The department anticipates no ongoing fiscal impact to the state or to local government.
Notice of Hearings
Natural Resources
(Fish, Game, etc., Chs.
NR 1—)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to ss.
29.014,
29.063 and
227.11, Stats., interpreting ss.
29.063,
29.177 and
29.361, Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold public hearings on revisions to chs.
NR 10,
12 and
19, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to the control and management of chronic wasting disease.
Analysis Prepared by Dept. of Natural Resources
The proposed rule establishes new boundaries for the herd reduction zone and the CWD eradication zone. The intensive harvest and eradication zones are combined into the CWD eradication zone, which will be identifiable by recognizable boundaries which are also established in the rule. The population goal of zero in the eradication zone has been modified. Tagging and licensing options in the CWD zones are liberalized and specific state park seasons are clarified and the archery season in parks within the CWD zones are extended. Numerous minor housekeeping changes are also included in the rule in order to keep the administrative code up-to-date and uncluttered. The proposed rule also modifies a ch.
NR 19 provision that would allow the department to charge a handling fee for free permits or licenses.
NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the hearings will be held on:
March 16, 2004
Tuesday
7:00 p.m.
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Round Barn Lodge and Restaurant
E4830 US Hwy. 14 & 60
Spring Green
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Basement Meeting Room
Portage City Hall
115 W. Pleasant Street
Portage
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Town of Turtle Community Center
6916 South CTH J
Shopiere
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March 17, 2004
Wednesday
7:00 p.m.
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Lincoln Conference Room, Ramada Inn/White House Supper Club
1450 Veterans Drive
Richland Center
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Basement Conference Room
Karakahl Country Inn
1405 Business 18/151 East
Mt. Horeb
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Room CO55
Richard T. Anderson Education Cntr.
Waukesha County Technical College
800 Main Street
Pewaukee
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March 18, 2004
Thursday
7:00 p.m.
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RFS Center
18298 Highway D
Fayette
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Activity Center
Jefferson Co. Fairgrounds
503 N. Jackson Street
Jefferson
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Auditorium
Richard Bong State Recreation Area
26313 Burlington Road
Kansasville
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NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the Department will be having an open house/informational meeting immediately preceding each public hearing. An open house/informational meeting on the deer herd status and the proposed CWD rule will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Spring Green, Portage, Shopiere, Richland Center, Mt. Horeb, Fayette and Jefferson. An open house/informational meeting on the proposed CWD rule only will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Pewaukee and Kansasville.
NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call Kurt Thiede at (608) 267-2452 with specific information on your request at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing.
Copies of Rule and Contact Person
Written comments on the proposed rules may be submitted to Mr. Kurt Thiede, Bureau of Wildlife Management, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 no later than March 22, 2004. Written comments will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the hearings. A copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Mr. Thiede.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to s.
227.114, Stats., it is not anticipated that the proposed rule will have an economic impact on small businesses.
Environmental Analysis
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.
Fiscal Estimate
This fiscal estimate is created based on the department's current knowledge of the distribution of CWD positive deer in the state. These estimates could change significantly if new positives are found in other parts of the state.
A. Increased Costs Details
Carcass Disposal: Based on the figures for the 2003 deer season statewide and in the CWD zones, we anticipate similar numbers to be generated for the 2004 seasons.
Anticipated Eradication Zone Disposal Costs in the expanded zone based on 10,000 deer:
Shipping Cost $78,512.00
Storage Cost $110,000.00
Cremation/Digester Cost $7,425.00
(only positives)
Landfill Cost $6,669.00
Misc. Disposal Cost 1 $108,375.00
Other Misc. Costs 2 $16,250.00
Total $327,231.00
Anticipated grand total for statewide carcass disposal: $327,231
CWD Deer Hunts: The costs associated with the implementation of the expanded deer hunt in the expanded CWD eradication and herd reduction zones:
Law Enforcement: The additional hunts will require 8 additional hours per pay period for each of the 6 wardens in the expanded zones. Added to this would be any necessary meals, miles, etc.
With an average salary of about $25, with an additional $10 for benefits and fringe, this works out as follows:
6 Wardens x 8 hours/pay period = 48 hrs/pay period x 10 pay periods = 480/hrs x $35/hr salary and fringe = $16,800 salary and fringe. In addition, there will be the added cost of approximately $2,040 meals and $2,189 in mileage (meals and miles based upon 2002 cost estimates for CWD efforts).
Wildlife Management: The costs associated with the implementation of the new CWD deer herd control hunts including the testing and permit issuance during the extended season at registration stations will result in an additional staff time including the use of LTE's, as well as mileage and other equipment expenses.
3 LTE's x 20 hours/week = 60 hours x 10 pay periods = 600 hours x $11/hour = $6,600
10 hours of overtime / pay period x 14 (SER wildlife staff) = 140 hours x 10 pay periods = 1,400 hours x $28/hour (salary and fringe) = $39,200
Meals, mileage and other 1614 appropriations based on the first 14 weeks of CWD operation expenditures (~ $2,000 / wk): 20 weeks x $2,000 = $40,000
Parks and Recreation: Signage and maps will need to be produced for the 3 state park/state forest properties where expanded herd control measures will be in effect.
Supplies and Services: Printing or updating Maps, Signs, Permits and Instructions:
$500.00 for 3 properties which have previously been open to deer hunting ($500x 3) = $1,500
Supplies and Services: Vehicle Maintenance and Expenses for Increased Patrol & Sharpshooting
$1,000 per park x 3 = $3,000
Salaries and Fringes - $30 per hour: Determination of Hunting Boundaries, Preparing/Revising Maps and Signs, Posting Signs
16 hours 3 properties which have previously been open to deer hunting (16 x 3 x $30) = $1,440
Salaries and Fringes - $30 per hour: Distributing Permits, Law Enforcement, Admitting Hunters to Park and/or Documenting Permits
4 hours per park per day x $30 per hour x 3 properties x 38 days (based on the average number of days all 3 parks will be open to hunting) = $13,680
Anticipated grand total for hunting season implementation
Salary and Fringe: $77,720
Materials and Expenses: $48,729
New Eradication Zone Efforts: Deer registration staff time and resources will be required.
Registration Stations = 6 perm. employees x 20 additional hours/pay period x 4 pay periods = 480 x $28 / hour = $13,440 salary and fringe.
Meals, mileage and other 1614 appropriations based on last years CWD operation expenditures (~ $2,000 / wk): 11 weeks x $2,000 = $22,000
Anticipated grand total for eradication zone activities
Salary and Fringe: $13,440
Materials and Expenses: $22,000
B. Decreased Revenue Details:
There will be a loss in revenue stemming from the absence of bonus permit sales in the CWD zones and the potential issuance of free licenses to CWD eradication zone hunters.
Approximately 80% of bonus permits are sold to resident hunters with the remaining 20% sold to non-residents. Bonus permits cost $12 for residents and $20 for non-resident deer hunters.
Bonus permit sales from 2002-2003 were used to determine the average number of bonus permits sold in Deer Management Units (DMUs) 70G, 76A, 77B, and 77C.
70G – 796
76A – 5,791
77B – 2,311
77C – 2,258
Under the current proposal, DMUs 76A and 77C would be split. Accordingly, the number of bonus permits sold would have to be adjusted.
76A – 5,791/2 = 2,896
77C – 2,258/2 = 1,129
The total number of bonus permit sales lost would equate to the following.
796+2,896+2,311+1,129 = 7,132
Bonus Permit Sales Loss
7,132 x .8 = 5,706 x 12 = $68,472
7,132 x .2 = 1,426 x 20 = $28,520
$68,472+$28,520 = $96,992
Free Licenses to CWD Disease Eradication Zone Hunters
The fiscal impact of revenue loss from exempting hunters in CWD zones from having a license could be anywhere between $0 and $2,428,200, depending on how extensive the Department implemented the provision. For the entire herd reduction zone in southwest Wisconsin, the Department estimated the number of hunters in 12 deer management zones based on the average number of deer harvested from those zones for the years 1999 through 2001. The average annual number of hunters in those zones is estimated at a total of 109,000.The average deer hunter success rate from 1999-2001 was 44% The average number of deer harvested per year (47,900) divided by the average harvest success rate (44%) yields the approximate number of licensed hunters per year in the 12 management zones (109,000). Using the following methodology, the Department estimates the loss of revenue for exempting licenses for the entire herd reduction zone to be $2,428,200. Using the same methodology, but exempting licenses only for what is now called the intensive harvest zone would result in an estimated revenue loss of $376,400.
License sales from 1999-2001 were averaged to determine the approximate percentage of deer hunters under the authority of each license type as follows:
9.2% - Resident Patron; 10.0% - Resident Sports; 55.5% - Resident Gun Deer; 19.9% - Resident Archery; 4.5% - Non-resident Gun Deer; .9% - Non-resident Archery.
The total fiscal impact created by free landowner permits can then be calculated by determining the number of each license authority sold based on the 1999-2001 averages.
Resident Patron - For Resident Patron license holders, it is assumed that most patron license buyers would continue to buy the patron license for the other privileges included with the license. However, it is estimated that 5% would stop buying patron licenses and purchase small game and fishing licenses separate, at a loss of $107 per license holder. For this assumption, the Department would lose $53,878.
(109,000 licenses x .092% of license type = 10,071 patron licenses x 5% = 504 x $107 = $53,878)
Resident Sports - For Resident Sports license holders, it is assumed that 70% would discontinue buying the Sports license, and instead buy a small game license and a fishing license, at a revenue loss of $12 each to the Department. For this assumption, the Department would lose $9,096.
(109,000 x .10 = 10,855 Sports Licenses x 70% = 7,599 x $12 = $91,186)
For Resident Gun Deer, it is assumed that 90% of License holders in the 12 zones would not buy deer licenses. For this assumption the Department would lose $1,087,979. (109,000 x .55.5 = 60,443 x 90% = 54,399 licenses x $20 = $1,087,979)
For Resident Archery, it is assumed that 90% of license holders in the 12 zones would not buy deer licenses. For this assumption, the Department would lose $390,000. (109,000 x .19.9 = 21,667 licenses x 90% = 19,500 x $20 = $390,000)
For Non-resident Gun Deer, it is assumed that 100% of license holders would not buy deer licenses. For this assumption, the Department would lose $665,558. (109,000 x .045 = 4,930 licenses x $135 = $665,558)
For Non-resident Archery, it is assumed that 100% of license holders would not buy deer licenses. For this assumption, the Department would lose $117,720.
(109,000 x .009 = 1,034 licenses x $135 = $139,568)
Total Licensing Loss
$53,878 + $91,186 + $1,087,979 + $390,000 + $665,558 + $139,568 = $2,428,169
Caveats
1) People may have bought licenses even though it was not required.
2) Hunter numbers declined in this area after the discovery of CWD, but have shown rebounding trends.
