NR 12.31(8) (8) “WDACP” means the wildlife damage abatement and claims program under s. 29.889, Stats., and this chapter.

NR 12.31 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1984, No. 337, eff. 2-1-84; emerg am. (1) and (4), cr. (3m), (4e), (4m), (4t) and (7), eff. 7-1-98; am. (1) and (4), cr. (3m), (4e), (4m), (7) and (8), Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; CR 03-018: am. (1) and (4e) Register October 2003 No. 574, eff. 1-1-04; CR 03-029: renum. from NR 19.76 Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04; corrections in (4) and (4e) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2003 No. 576; CR 05-031: am. (4e) Register October 2005 No. 598, eff. 11-1-05; CR 24-055: am. (1), (3m), r. (4e), am. (4m), (7) Register April 2025 No. 832, eff. 5-1-25; correction in (7) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register April 2025 No. 832.

NR 12.32 NR 12.32 County application.

NR 12.32(1) (1) Applications by a county to administer the wildlife damage abatement or claim program shall include a plan completed in accordance with s. 29.889, Stats., and this subchapter and a copy of the resolution of the county board authorizing the application.

NR 12.32(2) (2) The department shall review and approve or deny a completed application and plan under this subchapter within 30 days after it is received by the department.

NR 12.32 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1984, No. 337, eff. 2-1-84; CR 03-029: renum. from NR 19.77 Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04.

NR 12.33 NR 12.33 WDACP technical manual. The department’s WDACP technical manual shall specify WDACP procedures and requirements including the following:

NR 12.33(1) (1) Authorized wildlife damage abatement measures and methods for implementing and paying for these abatement measures.

NR 12.33(2) (2) Forms and procedures for payment and processing of statement of claims and applications for abatement assistance.

NR 12.33(3) (3) Procedures and standards for determining the amount of wildlife damage.

NR 12.33(4) (4) Procedures for record keeping, audits and inspections.

NR 12.33 Note Note: Copies of any WDACP technical manual may be obtained from the Wildlife Damage Specialist, WDNR, Bureau of Wildlife Management, GEF 2, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921.

NR 12.33 Note Note: The WDACP technical manual is on file at the offices of the department of natural resources, the secretary of state and the legislative reference bureau.

NR 12.33 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; CR 03-029: renum. from NR 19.775 Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04; CR 24-055: am. (intro.) Register April 2025 No. 832, eff. 5-1-25.

NR 12.34 NR 12.34 Administrative and abatement costs and fund advancement to counties.

NR 12.34(3) (3) Counties shall submit reimbursement requests for administration and abatement costs to the department quarterly, biannually, or annually according to the following schedule: by May 31 for the first quarter, January 1 through March 31; by August 31 for the second quarter, April 1 through June 30; by November 30 for the third quarter, July 1 through September 30; and no later than March 1 for the final reimbursement request for the fourth quarter, October 1 through December 31 for the biannual or annual submission.

NR 12.34(4) (4) A county may not be reimbursed for administrative or abatement costs in excess of the estimate contained in the plan without approval of the department. A budget amendment may be completed and approved by the department for additional costs.

NR 12.34 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1984, No. 337, eff. 2-1-84; emerg. am. (1), r. and recr. (3), eff. 7-1-98; am. (1) (a) and (b), r. and recr. (3), Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; CR 03-029: renum. from NR 19.78 Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04; CR 19-146: r. (1), (2), (3) (title) Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20; CR 24-055: am. (3), (4) Register April 2025 No. 832, eff. 5-1-25.

NR 12.35 NR 12.35 Wildlife damage abatement.

NR 12.35(1) (1) Costs of wildlife damage abatement measures rendered by a county under the plan are eligible for reimbursement under s. 29.889, Stats., only when rendered to persons owning or controlling land within the county of administration.

NR 12.35(2) (2) Abatement measures rendered by a county under s. 29.889, Stats., are limited to those which are detailed in the WDACP technical manual, or authorized in writing by the department and shall be cost-effective as required by s. 29.889 (5) (bm), Stats.

NR 12.35(3) (3) Woven-wire barrier fences, for which an application has been approved by the county and department, under s. NR 12.38, shall be included in the plan for the calendar year succeeding the fence application, unless otherwise approved by the department.

NR 12.35(4) (4) The county shall, as a condition of providing abatement assistance, require full cooperation and assistance of the enrollee in operating, maintaining and applying all abatement measures in accordance with any design specifications and deadlines set by the county. An enrollee who engages in abusive or threatening language shall also be considered uncooperative. Uncooperative enrollees shall be ineligible for program abatement assistance for the remainder of the calendar year in which they were uncooperative and the following calendar year. Upon determining an enrollee is uncooperative and ineligible for further program assistance, the county or its agent shall notify the enrollee in writing that the enrollee’s program participation is terminated.

NR 12.35(5) (5) 

NR 12.35(5)(a) (a) Cost-sharing. In accordance with the WDACP technical manual, the county or its agent shall determine the actual costs of providing wildlife damage abatement assistance to provide 75% cost-sharing. For permanent damage abatement measures, the enrollee shall provide 25% of the cost of materials and installation. For the purpose of determining the total cost of temporary damage abatement measures, cooperation by the enrollee in installation, construction, operation, notification if required, or maintenance of the temporary measure shall be considered 25% of its total costs. Permanent damage abatement measures include barrier woven wire and high-profile electric fences. Temporary damage abatement measures include the use of temporary low-profile electric or barrier snow fencing, scare techniques, repellents, depredation shooting permits, trap and translocation, or other temporary methods determined by the department.

NR 12.35(5)(b) (b) All of the following costs of abatement measures are eligible for reimbursement to the county:

NR 12.35(5)(b)1. 1. The costs of abatement equipment, supplies and services.

NR 12.35(5)(b)2. 2. Installation costs that are part of the of 75% WDACP cost-share.

NR 12.35 History History: Cr. Register, January, 1984, No. 337, eff. 2-1-84; am. (2) and (3), r. and recr. (4) and cr. (5), Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; CR 03-018: am. (3) and (5) (a) Register October 2003 No. 574, eff. 1-1-04; CR 03-029: renum. from NR 19.79 Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04; corrections made to (3) under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2003 No. 576; CR 10-020: am. (4) Register October 2010 No. 658, eff. 11-1-10; CR 24-055: am. (4) Register April 2025 No. 832, eff. 5-1-25.