Fiscal Estimate
There is no fiscal effect.
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted to Mr. Gary R. Homuth, Bureau of Law Enforcement, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 no later than April 10, 1998. Written comments will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the hearings. A copy of the proposed rule [LE-9-98] and fiscal note may be obtained from Mr. Homuth.
Notice of Hearings
Natural Resources
(Fish, Game, etc., Chs. NR 1-)
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 29.174 and 227.11(2)(a), Stats., interpreting ss. 29.085 and 29.174(2)(a), Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold public hearings on revisions to ch. NR 20, 21, 23, 25 and 26, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to recreational and commercial fishing regulations and fish refuges. The proposed rules:
1. Eliminate “position fishing”, allow “motor trolling” with one bait, hook or lure and no planer boards on all inland waters currently closed to trolling, and prohibit “row trolling” while a propulsion device (i.e., a motor) is in the water.
2. Create a definition of waters included in the “Lake Winnebago system”.
3. Create a definition of “planer board” to include floating devices that direct a fishing line away from the boat.
4. Allow fishing within the area of Lake Michigan formerly known as the “Mid Lake refuge” by repealing the refuge, closing the season for lake trout in the area that was formerly the refuge, with a daily bag limit of 0 for lake trout for sport anglers and continued closure of the area to commercial fishing.
5. Increase the minimum length limit of 12” to 14” and establish a combined daily bag limit of 5 for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
6. Increase the daily bag limit for brown trout greater than 20” from 2 to 5 and reduce the minimum length limit for rainbow trout from 28” to 26” on Lake Superior.
7. Establish an 18” minimum length limit and daily bag limit of 1 for largemouth and smallmouth bass on Little Clam lake, Ashland county; Sailor lake, Price county; Big Muskellunge, Forest, Wabasso and West Plum lakes, Vilas county; and reduce the minimum length limit from 18” to 14” and increase the daily bag limit from 1 to 5 in total for bass in Shishebogama lake, Oneida county.
8. Establish an 18” minimum length limit and daily bag limit of 1 for largemouth and smallmouth bass on Long, Herde and Dark lakes, Chippewa county; Silver lake, Kenosha county; Jersey Valley, Sidie Hollow and Runge Hollow lakes, Vernon county; and Delavan lake, Walworth county.
9. Establish a protected slot length limit of 14” to 18” and a daily bag limit of 3 in total, with only 1 fish larger than 18” allowed on Brekke lake, Waupaca county.
10. Establish a 14” to 18” protected slot length limit and a daily bag limit of 5 in total, with only 1 fish larger than 18”, for walleye and sauger on Dark and Herde lakes and tributaries to the Yellow river, Chippewa county.
11. Eliminate the restriction that allowed only 1 walleye larger than 14” to be harvested daily from Shell lake, Washburn county, and establish a no minimum length limit and 5 daily bag limit.
12. Establish a daily bag limit of 0 for sauger on the Lake Winnebago system.
13. Establish a 26” minimum length limit and a daily bag limit of 2 for northern pike on Pella pond, Shawano county and the entire Lake Winnebago system, and exclude the lower Chippewa river south of U.S. highway 10, Buffalo and Pepin counties, and Sheboygan marsh, Sheboygan county from the 26” minimum length limit and 2 daily bag limit.
14. Change the trout regulation category from 5 to 4 for the Pike river, Marinette county.
15. Extend downstream boundary of the category 5 trout regulation segment on the Mecan river, Marquette county, from state highway 22 to the Germania barrier.
16. Establish catch and release only fishing with artificial lures for trout in Stress springs and the Namekagon river from Airport road upstream to the Phipps dam, Sawyer county.
17. Establish catch and release only fishing with artificial lures and barbless hooks for trout in Seas branch, Vernon county, upstream from the impoundment in T13N R4W S14.
18. Establish catch and release only fishing with artificial lures and barbless hooks for trout in the upper Pine river (upstream from Wild Rose millpond) and Soules creek (upstream from Wautoma millpond), Waushara county.
19. Establish a 40” minimum length limit for muskellunge in all waters of St. Croix county.
20. Establish procedures for closing waters to bait harvest when unintentionally introduced, potentially harmful exotic species are found to be present.
21. Establish a 15” minimum length limit for walleye and sauger on Pool 3 of the Mississippi river.
22. Increase the minimum length limit for bass on all Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters from 12” to 14” and make the season consistent with other inland waters of Wisconsin.
23. Establish a fish refuge on Rice creek, Barron county, for 100 feet upstream and downstream of state highway 8 from January 1 to May 1.
24. Establish a fish refuge on Wingra creek, Dane county, from the Wingra Lake spillway downstream for 50 feet.
25. Establish a fish refuge on Spring creek, Barron county, for 100 feet upstream and downstream of county highway M from April 1 to May 31.
26. Establish a fish refuge on Wolf river, Langlade county, from the Post Lake dam downstream for 75 feet to the bottom of the first rapids from April 1 to May 31.
Notice is hereby further given that pursuant to ss. 29.174(3) and 227.11(2)9a), Stats., interpreting ss. 29.174(2), 29.107, 29.1075 and 29.103, Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold public hearings on revisions to chs. NR 10, 11 and 45, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to hunting and trapping. The proposed rules:
1. Establish a pelt tag issuance system for otter identical to the bobcat and fisher program. Annual harvest goals would be determined based on population size for each zone. The number of tags issued would depend upon the annual harvest goal.
2. Extend spring turkey hunting hours to 5:00 p.m. and require registration of turkeys by 5:00 p.m. the following day.
3. Allow use of handguns firing shotshells by disabled hunters.
4. Restrict the use and placement of the 220-sized conibear-type trap.
5. Provide November muskrat and mink trapping season in the Mississippi River zone. The muskrat and mink trapping season would open the second Monday in November when waterfowl seasons extend into late November and early December. When the waterfowl seasons are short the trapping season would open on the day after the duck season closes.
6. Expand the archery season in deer management unit 77M to run from the third Saturday in September through January 31, with the exception of the Friday immediately before opening day of gun deer season.
7. Allow muzzleloader deer hunting in fifteen areas closed to waterfowl hunting but which are currently only open to deer hunting during the regular deer gun season.
8. Allow deer gun hunting in the “refuge” portion of the Pine Island Wildlife Area.
9. Expand the loaded or uncased firearm restrictions for state-owned lands to include Columbia county.
Notice is hereby further given that pursuant to s. 227.114, Stats., it is not anticipated that the proposed rules will have an economic impact on small business.
Notice is hereby further given that the Department has made a preliminary determination that this action does not involve significant adverse environmental effects and does not need an environmental analysis under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code. However, based on the comments received, the Department may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with the proposal. This environmental review document would summarize the Department's consideration of the impacts of the proposal and reasonable alternatives.
Hearing Information
Notice is hereby further given that the hearings will be held on Monday, April 13, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. at the following locations:
Adams Adams-Columbia Electric
Co-op Bldg.
401 E. Lake St.
Friendship
Ashland Ashland High School
Auditorium
Ashland
Barron Barron Co. Courthouse Auditorium
Barron
Bayfield Drummond High School
Drummond
Brown Southwest High School Auditorium
1331 Packerland Dr.
Green Bay
Buffalo Alma Area High School Auditorium
S1618 STH '35'
Alma
Burnett Burnett County Government Center
Siren
Calumet Calumet County Courthouse
Rm. 205
206 Court Street
Chilton
Chippewa Chippewa County Courthouse
Large Assembly Room
711 N. Bridge
Chippewa Falls
Clark Greenwood Elementary School
708 E. Division
Greenwood
