The bill requires that DNR conduct a free sandhill crane hunter education program. A person must complete the program and pass a test before hunting sandhill cranes. The program must include specified information about sandhill cranes, such as how to distinguish them from other birds, and specified information about applicable hunting zones and regulations. The results of the test are valid for one year.

If demand for sandhill crane hunting permits exceeds supply, the bill requires DNR to issue permits according to a cumulative preference system. For any given season, a person may apply for either a permit or for a preference point. A person who applies unsuccessfully for a permit is awarded instead a preference point. A person may accumulate and transfer preference points to certain other persons in the same manner as the cumulative preference systems used for other species. A person may transfer a permit to certain other persons in the same manner as approvals for other species, to the extent allowable by federal law.

The bill sets the cost of a sandhill crane hunting permit at $20 for a resident and $100 for a nonresident. The bill also requires a processing fee of $4.25 and an issuing fee of $0.25 for each application for a permit or for a preference point.

The bill deposits with DNR the revenue raised by the sale of a permit and by the processing fee, to be used by DNR as follows: half for the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program (WDACP), described below, and half for developing, managing, preserving, restoring, and maintaining the sandhill crane population and for the sandhill crane hunter education program.

Crop damage caused by wild animals WDACP provides financial assistance for wildlife damage abatement measures and makes payments to agricultural producers for claims regarding damage to agricultural crops by certain wildlife. The program is funded in large measure by a wildlife damage surcharge on most hunting approvals. Under current law, the surcharge is $2 for a resident or nonresident approval, and $4 for a resident or nonresident conservation patron license. A conservation patron license consists of a bundle of individual approvals and authorizations, such as a small game hunting license, a trapping license, and an annual fishing license.

Under current law, damage caused by a sandhill crane becomes eligible under WDACP if hunting of those cranes is authorized by DNR.

The bill raises the wildlife damage surcharge to the following amounts: $3 for a resident approval; $4 for a nonresident approval; $6 for a resident conservation patron license; and $8 for a nonresident conservation patron license. However, the bill renders these increases contingent on USFWS approving a sandhill crane hunting season in Wisconsin.

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

AB117,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:

- See PDF for table

AB117,2 Section 2. 20.115 (7) (ac) of the statutes is created to read:

AB117,2,12 20.115 (7) (ac) Sandhill crane damage reimbursements. As a continuing appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the sandhill crane damage reimbursement program under s. 93.67.

AB117,3 Section 3. 20.370 (1) (hy) of the statutes is created to read:

AB117,2,18 20.370 (1) (hy) Sandhill crane management. Fifty percent of all moneys received from the sale of sandhill crane hunting permits under s. 29.165 and the associated processing fee collected under s. 29.563 (14) (a) 4. for developing, managing, preserving, restoring, and maintaining the sandhill crane population and for the sandhill crane hunter education program under s. 29.596.

AB117,4 Section 4. 20.370 (5) (fq) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB117,3,3 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) and 50 percent of all moneys received from the sale of sandhill crane hunting permits under s. 29.165 and the associated processing fee collected under s. 29.563 (14) (a) 4. to provide state aid for the wildlife damage abatement program under s. 29.889 (5) (c) 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.

AB117,5 Section 5. 29.165 of the statutes is created to read:

AB117,3,19 29.165 Sandhill crane hunting permits. (1) Authorization; restrictions. (a) Department authority. The department shall authorize the hunting of sandhill cranes in this state, subsequent to approval by the U.S. fish and wildlife service, and shall issue sandhill crane hunting permits to limit the number of hunters of sandhill cranes and the number of sandhill cranes harvested in any area of the state. The sandhill crane hunting permit issued by the department shall include any restrictions necessary to comply with federal laws and regulations. The department shall establish by rule one sandhill crane hunting season and may establish by rule closed zones where the hunting of sandhill cranes is prohibited. The department may temporarily close a sandhill crane hunting season during festivals or ecotourism events related to sandhill cranes. The department shall establish restrictions on sandhill crane hunting permits to minimize the inadvertent taking of other bird species, to minimize the likelihood that breeding sandhill cranes are disproportionately hunted, and to minimize any potential impact to whooping cranes.

AB117,3,22 (b) Requirements. No person may hunt sandhill cranes unless he or she has a valid small game license, or other license that authorizes the hunting of small game, and a valid sandhill crane hunting permit.

AB117,4,21 (2) Issuance of permits. (a) Procedure; preference system. If the department issues sandhill crane hunting permits under sub. (1) (a), the department shall determine the number of permits it will issue for a given sandhill crane hunting area and for a given sandhill crane hunting season. If the number of applications for sandhill crane hunting permits for a given hunting area or season does not exceed the number of available sandhill crane hunting permits allocated by the department for that hunting area or that season, the department shall issue a sandhill crane hunting permit to each applicant who pays the applicable fee. If the number of applications for sandhill crane hunting permits for a given hunting area or season exceeds the number of available sandhill crane hunting permits allocated by the department for that area or that season, the department shall issue permits according to a cumulative preference system. The department shall establish preference categories under the cumulative preference system for those applicants who applied for but were not issued permits, with higher priority given to those categories with more preference points than those with fewer preference points. Under the system, the department shall allow each applicant to apply for a preference point or for a permit for each sandhill crane hunting season. The department shall give a preference point to each applicant who applies for a preference point and to each applicant who applies for a permit but who is not selected. If the number of applicants within a preference category exceeds the number of permits available in the category, the department shall select at random within the category the applicants to be issued the permits.

AB117,5,2 (b) Loss of preference points. Applicants who fail to apply for either a preference point or a permit at least once during any 3 consecutive years shall lose all previously accumulated preference points.

AB117,5,4 (c) Permit limitation. No person may apply for or receive more than one sandhill crane hunting permit for one season.

AB117,5,9 (d) Notification; issuance; payment. The department shall issue a notice of approval to those applicants selected to receive a sandhill crane hunting permit under par. (a). A person who receives a notice of approval and who pays the applicable fee in the manner required by the department shall be issued a sandhill crane hunting permit.

AB117,5,13 (3) Use of moneys from fees. Of the fee amounts collected from the sale of sandhill crane hunting permits, including processing of the permits, 50 percent shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (1) (hy) and 50 percent shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (5) (fq).

AB117,6 Section 6. 29.179 (1) (a) 12. of the statutes is created to read:

AB117,5,15 29.179 (1) (a) 12. Sandhill crane hunting permit.

AB117,7 Section 7. 29.179 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB117,5,20 29.179 (4) Retention of preference points. Notwithstanding ss. 29.164 (3) (cr), 29.165 (2) (b), 29.177 (5) (b), 29.184 (6) (b), and 29.192 (4), a person who is transferred an approval under this section shall retain all preference points that he or she has previously accumulated for that type of approval.

AB117,8 Section 8. 29.179 (5) of the statutes is renumbered 29.179 (5) (a).