LRB-5729/1
EHS:skw&amn
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
February 7, 2024 - Introduced by Senator Stafsholt, cosponsored by
Representative Edming. Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions and
Sporting Heritage.
SB1006,1,12 1An Act to repeal 29.889 (2) (c), 29.889 (2) (d), 29.889 (3), 29.889 (4) (a), 29.889
2(6) (a), 29.889 (7) (bm) and 29.89 (3) (a); to renumber 29.889 (5) (c) and 29.889
3(6) (em); to renumber and amend 29.889 (6) (f); to amend 20.370 (5) (fq),
429.885 (5) (a), 29.889 (1) (intro.), 29.889 (2) (a), 29.889 (4) (b), 29.889 (4) (c),
529.889 (5) (a), 29.889 (5) (b), 29.889 (5) (bm), 29.889 (5) (bs), 29.889 (6) (d),
629.889 (7) (a), 29.889 (7) (b) (intro.), 29.889 (7) (b) 2., 29.889 (7) (b) 3., 29.889 (7)
7(b) 4., 29.889 (7) (d) 2., 29.889 (7m) (a), 29.889 (7m) (ae) 1., 29.889 (7m) (ae) 4.
8(intro.), 29.889 (8g), 29.889 (8r) (a), (b) and (c) and 29.89 (5) (b) 2. c.; and to
9create
29.885 (3) (bm), 29.889 (5) (c) 2., 29.889 (5) (d), 29.889 (6) (em) 2., 29.889
10(6) (f) 2. and 3., 29.889 (7m) (au) and 29.889 (7m) (av) of the statutes; relating
11to:
the wildlife damage abatement program and the wildlife damage claim
12program.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes changes to the wildlife damage abatement program and the
wildlife damage claim program.

Wild animal removal
Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources may remove or
authorize the removal of a wild animal that is causing damage, including damage to
commercial agricultural crops. This bill prohibits DNR from issuing to a person a
bear carcass tag for the purpose of shooting a bear that is causing damage to
commercial agricultural crops.
Wildlife damage claim program and wildlife damage abatement program
Current law authorizes a person who owns, leases, or controls land on which
certain wild animals cause damage to crops or livestock (wildlife damage) to apply
to the county for wildlife damage claim payments and for wildlife damage abatement
assistance (wildlife damage payments). Wildlife damage for which a person is
eligible to receive wildlife damage payments includes damage caused by deer, bears,
geese, and cougars, as well as elk and sandhill cranes if hunting those animals is
authorized. Current law requires that, to be eligible for wildlife damage payments,
the location must be in a county that participates in the administration of these
programs. A county must apply to DNR to administer these programs, including in
its application a plan of administration that meets certain requirements. Once
approved, DNR provides funding to the county for the costs incurred in
administering these programs.
Under current law and DNR rule, a county pays 75 percent of the actual costs
of providing wildlife damage abatement assistance, for which it is reimbursed by
DNR, and the person receiving the assistance pays 25 percent of the costs. DNR pays
wildlife damage claims directly.
DNR administration
Effective January 1, 2025, the bill removes counties from the administration of
the wildlife damage abatement program and the wildlife damage claim program and
requires DNR to administer the programs instead. The bill specifies that, if DNR
provides wildlife damage abatement assistance to a person, DNR must determine
the actual cost of providing that assistance and pay 75 percent of that cost, leaving
the remaining 25 percent as the responsibility of the recipient.
The bill also eliminates the requirement under current law that a county
participate in the administration of these programs in order to be eligible for
reimbursement by DNR for the costs that the county incurs in processing and
donating venison from certain deer carcasses and in processing and donating meat
from certain wild turkey carcasses.
Wildlife damage claims
The bill increases from $10,000 to $25,000 the limit under current law on the
total amount that may be paid to a claimant for each wildlife damage claim. The bill
maintains the current law requirement that DNR pay wildlife damage claimants on
a prorated basis if there is not a sufficient amount appropriated to pay all claims.
Under current law, if the amount of a wildlife damage claim exceeds $500 but
does not exceed $5,250, the claimant is paid 100 percent of the amount, and if the
amount of the claim exceeds $5,250, the claimant is paid that amount plus 80 percent

of the amount that exceeds $5,250. The bill increases this threshold amount from
$5,250 to $5,500.
Interaction with crop insurance payments
Under the bill, generally, a person may not receive payment of a crop insurance
claim for wildlife damage and payment for a wildlife damage claim arising from the
same growing season. However, the bill provides that, with respect to crop damage
caused by a bear, a person is not eligible for a wildlife damage claim payment unless
the person has crop insurance that covers wildlife damage. Under the bill, the
amount of a wildlife damage claim payment for crop damage caused by a bear may
not be determined until an insurance claim for the damage is filed and settled.
However, under the bill, such a person is not required to submit a crop insurance
claim for crop damage caused by a bear before receiving a wildlife damage claim
payment for that damage if the cumulative crop damage is not sufficient to warrant
a crop insurance claim. Under the bill, if a person receives a payment of a crop
insurance claim for damage caused by a bear, the person is also eligible for a payment
for a wildlife damage claim arising from the same growing season for up to the
amount of the damage that was not covered by the insurance payment and subject
to the overall $25,000 cap.
Type of damage
Under current law, the type of wildlife damage that is eligible for wildlife
damage claim payments is limited to damage to commercial seedings or crops
growing on agricultural land, damage to crops that have been harvested for sale or
further use but that have not been removed from the agricultural land, damage to
orchard trees or nursery stock, and damage to apiaries or livestock. The bill adds
that damage to commercial seedings or crops growing on agricultural land caused by
operating a vehicle in a field in order to place a live bear trap under the wildlife
damage abatement program is eligible for a wildlife damage claim payment.
Hunting requirements
Under current law, with certain exceptions, a person may receive wildlife
damage payments only if the person opens the land for hunting the type of animal
that caused the wildlife damage. Under this bill, this hunting requirement does not
apply to a person who receives wildlife damage abatement assistance to acquire a live
bear trap for land the person leases.
Under the bill, when land is open to bear hunting because the landowner
received wildlife damage payments related to damage caused by a bear, the bill
requires DNR to establish and administer, without input by the landowner, an
Internet-based registration system under which, beginning at midnight, hunters
may register to hunt bear on a particular parcel of land that day. Under the bill, a
landowner may only deny a hunter access to land if the hunter has not registered
using DNR's registration system for that day, appears to be intoxicated or unruly,
causes property damage, or brings a motor vehicle onto the land without permission.
Bear traps
Under the bill, effective June 30, 2024, DNR must require all live bear traps
acquired with wildlife damage abatement assistance to be equipped with remote

monitors, including traps placed under the program prior to the effective date of the
bill.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB1006,1 1Section 1. 20.370 (5) (fq) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,4,72 20.370 (5) (fq) Wildlife damage claims and abatement. All moneys received
3under ss. 29.181, 29.559 (1r), and 29.563 (13) and not appropriated under par. (fr)
4and subs. (1) (hs), (hx), and (Ls) and (5) (fs) to provide state aid for the wildlife damage
5abatement program under s. 29.889 (5) (c) and the wildlife damage claim program
6under s. 29.889 (7) (d), for county administration costs under s. 29.889 (2) (d), and
7for payments under s. 29.89.
SB1006,2 8Section 2. 29.885 (3) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
SB1006,4,119 29.885 (3) (bm) Notwithstanding par. (b), the department may not issue to a
10complainant under par. (a) a bear carcass tag for the purpose of shooting a bear that
11is causing damage to commercial agricultural crops.
SB1006,3 12Section 3. 29.885 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,4,1813 29.885 (5) (a) The department may refuse to investigate under sub. (3) (a) if the
14person making the complaint refuses to participate in any available wildlife damage
15abatement program administered under s. 29.889 or refuses to follow reasonable
16abatement measures recommended by the department or by the county in which the
17property is located if the county participates in a wildlife damage abatement
18program
.
SB1006,4 19Section 4. 29.889 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,5,1
129.889 (1) Definition. (intro.) In this section, “wildlife:
SB1006,5,3 2(b) “Wildlife damage" means damage caused by any of the following wild
3animals that are not subject to regulation under ch. 169:
SB1006,5 4Section 5. 29.889 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,5,95 29.889 (2) (a) Assistance Administration. The department shall assist counties
6in developing
develop and administering administer the wildlife damage abatement
7and wildlife damage claim programs. The department shall provide this assistance
8through technical aid, program guidance, research, demonstration, funding, plan
9review, audit
, and evaluation services.
SB1006,6 10Section 6. 29.889 (2) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
SB1006,7 11Section 7. 29.889 (2) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
SB1006,8 12Section 8. 29.889 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
SB1006,9 13Section 9. 29.889 (4) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
SB1006,10 14Section 10. 29.889 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,5,1915 29.889 (4) (b) Filing of application. In order to be eligible for wildlife damage
16abatement assistance, a person is required to file an application with the
17participating county department in a form acceptable to the county department. An
18owner or lessee of land, a person who controls land or an owner of an apiary or
19livestock may file an application.
SB1006,11 20Section 11. 29.889 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,5,2421 29.889 (4) (c) Other eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible for wildlife
22damage abatement assistance, a person is required to comply with eligibility
23requirements adopted by the department under sub. (2) (b) and with eligibility
24requirements specified in the plan administration under sub. (3) (c)
.
SB1006,12 25Section 12. 29.889 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,6,3
129.889 (5) (a) Review. A participating county The department shall review
2each application for wildlife damage abatement assistance to determine if wildlife
3damage is occurring or likely to occur.
SB1006,13 4Section 13 . 29.889 (5) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,6,125 29.889 (5) (b) Assistance. A participating county The department may provide
6wildlife damage assistance where for the reimbursement of costs associated with
7wildlife damage abatement measures if the department determines that
wildlife
8damage is occurring or is likely to occur for the reimbursement of costs associated
9with wildlife damage abatement measures if the measures are authorized in the plan
10of administration under sub. (3) (c) 2.
and the wildlife damage abatement measures
11are authorized in the rules adopted by the department under sub. (2) (b) and are
12carried out in full compliance with the direction of the department.
SB1006,14 13Section 14. 29.889 (5) (bm) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,6,1714 29.889 (5) (bm) Cost-effectiveness of abatement. A participating county The
15department
may recommend only those wildlife damage abatement measures that
16are cost-effective in relation to the wildlife damage claim payments that would be
17paid if the wildlife damage abatement measures are not implemented.
SB1006,15 18Section 15. 29.889 (5) (bs) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,6,2219 29.889 (5) (bs) Notwithstanding par. (bm), for damage caused by elk to crops
20or grasses grown for use by a bird hunting preserve licensed under ch. 169, a
21participating county
the department may recommend fencing the affected property
22as a damage abatement measure.
SB1006,16 23Section 16. 29.889 (5) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 29.889 (5) (c) 1.
SB1006,17 24Section 17. 29.889 (5) (c) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB1006,7,5
129.889 (5) (c) 2. If the department provides wildlife damage abatement
2assistance to a person, the department shall determine the actual cost of providing
3that wildlife damage abatement assistance. The department shall pay 75 percent
4of the actual cost of providing wildlife damage abatement assistance and shall
5require the recipient to be responsible for the remaining 25 percent of that cost.
SB1006,18 6Section 18. 29.889 (5) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
SB1006,7,97 29.889 (5) (d) Bear traps. The department shall require that any live bear trap
8acquired with wildlife damage abatement assistance be equipped with a remote
9monitor.
SB1006,19 10Section 19. 29.889 (6) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
SB1006,20 11Section 20. 29.889 (6) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB1006,7,1612 29.889 (6) (d) Compliance with wildlife damage abatement measures. In order
13to be eligible for wildlife damage claim payments for an occurrence of wildlife
14damage, a person seeking wildlife damage claim payments shall have complied with
15any wildlife damage abatement measures to abate that wildlife damage that were
16recommended by the county department.
SB1006,21 17Section 21. 29.889 (6) (em) of the statutes is renumbered 29.889 (6) (em) 1.
SB1006,22 18Section 22. 29.889 (6) (em) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
SB1006,7,2219 29.889 (6) (em) 2. Damage to commercial seedings or crops growing on
20agricultural land caused by operating a vehicle in a field in order to place a live bear
21trap pursuant to the wildlife damage abatement program is eligible for wildlife
22damage claim payment.
SB1006,23 23Section 23. 29.889 (6) (f) of the statutes is renumbered 29.889 (6) (f) (intro.)
24and amended to read:
SB1006,8,2
129.889 (6) (f) Other eligibility requirements. (intro.) In order to be eligible for
2wildlife damage claim payments, a all of the following apply:
SB1006,8,5 31. A person is required to comply with eligibility requirements adopted by the
4department under sub. (2) (b) and with eligibility requirements specified in the plan
5of administration under sub. (3) (c)
.
SB1006,24 6Section 24. 29.889 (6) (f) 2. and 3. of the statutes are created to read:
SB1006,8,97 29.889 (6) (f) 2. Except as provided in subd. 3., a person may not receive both
8a payment of a crop insurance claim for wildlife damage and a payment for a wildlife
9damage claim that arose from the same growing season.
SB1006,8,1710 3. a. A person is not eligible for a wildlife damage claim payment for crop
11damage cause by a bear unless the person has crop insurance that covers wildlife
12damage. Except as provided in subd. 3. b., the amount of a wildlife damage claim
13payment for crop damage caused by a bear may not be determined until an insurance
14claim for the damage is filed and settled. A person who receives a payment of a crop
15insurance claim for damage caused by a bear may receive a payment for a wildlife
16damage claim that arose from the same growing season for up to the amount of the
17damage that was not covered by the insurance payment, subject to sub. (7) (b) 4.
SB1006,8,2118 b. A person under subd. 3. a. is not required to submit a crop insurance claim
19for crop damage caused by a bear before receiving a wildlife damage claim payment
20for that damage if the cumulative crop damage is not sufficient to warrant a crop
21insurance claim.
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