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Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Announces Conservation Partnership with Sporting Lead Free |
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Horicon Marsh Learn to Hunt WaterfowlConservation Professional Information |
| The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our partners are offering conservation professionals who are novice hunters the chance to experience a mentored waterfowl hunt at Horicon Marsh to learn more about the heritage of the sport as well as the role hunting plays in natural resources and conservation. |
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Roadless Rules town hall set in Rhinelander |
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WiWF and several other organizations have been working on putting together a public Town Hall in relation to the Federal repeal of the roadless rule for national forests. Generally when it comes to Federal rule changes such as this, public town halls are held. But for this, the US Forest Service will not hold public town halls. What a handful of organizations have done is schedule our own town hall. We will then take the comments and meeting recording and submit that into the Federal Register during the public comment period. The meeting will be held Thursday June 6th at 6:30pm at Nicolet College (5350 College Dr, Rhinelander, WI 54501). More info about the Roadless Rule https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2026/02/18/an-update-on-the-roadless-rule Town Hall Registration Information https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001lMqMGIA0
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WiWF Executive Director Cody Kamrowski named Advocacy Champion by Gathering Waters |
| Gathering Waters is excited to announce the winners of the 2026 Land Conservation Leadership Awards!
The awards recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals and organizations that devote their time and talents to protecting Wisconsin’s land, water, and wildlife. We look forward to presenting the winners with their awards at events throughout the year. The 2026 award winners are: Abbie Church – Land Trust Professional of the Year Mark Lesko – Land Trust Volunteer of the Year Andrew Struck – Harold “Bud” Jordahl Lifetime Achievement Award Ron and Darla Giordano – Land Legacy Award Cody Kamrowski – Advocacy Champion |
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Public input is now open on proposed revisions to Wisconsin’s invasive species rule (ch. NR 40) and the related Economic Impact Analysis. |
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The Wisconsin DNR is seeking feedback on potential economic impacts, implementation costs, benefits, and effects on businesses, local governments, utilities, and Wisconsin’s economy.
Comments are open through June 3, 2026.
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/invasives/classification
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WiWF receives “thank you” from grant recipient |
| All of the members and affiliates of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation make our mini grants possible, helping conservation organizations across the state do great work! |
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Oneida and Vilas County Land and Water Departments come together for Lights Out! event |
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Birders flock to the 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count |
| The results are in from the 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count, and once again, everyday people proved they are one of the most powerful forces in conservation. Over just four days in February, hundreds of thousands of participants across the globe logged bird observations—creating a real-time snapshot of bird populations just ahead of spring migration. From backyard feeders to frozen wetlands, these observations help scientists track population trends, shifting ranges, and early warning signs of environmental change.
Here in Wisconsin, where we sit squarely in the Mississippi Flyway, that data matters. Every chickadee at a feeder, every hawk on a fencepost, every flock moving north—it all adds up. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a reminder that conservation doesn’t always start with big programs or policies. Sometimes, it starts by simply paying attention. |
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DNR Accepting Shooting Range Grant ApplicationsApplications Due Aug. 15 |
| MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications for the Shooting Range Grant Program through Aug. 15, 2026.
The grant program provides financial assistance for safe and accessible firearm or archery recreational shooting opportunities for the public. Managers of public or private shooting ranges or members of the public interested in building a new range are encouraged to apply. Ideal ranges are located near highly populated areas and offer educational programming for the public related to hunting and shooting sports. Ranges operating as a for-profit business are not eligible for funding. Previous projects awarded grant funding include renovating or constructing backstops, shooting benches, restrooms and indoor ranges. Former grant winners can apply again. The grant program is administered as a reimbursement grant for incurred expenses. All new construction must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 2026 grant cycle will have $600,000 available for range improvement projects. In 2025, the DNR awarded the full program budget of $600,000 to 10 projects, leveraging $238,900 in matching contributions and $838,900 in total project costs. Prior to submitting a completed application, all applicants are required to contact either Sarah Brenner, DNR Shooting Range Grant Program manager, at Sarah.Brenner@wisconsin.gov or 715-894-8666 or Brett Johanen, DNR public shooting range manager, at Brett.Johanen@wisconsin.gov or 608-772-4928 to discuss their interest in applying. The shooting range grant funding is made possible by a federal excise tax on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment through the Pittman-Robertson Act. More information about applying, eligible items and resources can be found on the DNR’s Shooting Range Grant Program webpage. |
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WiWF Board members were honored to attend the Celebration of Life for George Meyer in Fort Atkinson last month |
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When Process Is Ignored, Public Trust Is at Risk |
| By Mark Kakatsch
Wisconsin has long been a national leader in science-based wildlife management and public engagement. That reputation was built over decades through a transparent process that invites input from stakeholders, experts, and the public. While not perfect, this process is foundational to managing wildlife under the public trust. That’s why what occurred at the recent Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) meeting should concern anyone who values public, fair, credible decision-making. At issue was a proposed rule change to eliminate Wisconsin’s outdated “concealment rule” for waterfowl hunting—an arbitrary regulation not found in 48 other states. The change would have aligned Wisconsin with the rest of the country and expanded responsible open-water hunting opportunities. More importantly, it followed the established public process for wildlife regulation changes. DNR staff, technical experts, advisory groups, and stakeholders all weighed in. Public comment periods were accessible and well-communicated. Open houses were held. Feedback was collected over an extended window. The outcome was clear: roughly 70 percent of public input supported the change. In short, the system worked as designed. And yet, in the final step, that process was disregarded. A small group of roughly a dozen individuals spoke in opposition at the NRB meeting, and the Board sided with that last-minute testimony overturning staff recommendations and effectively dismissing more than 500 public comments submitted in favor of the change. That should give all of us pause. If long-standing procedures grounded in public notice, stakeholder engagement, and data can be set aside based on who shows up on a single day, what message does that send? It tells hunters, conservationists, and citizens that their participation doesn’t matter. That the rules can change at the eleventh hour. And a small and loud few can change any decision. This is not about one rule it’s about precedent. Wildlife management should not hinge on who speaks the loudest. It should be guided by science, broad public input, and a transparent system that treats all voices equally. Wisconsin’s conservation community respects that process and relies on it. The NRB has an important role to play, but it must uphold the integrity of that system not circumvent it. If this precedent stands, we risk eroding trust in the very institutions charged with managing our natural resources. And once that trust is lost, it is far harder to rebuild than any single rule is to revisit. Wisconsin can and should do better. Mark Kakatsch Vice President Waterfowl Committee Chair Wisconsin Wildlife Federation
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Wisconsin Wildlife Federation |
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