Rule-Making Notices (Hearing Notices)

1. There will be a 2-day youth either sex gun hunt in September (opening 7 days after the bow season opens). A mentor will be required to accompany a youth (only the youth will be allowed to carry a gun) and the youth hunter will be required to place their regular buck deer carcass tag on an antlered buck (only one buck per youth hunter). Youth hunters would be allowed to harvest as many antlerless deer as they have valid tags for.

2. The late archery season will close the Sunday nearest January 6. This change will ensure that the late bow season will be open during the New Year's holiday every year.

3. There will be a statewide 4-day antlerless gun hunt beginning on the 2nd Thursday following the Thanksgiving holiday. The hunt will be open in all units to anyone with a valid antlerless deer permit.

4. In herd control units (currently Zone T and EAB units) antlerless tags will be unrestricted. The first antlerless tag is free with the purchase of a gun or archery license. Additional tags will be available for a minimal handling fee ($2 unless purchased on-line or over the phone in which case the standard processing fee ($3) will be applied in addition to the $2).

5. The archery license would come with two tags valid statewide: one valid for one antlered deer only and the other valid for antlerless only. This change will retain the either sex hunt option for archery while simplifying tagging options. There will be only two types of tags: buck and antlerless. There will be no more either sex tags – except for two very limited exceptions.

6. The Hunter's Choice program would be replaced by the sale of antlerless tags valid in limited quota (regular) units as additional deer. Antlerless permits would be sold first-come, first-serve for $12 each ($20 for nonresidents). Tags would be available on August 1 for purchase at a rate of one per hunter per day.

7. There would be no October 4-day antlerless only hunt outside CWD zones in 2006 and 2007. (In the event that the average antlerless:antlered harvest ratio in herd control units statewide is below 1.4 in 2006, the rule may immediately sunset.) In the event that inadequate herd control is realized as a result of this trial, the 4-day October antlerless deer gun hunt would return in 2008. The start date would be the Thursday nearest October 15 and it would occur in DMUs where a regular season of buck plus quota will not bring the population to within 20% of the over-winter goal.

8. The Earn-A-Buck season structure would be an available tool (in 2006 and 2007) for recommendation to the Natural Resources Board based on the criteria currently used (EAB pre-qualification will be implemented).

9. A first-come, first-serve system to sell bonus tags for deer hunting access in state parks open to hunting.

None of these proposed changes apply to the CWD Zones or season structures.

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. The Department's Small Business Regulatory Coordinator may be contacted at:
[e-mail] or by calling [phone].

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.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that in addition to comments on the proposed rules, the Department is seeking public input on a proposal to prohibit all deer baiting and feeding during the 9-day November gun deer season and during the 10 days before the season.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the Department will provide an information session on the proposed rules to begin at 6:30 p.m., with testimony on the proposals to begin at 7:00 p.m..

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the hearings will be held at 7:00 p.m. on:

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Room M103 (Auditorium)

Chippewa Valley Tech. College

620 W. Clairemont Ave.

Eau Claire

Cooperative Extension Bldg.

1150 Bellevue Street

Green Bay

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Auditorium, Theisen Middle School

525 E. Pioneer Road

Fond du Lac

Room 151, Dreyfus State Office Bldg.

141 NW Barstow Street

Waukesha

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Omni Center

255 Riders Club

Onalaska

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Alumni Room, University Center

UW-Stevens Point

1015 Reserve Street

Stevens Point

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

WITC

2100 Beaser Avenue

Ashland

American Family Insurance NHQ

6000 American Parkway

Madison

Auditorium, Williams Jr. High School

915 Acacia Lane

Rhinelander

UW Ag Research Station

W6646 Highway 70

Spooner

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of information material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call Keith Warnke at [phone] with specific information on your request at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing.

Fiscal Estimate

There may be significant and fiscal impact on state revenues and costs.

The proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted at the following Internet site: adminrules.wisconsin.gov. Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Mr. Keith Warnke, Bureau of Wildlife Management, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Comments may be submitted until October 21, 2005. Written comments whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearings. A personal copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Mr. Warnke.

Notice of Hearing

Natural Resources
(Environmental Protection—General)

[CR 05-089]

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to ss. 281.16 and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., interpreting ss. 281.11 and 281.15, Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on revisions to ss. NR 102.10, 102.12 and 207.03, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to the water quality classifications in the Lake Superior basin and the related anti-degradation procedures for WPDES permits. The proposed rules will modify the existing outstanding resource water designation for selected tributaries to include a ¼ mile arc of Lake Superior at the mouth of each of those tributaries. The proposal would also create a ¼ mile outstanding resource water designation for the waters of Lake Superior around the Apostle Islands within the Apostle Islands National Shoreline. A third part would prohibit any new or increased discharges of the targeted pollutants to waters of the basin unless the discharge was the result of utilization of best technology in process and control. This could include process features like production equipment, material substitution, waste minimization, recycling or other pollution prevention techniques or treatment. For municipal dischargers, pretreatment requirements or other municipal programs or treatment technologies could satisfy the requirements on the dischargers. The applicant would be required to provide a certification, as part of the application, that the increased discharge was necessary even after the use of best technology in process and control. There would not be a technical review by the Department.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to s. 227.114, Stats., the proposed rule may have an impact on small businesses. The future impacts would be directed to new dischargers of the nine toxic pollutants to ensure that they would employ practices and technologies already in use within the basin. For the outstanding resource water designations, applicants seeking permits under ch. 30, Stats., would likely not be eligible for exemptions nor for general permits. Instead individual permits may be needed. New wastewater dischargers to those areas would have to provide high levels of treatment to prevent lowering water quality. The Department's Small Business Regulatory Coordinator may be contacted at:
[e-mail] or by calling [phone].

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.

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the hearing will be held on:

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 at 5:00 p.m.

Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland

NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of information material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call Chuck Ledin at [phone] with specific information on your request at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing.

Fiscal Estimate

No state or local government impact is anticipated.

The proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted at the following Internet site: adminrules.wisconsin.gov. Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Mr. Charles Ledin, Bureau of Watershed Management, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Comments may be submitted until October 19, 2005. Written comments whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearings. A personal copy of the proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be obtained from Mr. Ledin.

Notice of Hearing

Natural Resources
(Environmental Protection—General)

[CR 05-084]

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to ss. 30.27 and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., interpreting s. 30.27, Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on revisions to s. NR 118.04, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to management zone designations in the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The proposed revisions will allow the Village of Osceola and the City of St. Croix Falls the flexibility to allow businesses as a permitted use rather than a conditional use. This requires modifying s. NR 118.04 to change the management zone designation for a portion of each of these municipalities from Small Town Historic Management Zone to River Town Management Zone. The remainder of these municipalities will remain in the Small Town Historic Management Zone. No other communities within the riverway are affected by this change.