primary goal is to raise awareness. Comments and clarifications are welcome.
ReplyDeleteTo raise awareness in a proper manner, you must research and provide facts...otherwise you will have no credibility.
ReplyDeleteI suggest reading over the questionaires, and attending the WCC hearings..as it provides valuable public input.