Chapter 29

29.604(6r)(a)3. 3. The benefit to public health, safety or welfare justifies the activity.

29.604(6r)(b) (b) For purposes of par. (a) 2., the department shall determine whether a habitat is critical to the continued existence of an endangered species or threatened species by considering the endangered species’ or threatened species’ global and state element ranking as defined by the methodology used by the natural heritage inventory program.

29.604(6r)(bn) (bn) The department may allow an activity by the department itself that results in the taking of an endangered species or threatened species if the activity is accomplished with procedures established by the department for the purpose of minimizing any adverse effect on the endangered species or threatened species and if pars. (a) 2. and 3. and (b) apply.

29.604(6r)(c) (c) The department shall notify the state agency if the department determines that there is reasonable cause for the department to determine that an activity by the state agency is not being carried out in compliance with this subsection or with any environmental protection requirements developed through interagency consultation procedures. If the secretary of natural resources and the head, as defined in s. 15.01 (8), of the state agency are unable to agree upon methods or time schedules to be used to correct the alleged noncompliance, the department may bring any action or initiate any other proceedings to enforce compliance with this subsection.

29.604(6r)(d) (d) The department and the state agency shall exchange information and cooperate in the planning and implementation of any activity relating to the taking of any endangered species or threatened species in order to alleviate, to the maximum extent practicable under the circumstances, any potential adverse effect on the endangered species or the threatened species.

29.604(6r)(e) (e)

29.604(6r)(e)1. 1. Except as provided in subd. 2., cooperation between the department and the state agency under par. (d) shall include conducting reasonable surveys and reasonable biological assessments as determined by the department.

29.604(6r)(e)2. 2. Subdivision 1. does not apply if the department states in writing that it has data that is sufficient to make a determination that the proposed taking will not reduce the likelihood of the survival or recovery of the endangered species or threatened species within the state, the whole plant-animal community of which it is a part or the habitat that is critical to its existence.

29.604(6r)(em) (em)

29.604(6r)(em)1. 1. Before allowing the taking of an endangered species or threatened species under this subsection, the department shall give notice of the proposed activity to the news media throughout the state and to any person who wants to receive notification of proposed takings under this subsection and who has so informed the department in writing. The department shall transmit the notice at least 30 days before allowing the taking except as provided in subd. 2.

29.604(6r)(em)2. 2. If the department determines that it cannot comply with the 30-day time limit in subd. 1., the department shall transmit the notice as far in advance as is practicable before allowing the taking.

29.604(6r)(f) (f) In addition to any requirements under s. 1.11, the department may give public notice of and hold public hearings on the activities of state agencies or the department under this subsection.

29.604(7) (7) Conservation.

29.604(7)(a) (a) The department shall conduct research on the endangered and threatened species of this state and shall implement programs directed at conserving, protecting, restoring and propagating selected state-endangered and threatened species to the maximum extent practicable.

29.604(7)(b) (b) The department may enter into agreements with federal agencies, other states, political subdivisions of this state or private persons with respect to programs designed to conserve endangered or threatened species of wild animals or wild plants. Agreements with private persons under this paragraph may include providing for the movement of an endangered or threatened species to another appropriate habitat, preferably to a habitat located on state-owned or state-leased land.

29.604(7m) (7m) Bulk sampling activities. A person may take, transport, or possess a wild animal on the department’s endangered and threatened species list without a permit under this section if the person avoids and minimizes adverse impacts to the wild animal to the extent practicable, if the taking, transporting, or possession does not result in wounding or killing the wild animal, and if the person takes, transports, or possesses the wild animal for the purpose of bulk sampling activities under s. 295.45.

29.604(8) (8) Exemptions. This section does not apply to zoological societies or municipal zoos, or to their officers or employees.

29.604 History History: 1971 c. 275; 1975 c. 365; 1977 c. 370; 1979 c. 110, 355; 1985 a. 182; 1987 a. 183; 1989 a. 296; 1995 a. 296; 1997 a. 248 s. 508; Stats. 1997 s. 29.604; 2001 a. 16; 2013 a. 1; 2013 a. 168 s. 21.

29.604 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 27 and s. NR 10.02, Wis. adm. code.

29.604 Annotation This section does not form a basis for seeking injunctive relief against the proposed relocation of a county highway. Robinson v. Kunach, 76 Wis. 2d 436, 251 N.W.2d 449 (1977).

29.604 Annotation Department of Natural Resources refusal to engage in rulemaking to add bobcats to the endangered species list was proper when the scientific evidence presented was inconclusive. Barnes v. DNR, 184 Wis. 2d 645, 560 N.W.2d 730 (1994).

29.604 Annotation Discussing the effect and constitutionality of the law broadening endangered species protection to include threatened species. 68 Atty. Gen. 9.

29.604 Annotation Sub. (4) applies to state-listed endangered and threatened plants growing on public property. OAG 3-00.

29.607 29.607 Wild rice.

29.607(1) (1) Title to wild rice.

29.607(1)(a) (a) The legal title to all wild rice growing in any lake of the state, whether meandered or not, is vested in the state for the purpose of regulating harvest, use, disposition and conservation of wild rice.

29.607(1)(b) (b) The legal title to wild rice taken or reduced to possession in violation of this chapter remains in the state. Title to wild rice lawfully acquired is subject to the condition that upon the violation of this section by the holder of title to the wild rice, the title shall revert, as a result of the violation, to the state.

29.607(2) (2) Powers of the department.

29.607(2)(a) (a) The secretary may designate the opening date for harvesting wild rice in any navigable lake or stream by posting notice of the opening date on the shores of and at places of public access to the lake at least 24 hours before the opening date, unless the department promulgates by rule a different time period required for notice. Posting is sufficient notice of the opening date and no other publication is required.

29.607(2)(b) (b) The department shall obtain the advice and recommendations of the tribal council before promulgating any rules governing the harvest, use and disposition of wild rice growing within the bounds of an Indian reservation.

29.607(3) (3) License required; exceptions; wild rice identification card. Every person over the age of 16 and under the age of 65 shall obtain the appropriate wild rice license to harvest or deal in wild rice but no license to harvest is required of the members of the immediate family of a licensee or of a recipient of old-age assistance or members of their immediate families. The department, subject to s. 29.024 (2g) and (2r), shall issue a wild rice identification card to each member of a licensee’s immediate family, to a recipient of old-age assistance and to each member of the recipient’s family. The term “immediate family” includes husband and wife and minor children having their abode and domicile with the parent or legal guardian.

29.607(4) (4) Licenses.

29.607(4)(a) (a) Wild rice harvest license. No wild rice harvest license is required of helpers of a licensee who participate only in shore operations. Wild rice harvest licenses may be issued only to residents.

29.607(4)(b) (b) Wild rice dealer license. A wild rice dealer license is required to buy wild rice within the state for resale to anyone except consumers, or to sell wild rice imported from outside of the state to anyone within the state except consumers, or to process wild rice not harvested by the processor himself or herself for resale by the processor to any other person. The license is required to be a class D wild rice dealer license if the amount of wild rice bought, sold or processed by the licensee within the year covered by the license exceeds 50,000 pounds. The license is required to be a class C wild rice dealer license if this amount exceeds 25,000 pounds but does not exceed 50,000 pounds. The license is required to be a class B wild rice dealer license if this amount exceeds 5,000 pounds but does not exceed 25,000 pounds. The license is required to be a class A wild rice dealer license if this amount does not exceed 5,000 pounds. For the purposes of this section, 2.5 pounds of raw rice is equivalent to one pound of processed rice.

29.607(5) (5) Records and reports. Each wild rice dealer shall keep a record in the form required by the department of all wild rice bought, sold or processed by the dealer during the period covered by the dealer’s license showing the date of each transaction, the names and addresses of all other parties to the transaction, and the amount of wild rice involved, whether raw or processed. The record shall be open for inspection by the department at all reasonable times. All licensed wild rice dealers shall file reports on their operations as wild rice dealers as required by the department.

29.607(6) (6) Private waters.

29.607(6)(a) (a) Nothing in this section shall be construed as giving this state or the department the right to control, regulate, manage or harvest wild rice growing on privately owned beds of flowages or ponds.

29.607(6)(b) (b) No person may use or cause to be used any mechanical device of any nature in the harvesting or gathering of wild rice.

29.607(7) (7) Penalties. Any person violating this section shall be punished pursuant to s. 29.971 (2) and (12).

29.607 History History: 1975 c. 365 s. 62; 1979 c. 110; 1979 c. 190 s. 4; 1981 c. 243 s. 7; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (3); 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 316; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 191, 237; 1997 a. 248 s. 594; Stats. 1997 s. 29.607; 1999 a. 32.

29.607 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. NR 19.001 and NR 19.09, Wis. adm. code.

29.611 29.611 Wild ginseng.

29.611(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

29.611(1)(a) (a) “Dealer” means a person who purchases for purposes of resale at least 8 ounces of wild ginseng in a license year.

29.611(1)(am) (am) “License year” means the period beginning on July 1 of a given year and ending on the following June 30.

29.611(1)(b) (b) “Wild ginseng” means an unprocessed plant, dry root or live root of the species Panax quinquefolius that is not grown or nurtured by a person.

29.611(2) (2) Cutting. No person may, between November 1 and the following September 1, cut, root up, gather or destroy wild ginseng.

29.611(3) (3) Evidence. The purchase or sale of wild green ginseng between November 1 and the following September 1 is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.

29.611(4) (4) Purchase with knowledge. No person may purchase wild ginseng if the person knows the ginseng was cut, rooted up or gathered between November 1 and the following September 1. No dealer may purchase wild ginseng if any of the following applies:

29.611(4)(a) (a) The dealer fails to inspect the vendor’s wild ginseng harvest license or wild ginseng dealer license.

29.611(4)(b) (b) The dealer knows that the vendor has violated this section.

29.611(5) (5) Evidence. In any prosecution under this section proof that any wild ginseng which was purchased had been illegally obtained by the vendor is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section by the purchaser.

29.611(6) (6) Wild ginseng harvest license.

29.611(6)(a) (a) Requirement. No person may cut, root up, gather or destroy wild ginseng unless the person has a valid wild ginseng harvest license issued by the department. The department shall promulgate rules for issuing wild ginseng harvest licenses. The department may promulgate rules on the quantity of wild ginseng that each person may harvest and restrictions on areas where wild ginseng may be harvested and on the methods which may be used to harvest wild ginseng.

29.611(6)(b) (b) Exception. Paragraph (a) does not apply to a person who cuts, roots up, gathers or destroys wild ginseng growing on the person’s own land if the ginseng is not sold.

29.611(7) (7) Wild ginseng dealer licenses.

29.611(7)(a) (a) License required. No resident may act as a dealer in this state unless he or she has one of the following valid wild ginseng dealer licenses issued by the department:

29.611(7)(a)1. 1. A class A resident wild ginseng dealer license authorizes the purchase for purposes of resale of not more than 100 pounds dry weight of wild ginseng in a license year.

29.611(7)(a)2. 2. A class B resident wild ginseng dealer license authorizes the purchase for purposes of resale of not more than 1,000 pounds dry weight of wild ginseng in a license year.

29.611(7)(a)3. 3. A class C resident wild ginseng dealer license authorizes the purchase for purposes of resale of any amount of wild ginseng in a license year.

29.611(7)(b) (b) Nonresident wild ginseng dealer license. A person who is not a resident may not act as a dealer in this state unless he or she has a valid nonresident wild ginseng dealer license issued by the department.

29.611(7)(c) (c) Rules. The department may establish by rule the procedure for issuing wild ginseng dealer licenses.

29.611(8) (8) Shipment and certification of origin of wild ginseng.

29.611(8)(a) (a) Wild ginseng originating in this state. No person may ship out of this state wild ginseng that originates in this state unless the wild ginseng is accompanied by a valid certificate of origin issued under this subsection.

29.611(8)(bn) (bn) Wild ginseng originating in another state.

29.611(8)(bn)1. 1. No person may ship out of this state to a foreign country wild ginseng that originates in another state unless the wild ginseng is accompanied by a valid certificate of origin issued by that other state. No person may ship out of this state wild ginseng that originates in another state under a certificate of origin issued under this subsection.

29.611(8)(bn)2. 2. No resident may purchase for purposes of resale wild ginseng that originates in another state unless the wild ginseng is accompanied by a valid certificate of origin from the other state.

29.611(8)(bn)3. 3. If a dealer who is a resident receives wild ginseng that originated in another state and if a certificate of origin issued by that state does not accompany the wild ginseng, the dealer shall return the wild ginseng to the sender within 30 days after its receipt.

29.611(8)(c) (c) Issuance of certificates. The department shall promulgate a rule establishing the procedure for issuing certificates of origin. The department may issue certificates of origin only to a person who has a valid wild ginseng harvest license or a valid wild ginseng dealer license.

29.611(8)(d) (d) Effective period; cancellations; return. Unless canceled, a certificate of origin is valid for the period indicated on the certificate’s face. The department may cancel a certificate of origin at any time.

29.611(8)(e) (e) Validity. A certificate of origin is valid only if it has not expired or been canceled by the department, is fully completed and contains no false information. A certificate of origin issued under this subsection is valid only for wild ginseng originating in this state.

29.611(8)(f) (f) Prohibitions. No person may use an expired or canceled certificate of origin, falsify information on a certificate of origin, maintain false records of certificates of origin or fail to maintain records or comply with rules promulgated by the department concerning certificates of origin.

29.611(9) (9) Records; reports; inspections.

29.611(9)(a) (a) Purchases. A dealer shall maintain records of the quantity purchased, the name and wild ginseng license number of the vendor and other information required by the department.

29.611(9)(b) (b) Sales and shipments. A dealer shall maintain records required under this section and shall keep records and reports of sales, shipments and transactions as required by the department.

29.611(9)(c) (c) Records; retention. A dealer shall retain records required under this section for 3 years after the date of the transaction recorded.

29.611(9)(d) (d) Submission of records. A dealer shall submit records required under this section or legible copies of those records to the department within 10 days after the department requests submission of those records by mailing a request to the dealer at the address listed on the wild ginseng dealer license application.

29.611(9)(e) (e) Reports. A dealer shall submit reports required by the department under this section upon request.

29.611(9)(f) (f) Inspections. Upon request, a dealer shall make all records required under this section and all of the inventory of wild ginseng under the dealer’s control available to the department for inspection.

29.611(9)(g) (g) Confidentiality.

29.611(9)(g)1. 1. Notwithstanding s. 19.21, wild ginseng harvest license and wild ginseng dealer license records, records required under sub. (7) or this subsection and reports required under this subsection which relate to transactions in ginseng dry root are not public records and shall not be released or used by the department for any purpose except investigation and enforcement of this section.

29.611(9)(g)2. 2. All records and reports which relate to transactions in wild ginseng live root and seed shall be open to public inspection under subch. II of ch. 19.

29.611(10) (10) Suspension; revocation.

29.611(10)(a) (a) Suspension. The department may suspend the wild ginseng harvest license or the wild ginseng dealer license of a person who violates this section subject to a subsequent right to a hearing before the department. In order to obtain a hearing, a person is required to file a request with the department within 30 days after receipt of the notice of suspension. The filing of a request for a hearing does not stay the suspension pending the hearing.

29.611(10)(b) (b) Revocation. The department may revoke the wild ginseng harvest license or the wild ginseng dealer license of a person who violates this section and may refuse to issue any new license under this section for a period of not more than 3 years. The department shall revoke the wild ginseng harvest license or wild ginseng dealer license of a person who violates this section within 3 years after his or her license was revoked or suspended for a previous violation and shall refuse to issue any new license under this section for a period of not less than one year nor more than 3 years.

29.611(11) (11) Penalty. A person who violates this section shall forfeit not more than $500. A person who violates this section within 3 years after conviction for a previous violation of this section shall forfeit not more than $1,000.

29.611 History History: 1975 c. 394 s. 15; 1975 c. 421; Stats. 1975 s. 29.547; 1979 c. 157; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29; 1985 a. 332 s. 251 (1); 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 359; 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 248 s. 595; Stats. 1997 s. 29.611.

29.611 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. NR 28, Wis. adm. code.

29.614 29.614 Scientific collector permit.