Your Investment in Wisconsin’s Fish and Wildlife

2010-2011

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunity in its employment, programs, services, and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to Equal Opportunity Office, Department of Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.

This publication is available in alternative format (large print, Braille, audio tape, etc.) upon request. Please call the Department of Natural Resources Accessibility Coordinator at 608-267-7490 or email andrew.janicki@wisconsin.gov for more information.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

PO Box 7921Madison, WI 53707-7921

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Designed by Michelle Voss, WI DNR Science ServicesCover badger photos by Shane Rucker

Background cover photo by Robert Queen

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Fiscal Year 2010-2011Total DNR spending: $529.2 millionFish & Wildlife Account funds: $103 million (19.5%)The $103* million Fish & Wildlife Account comes from the following sources: Sources of Revenue Percent (%)Fishing and hunting licenses and stamps 66.98Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration 10.21Misc. grants, donations, other sources 8.85Pittman-Robertson federal wildlife aid 11.21Wildlife damage surcharge 2.75Total 100%* Revenues are actual cash received during the fiscal year. Due to timing differences for bills, receipts and federal grants, actual revenue may fluctuate from year to year.

THANKS YOUThe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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Federal Aid ProjectFunded by your purchase of

hunting and fishing equipment and motor boat fuels.

A Message from the Secretary It is my pleasure to present the 2010-2011 Fish and Wild-life Annual Report. Since beginning my work with the Department of Natural Resources, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of our state’s hunters and anglers. During these meetings and through our conversations, I find myself humbled and proud to work for such caring, conscientious and dedicated groups and individuals.Wisconsin has a great tradition of environmen-tal protection and conservation. It’s one of the things that sets us apart from just about every other state. Now it is our turn to carry out the tradition so our children and grandchildren experience the hunting and fishing opportuni-ties we enjoy so much.We carefully and gratefully invest your hunt-ing and fishing license dollars in habitat and programs to sustain the hunting and fishing opportunities you treasure. Hunters and anglers have been and remain committed, key supporters of conserving Wisconsin’s beautiful natural resources.We all know it takes a hunter or angler to make a hunter or angler. So invite a friend to try hunt-ing or fishing. Pass on your passion and conser-vation stewardship to the next generation.Wisconsin offers some of North America’s best hunting and fishing. I am proud of what we have and look forward to scores of success stories we will share with future generations. See you out there!Sincerely,

Cathy Stepp, Secretary

for your

continuedsupport!

FISHERIES28.6¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$29.5 million total253 staff33.6% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

WILDLIFE28.4¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$29.2 million total179 staff23.9% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

FACILITIES AND LANDS10¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$10.3 million total46 staff6.1% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

LAW ENFORCEMENT18.6¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$19.2 million total142 staff18.9% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

•Sampledover800lake,riverandstreamsitestoassessfishpopulationand habitat health

•Managedfisheriesin15,000lakesand44,000milesofstreams•CompletedconstructionoftheresearchvesselRV Coregonus, which will beusedforsurveyworkonLakeMichiganandreplacesthe74-year-oldRV Barney Devine

•Developedamanagementplantore-establishspottedmuskyinGreenBayincooperationwithMichiganDNR

•Raisedandstockedover7.6millionfish•Improvedandmaintainedhabitaton57troutstreams•ImplementedabilingualsummeryouthfishingoutreachprogramataLatinocommunitycenter

•Introducedfishingskillsandaquaticecologyconceptsto35,000youthand their families

•RenovatedWildRoseHatchery’scoolwaterrearingfacilitiesforwalleye,sturgeon,northernpikeandmuskywithproductionexpectedtomeetorexceeddesigngoals

•Providedtechnicalsupportforscience-basedmanagementofseveralfishspeciesstatewide,includingmuskellunge,walleye,bass,trout,lakesturgeon, catfish and panfish

•ConductedcollaborativeresearchtounderstandfactorsthatwouldfavorbassorwalleyedominanceinWisconsinlakes

•Leveragedexpertiseandregionalmulti-statepartnershipstoconductresearchinsupportoffisheriesinWisconsin’sriversandGreatLakestributaries

•StudiedcoldwaterstreamfisheriesadaptationtoWisconsin’schangingclimate and developed best trout management strategies

•Researchedthegeneticsofwalleyeandmusky,andusedfindingstodevelopguidelinesformaximizinghealthyfisheries

•Studiedtheimpactofanglingonwalleyeage,sizeandpopulations

•Heldover975huntereducationcoursestaughtbyvolunteerswhotrainedover25,000students

•Respondedtoover4,639hunting,fishingandtrappingcomplaints•Issued5,302citationsand7,786warnings•Enforcedfishing,huntingandtrappinglaws•Enteredover400individualsintotheWildlifeViolatorCompact•EducatedanglersandboatersaboutVHS•Sponsored,incooperationwithvolunteers,over115LearntoHunteventswithover1,700participants

•ConductedoutreachandeducationaboutWisconsin’sHunter RecruitmentandRetentionProgramandgoals

•Fundednineneworrenovatedboataccesssitesacrossthestate•ManagedDNRlandsforhuntingandfishing•Managedlandon152fisheryareas,severalflowagesandriversand

hundreds of public boat access sites•MaintainedtheDNRmanagedlandswebsitesopeoplecanfindaplace

to hunt and fish•MaintainedtheDNRboataccesswebsitesopeoplecanfindaplace

to launch their boats

•Assisted32,494interpretiveprogramparticipants•Helpedhostayouthoutdoorexpoattracting3,000students•ExpandedtheNationalArcheryintheSchoolsProgramandhostedthelargestindoorarcherytournamentinWisconsinforover700students

•Conductedcopperbulletdemonstrationsacrossthestateasan actionitemoftheLeadActionPlan

•Countedtheelkherdat150animalsandmovedasmallgroupofelktoexpandtheirrange

•Made5,804telemetrylocationdeterminationsand13,110telemetrymortalitychecksduringthelastelkyear(May13,2010,toMay19,2011)andgave31elkpresentationsto833participants

•ContinuedCWDsurveillanceinsouthernWisconsinandsampledover4,500deer

•InitiatedcomprehensivedeerresearchprojectsinnorthwestandeastcentralWisconsin

•Involvedhuntersinassessingwildlifepopulationsusingsurveysand deer registration forms

•Collectedwaterfowlandmammalharvestandagedata,conductedlicensesurveysandbanded11,000birds

•Continuedtobeanationalleaderinusingsurveysforbirdsdifficulttodetectbynormalsurveymethods:owls,nightjars,marshbirds

•Initiatedthesecondbearpopulationstudyusingtetracycline•Recordeda2010bearharvestof5,133,thehighestregulatedbear

harvest on record•ConductedtheWisconsinspringwaterfowlbreedingsurveywithresultsin2010of386,501ducksand165,853geese

•Partneredwithconservationclubstorelease55,000pheasantson 71publichuntingsites

•Providedwildlifewatchingopportunities•Developed,withpartners,aSharp-tailedGrouseManagementPlan•CompletedabeaversurveyinnorthernWisconsin•Initiatedalong-termresearchefforttobetterunderstandbobcatecologyinsouthernWisconsin

•Implementedanonlineturkeyregistrationsystemandatelephone/onlineturkeyharvestreportingsystem

•Usedturkey,pheasantandduckstamprevenueforwetland,grass-land,savannaandforestryprojects

•Expandedthenumberofduckhuntingzones•Acquiredanddevelopedwetlandandgrasslandhabitat•Initiatedthe473,900-acreSouthwestWisconsinGrasslandandStreamConservationAreaproject

•Managed178statewildlifeareasacross620,000acresforhunting,trapping, fishing, wildlife watching and more

CUSTOMER SERVICE5.5¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$5.6 million total32 staff4.2% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

•Operatedacustomercontactcenterthatservesthepublicbyphone,chatoremail,7daysaweek,15hoursperday

•ProvidedcommunicationswithSpanish-andHmong-speakingstaff•ImplementedinternetchatfunctionontheDNRwebsite•Recruitedbusinesssupportspecialiststoprovidepersonalized trainingandsupporttomorethan1,300licenseagents

•Managedcomputersystemsandvendornetworksupportingthe saleofover3millionfishing,huntingandtrappinglicenses

•Maintainedaneasy-to-useautomatedlicensingsystemthatintegrateshunting and fishing, recreational vehicles and safety education

•Developeddirectinterfacesbetweenelectroniccitations,thelicensingsystem and the courts

•Distributedmillionsofregulationpamphlets/brochures

REGIONAL MANAGEMENT1.1¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$1.2 million total8 staff1% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT7.8¢ of each Fish & Wildlife dollar$8.0 million total92 staff12.3% of Fish & Wildlife-funded positions

•Providedonlineinformationforaccesspointstopublichunting on state lands

•ManagedDNRwebsiteandimplementedaGovdeliverysystemallowingcustomerstosubscribetoemail,textmessagesandRSSfeeds for specific topics and updates

•Ensuredthefutureofhunting,fishingandtrappingthrougheduca-tional programs

•Organizedforumsforfishingandhuntinggroups,governmentagencies, legislators and the public to participate in hunting and fishingpolicymaking

•Managedanddistributed54CountyConservationAidsgrantstotaling$148,053andeightUrbanWildlifeAbatementandControlgrantstotaling$24,968

•ProvidedSportFishRestorationandRecreationalBoatingFacilitiesFundingforboataccessfacilitiestotaling$854,820

•Assistedandsupportedlocalgovernmentandconservationgroups with fish and wildlife issues

•Interactedwiththousandsofcustomersthroughexhibitsatmajor outdoors events

•Surveyedlakesinfestedwithinvasiveaquaticplantsandplannedlakemanagement actions

•Conductedcitizenworkshopsonaquaticplantidentificationand helpedidentifyinvasiveaquaticplants

•Added5,397acresofwildlifearealandthroughfeetitleandeasementacquisition

•LaunchedtheVoluntaryPublicAccessProgram,whichadded12,000acres of new public hunting land

•Developednon-forestbiomassharvestguidelines•DevelopedtheWildRicePlan•Conducteddeerresearchfocusingonfawnpredation,buckmortality,andusingvehiclecollisionsasapopulationsizeindex

•InvestigatedtechniquestorestorelakeshorelandsandassessedwildliferesponsetolakeshorelandrestorationinnorthernWisconsin

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YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK FOR YOU AND WISCONSIN’S FISH AND WILDLIFE