| Newsletter from State Rep. Paul Tittl who is the Chairman of the Sandhill Crane committee. We need all Sportsmen and Women who want to hunt Sandhill Crane to contact their legislators to support the hunting of Sandhill cranes in the future. Please, you need to contact them ASAP. Thanks! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Legislative Council Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes will be wrapping up next Tuesday. I appreciate the hundreds of emails I received on what you would like to see this committee accomplish. At the next meeting, the committee will be tasked with voting on three preliminary bills and additional documents of findings. The three preliminary bills address hunting, crop damage, and preventing further crop damage.
Important points that I have considered as Chair include:
- The population of sandhill cranes that migrates to or through Wisconsin is categorized and managed as the “Eastern Population” of sandhill cranes,
- The 2010 USFWS Management Plan for the Eastern Population of sandhill crane population goal is to maintain an interim population index of between 30,000 to 60,000 birds. The 2023 population index of Eastern Population cranes is 112,000 birds,
- The Eastern Population of sandhill cranes is growing at 4.4%,
- Some corn producers apply Anthraquinone (commonly known under its brand name of Avipel) to their corn seed prior to planting to prevent or mitigate crane damage. This chemical is mostly effective at protecting the corn seed and limiting crop losses,
- The 2023 USDA-WS total amount of damage reported is $1,974,150 (Caused by sandhill cranes),
- Farmers are able to apply for a depredation permit, allowing farmers to shoot cranes in their fields causing damage. However, the crane carcasses must be left in the field, buried or burned. Over the last seven years, more than 8,000 cranes have been killed in Wisconsin under these depredation permits, and
- The Wisconsin Constitution provides that “[t]he people have the right to fish, hunt, trap, and take game subject only to reasonable restrictions as prescribed by law.” Article 1, Section 26.
The committee will meet next Tuesday at 10 AM. Coverage of this meeting will be live-streamed on Wisconsin Eye. Please give me a call if you would like more information. |
|
|
Stay Connected
As a reminder, I encourage you to follow me on social media, including Facebook and Twitter, for all of the up-to-date information on important issues. My legislative website can be found at:https://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/25/tittl |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
