Madison — The Natural Resources Board (NRB) will meet in person at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 13, in Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF2), 101 S. Webster Street, Madison, to consider several proposed regulatory documents, a proposed land sale, and a donation. The public is welcome to watch the meeting on the DNR YouTube channel.
The Board will hear an update on deer season and consider authorizing public hearings and comments on three scoping statements: related to definitions, notifications, fees, agreements, reports, and procedures for interim and remedial actions in the event of environmental contamination; related to definitions, land operate classifications, identification of environmental standards for soil and soil cleanup standards used to remediate environmental contamination; and rules related to control of lead and copper in public drinking water.
The board will be asked to adopt regulations regarding: federal funding for the Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program; bait fishing regulations; lake trout and cisco regulations in the Lake Superior area; and elk management regulations.
The agenda has been published on the DNR website.
Lake trout season is now open in Lake Górne
Bayfield, Wisconsin – The Lake Superior lake trout fishing season opened on December 1 and will run through September 30, 2024, or until the catch limit is met. To catch lake trout, anglers must purchase a 2023-2024 general fishing license and a Great Lakes Trout and Salmon tag.
Lake trout are managed in Lake Superior using a quota system with different allocations for different groups. Wisconsin waters in Lake Superior are divided into two units: WI-1, all waters from Superior to Bark Point, and WI-2, which includes waters from Bark Point to the Michigan border (Apostle Islands region).
A daily limit of three lake trout may be taken from WI-1, and only two from the Apostle Islands region. In both units, lake trout must be at least 15 inches in length, and only one fish over 25 inches may be retained.
The Apostle Islands unit quota is updated on a three-year cycle, and the proposed quota for 2024-2026 is in the final stages of the rulemaking process. The proposal includes a recreational allocation of 15,000 lake trout, an raise of about 18% over the current quota. The NRB will vote on the quota on December 13.
CWD detected in wild deer in Jackson County
Madison — The DNR confirmed the first positive test for chronic wasting disease in a wild deer in Jackson County, in the town of Garfield, which is located 10 miles from Eau Claire and Trempealeau counties.
Jackson County’s bait ban will be renewed. Eau Claire and Trempealeau counties currently have three-year bait and feed bans, so these counties will not be affected by this detection.
The deer was a two-year-old male buck shot by a hunter.
The DNR and Jackson County Deer Advisory Council plan to hold a public meeting, with a date and location yet to be determined.
Fourth grade students can receive free tree seedlings
Madison — The DNR is offering free tree seedlings to every fourth-grade student in Wisconsin as part of the DNR’s annual Arbor Day tree-planting program. Principals and fourth-grade teachers can place orders for seedlings now and coordinate delivery by completing the 2024 Arbor Day application by March 15, 2024.
DNR provides about 50,000 free tree seedlings to fourth-grade students each year. The seedling deliveries include educational information on how to best plant and care for the seedlings and trees.
“Trees provide many benefits to people and the planet. They release oxygen, trap carbon dioxide, provide food and shelter for forest creatures, and provide materials for building household items,” said DNR Chief State Forester Heather Berklund.
