Reporting, Bookkeeping and other Procedures
This rule modifies record keeping requirements of a) FRDKs and b) the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reintroducing fish to the same lake or river from which they were collected, as follows:
1. Farm-raised deer keepers (FRDKs).
Currently, FRDKs must maintain records relating to any farm-raised deer that enters, leaves, or escapes the herd or dies on the premises. These record keeping requirements are specified in different places in the rule and are not always consistent. The proposed rule clearly specifies the requirements for deer entering the herd, leaving the herd by authorized movement, leaving the herd by escape, leaving the herd for slaughter or dying on the premises under the general record keeping section. For consistency, the proposed rule also cross-references this section when record keeping requirements are specified elsewhere in the rule. There are no additional record keeping requirements, therefore, there should be no additional costs related to this rule modification.
The proposed rule clarifies that records must include any known natural additions to the herd, including the month and year of birth, and sex of the farm-raised deer, if determined. Certain information, including the age of a deer must be recorded by the FRDK before any deer may leave the premises. To know the age of any natural additions that may at some time leave the herd, a birth month (and sex of deer, if known) of these deer should be recorded.
The proposed rule eliminates the requirement that for each deer killed on a hunting preserve, the owner keep a record of:
• The location of the premises where a deer was killed.
• The name and address of the person who collected the test sample for the CWD test.
The proposed rule eliminates the requirement that a FRDK whose herd is enrolled in the CWD HS program include the number of deer at least one year old and the number of deer less than one year old on the herd census.
Any additional costs or cost savings related to these record keeping changes should be minimal.
2. Fish
The proposed rule requires the DNR to keep a record of movement, for five years, of any fish or fish eggs they reintroduce to the same lake from which the fish, or the eggs from which they were hatched, were collected, or to the same point or a downstream point in the same river system from which the fish, or the eggs from which they were hatched, were collected.
If these records are maintained by DNR, they no longer have to request a permit from the state veterinarian authorizing the reintroduction.
Professional Skills Required
To the extent that this rule requires changes in professional skills, DATCP’s analysis is included in the prior sections covering impacts on owners or keepers of farm-raised deer.
Accommodation for Small Business
Many of the businesses affected by this rule are “small businesses.” For the most part, this rule does not make special exceptions for small business, because disease does not differentiate or respect business size.
The rule provisions that may have a more significant fiscal effect are those required by USDA regulations that, again, do not differentiate by business size.
Finally as the “business impact” section describes above, there are several provisions that will benefit small businesses.
Conclusion
This rule will generally benefit affected businesses, including “small businesses.” Negative effects, if any, will be few and limited. This rule will not have a significant adverse effect on “small business,” and is not subject to the delayed “small business” effective date provided in s. 227.22(2) (e), Stats.
