AB695,1,10 An Act to repeal 29.889 (2) (c), 29.889 (2) (d), 29.889 (3), 29.889 (4) (a), 29.889 (6) (a), 29.889 (7) (b) 4., 29.889 (7) (bm) and 29.89 (3) (a); to renumber 29.889 (7m) (ar) 1. and 2.; to consolidate, renumber and amend 29.889 (5) (b) and (c); to amend 20.370 (5) (fq), 29.889 (2) (a), 29.889 (4) (b), 29.889 (4) (c), 29.889 (5) (a), 29.889 (5) (bm), 29.889 (5) (bs), 29.889 (6) (d), 29.889 (6) (em), 29.889 (6) (f), 29.889 (7) (a), 29.889 (7) (b) (intro.), 29.889 (7) (b) 2., 29.889 (7) (b) 3., 29.889 (7) (d) 2., 29.889 (7m) (a), 29.889 (7m) (ar) (intro.), 29.889 (8g), 29.889 (8r) and 29.89 (5) (b) 2. c.; and to create 29.889 (5) (d) and 29.889 (7m) (ar) 2m. of the statutes; relating to: the wildlife damage abatement program and the wildlife damage claim program.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill makes changes to the wildlife damage abatement program and the wildlife damage claim program.

Current law authorizes a person who owns, leases, or controls land on which certain wild animals cause damage to crops or livestock (wildlife damage) to apply to the county for wildlife damage claim payments and for wildlife damage abatement assistance (wildlife damage payments). Wildlife damage for which a person is eligible to receive wildlife damage payments includes damage caused by deer, bears, geese, and cougars, as well as elk and sandhill cranes if hunting those animals is authorized. Current law requires that, to be eligible for wildlife damage payments, the location must be in a county that participates in the administration of these programs. A county must apply to the Department of Natural Resources to administer these programs, including in its application a plan of administration that meets certain requirements. Once approved, DNR provides funding to the county for the costs incurred in administering these programs.

Under current law and DNR rule, a county pays 75 percent of the actual costs of providing wildlife damage abatement assistance, for which it is reimbursed by DNR, and the person receiving the assistance pays 25 percent of the costs. DNR pays wildlife damage claims directly.

Effective January 1, 2022, this bill removes counties from the administration of these programs and requires DNR to administer the programs instead. The bill specifies that, if DNR provides wildlife damage abatement assistance to a person, it must determine the actual cost of providing that assistance and pay 75 percent of that cost, leaving the remaining 25 percent as the responsibility of the recipient. The bill eliminates a $10,000 limit under current law on the total amount that may be paid to a claimant for each damage claim. The bill maintains the current law requirement that DNR pay claimants on a prorated basis if there is not a sufficient amount appropriated to pay all claims.

The bill also eliminates the requirement under current law that a county participate in the administration of these programs in order to be eligible for reimbursement by DNR for the costs that the county incurs in processing and donating venison from certain deer carcasses and in processing and donating meat from certain wild turkey carcasses.

Under current law, the type of wildlife damage that is eligible for wildlife damage claim payments is limited to damage to commercial seedings or crops growing on agricultural land, damage to crops that have been harvested for sale or further use but that have not been removed from the agricultural land, damage to orchard trees or nursery stock, and damage to apiaries or livestock. This bill adds that damage to commercial seedings or crops growing on agricultural land caused by operating a vehicle in a field in order to place a bear trap under the wildlife damage abatement program is eligible for a wildlife damage claim payment.

This bill increases from $5,250 to $5,500 the threshold wildlife damage claim amount below which the claimant will be paid 100 percent of the amount of the claim that exceeds $500 and above which the claimant will be paid that amount plus 80 percent of the amount that exceeds $5,500.

Under current law, with certain exceptions, a person may receive wildlife damage payments only if the person opens the land for hunting the type of animal that caused the wildlife damage. Under this bill, this hunting requirement does not apply to a person who receives wildlife damage abatement assistance to acquire a bear trap for land the person leases if the person waives any eligibility to receive a wildlife damage claim payment for damage caused by bears.

Under the bill, effective June 30, 2021, DNR must require all bear traps acquired with wildlife damage abatement assistance to be equipped with remote monitors, including traps placed under the program prior to the effective date of the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB695,1 Section 1. 20.370 (5) (fq) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB695,3,7 20.370 (5) (fq) Wildlife damage claims and abatement. All moneys received under ss. 29.181, 29.559 (1r), and 29.563 (13) and not appropriated under par. (fr) and subs. (1) (hs), (hx), and (Ls) and (5) (fs) to provide state aid for the wildlife damage abatement program under s. 29.889 (5) (c) (b) and the wildlife damage claim program under s. 29.889 (7) (d), for county administration costs under s. 29.889 (2) (d), and for payments under s. 29.89.

AB695,2 Section 2. 29.889 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB695,3,13 29.889 (2) (a) Assistance Administration. The department shall assist counties in developing develop and administering administer the wildlife damage abatement and wildlife damage claim programs. The department shall provide this assistance through technical aid, program guidance, research, demonstration, funding, plan review, audit and evaluation services.

AB695,3 Section 3. 29.889 (2) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

AB695,4 Section 4. 29.889 (2) (d) of the statutes is repealed.

AB695,5 Section 5. 29.889 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB695,6 Section 6. 29.889 (4) (a) of the statutes is repealed.

AB695,7 Section 7. 29.889 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB695,4,5 29.889 (4) (b) Filing of application. In order to be eligible for wildlife damage abatement assistance, a person is required to file an application with the participating county department in a form acceptable to the county department. An owner or lessee of land, a person who controls land, or an owner of an apiary or livestock may file an application.

AB695,8 Section 8. 29.889 (4) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB695,4,10 29.889 (4) (c) Other eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible for wildlife damage abatement assistance, a person is required to comply with eligibility requirements adopted by the department under sub. (2) (b) and with eligibility requirements specified in the plan administration under sub. (3) (c).

AB695,9 Section 9. 29.889 (5) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: