Natural Resources Board to meet May 22 in Madison

Natural Resources Board to meet May 22 in Madison

Contact(s): Laurie Ross, board liaison, 608-267-7420 or Sarah Hoye, communications director, 608-267-2773

MADISON – Requests to approve antlerless deer harvest quotas, antlerless permit levels, and a deer hunting season framework for 2019 and to approve the 2019-2029 Wisconsin Bear Management Plan are among the items the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board will address when it meets May 22 in Madison.

The board will consider the deer hunting season framework for 2019 at its meeting May 22 in Madison, with remote testimony available at SpoonerPhoto credit: Herbert Lange

The board meeting will convene at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22, in Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 South Webster St., Madison with a closed session request for a safety and security briefing. The monthly meeting is expected to begin at approximately 8:30 a.m. On Tuesday, May 21, the board will have dinner with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress District Leadership Council at approximately 5:30 p.m. at Madison’s, 119 King Street, Madison, to discuss on-line spring hearing voting, increasing and improving participation at spring hearings, and chronic wasting disease management. Agenda items are information only; no action will be taken.

New beginning this month Open Forum remote testimony will be available to the public

Beginning with the May meeting, the Natural Resources Board will be offering one remote location around the state for the public to participate in an open forum with the board. Agenda Item 3 – Open Forum is an opportunity for citizens to provide testimony remotely or at the meeting location on matters that are not otherwise on the meeting agenda. Comments generally should address broad general policy rather than the day-to-day operations of the Department of Natural Resources. Opportunities for remote testimony will be specifically noticed on each meeting agenda.

The first open forum remote location for the May 22 meeting will be in Spooner at the DNR Service Center, 810 W. Maple Drive. Future remote locations include: Eau Claire for the June 26 meeting when the board will be meeting in Barneveld; Milwaukee for the August 14 meeting when the board will be meeting in Wausau; Fitchburg for the September 25 meeting when the board will be meeting at a location to be determined in northeastern Wisconsin; Rhinelander for the October 23 meeting in in Madison; and Green Bay for the December 11 meeting in Madison.

“Our doors at the NRB have been wide open for over 50 years to gain public input to concerns citizens have regarding our natural resources. The NRB is one of the few boards that takes regular testimony at each and every regular meeting,” said NRB Chair Dr. Frederick Prehn. “We welcome the input and look forward to our residents of this great state connecting with us.”

Other topics on the May 22 meeting agenda include a request to approve proposed rules related to aquaculture and fish farms; a request for rules related to marten protection closed areas; and request for approval of proposed rule relating to well construction and pump installation, and other topics.

The complete May board agenda is available by searching the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov for keyword “NRB” and clicking on the button for “view agendas.”

The public must pre-register with Laurie Ross, board liaison, to testify at the board meeting as well as during open forum (remotely or at meeting). The deadline for Board liaison receipt of your request to testify or your written comment is 11 a.m. on Friday, May 17, 2019. Registration information is available on the NRB pages of the DNR website. No late requests or comments will be accepted.

Board meetings are webcast live. People can watch the meeting over the internet by going to the NRB agenda page of the DNR website and clicking on webcasts in the Related Links column on the right. Then click on this month’s meeting. After each meeting, the webcast will be permanently available on demand.