Musky stocking being cut??? Walleye? Pheasants?

[Tom L]

According to a 4/23 article by WPR's Danielle Kaeding the DNR is busy cutting some funding. Here are the first couple paragraphs:

Wisconsin is being forced to close some fish hatcheries and stop some stocking of muskies, walleyes and pheasants because the state’s budget committee hasn’t granted the Department of Natural Resources new spending authority.

The reductions are the latest development in ongoing challenges the agency has faced with the state’s fish and wildlife account.

In recent years, the account has faced a $16 million shortfall as license fees for hunting and fishing have remained largely flat since 2005, even amid rising costs and declining license sales. Lawmakers in last year’s biennial state budget approved a $30 million transfer from the state’s forestry account to make up the deficit.

Is this the old ploy they use to raise property taxes... "we'll have to cut police, fire, children's programs, etc, etc" to try to scare people or is it legit? I am thinking this may be a good time to call your representatives. FYI, as a huge fan of walleye fishing and a past of hunting pheasants, this gets me stirred up.

 

[Alan]

Yeah, when funding gaps hit natural resources, it’s usually real cuts first then politics turns up the volume after

 

[Gabe]

There’s usually a real budget constraint underneath even if the messaging gets political fast on both sides.

 

[CZMark]

Government agencies always threaten to cut the things that will generate the most outrage. I guarantee there are cuts they could make which almost no one would notice (maybe start with a bloated administrative staff?).

 

[Tabby]

Before we get angry with the DNR, stop and think about where their funding comes from? Right up there on Capitol Hill where the legislature meets and decides on how much funding to allocate to eath department. When your duly elected representatives want more money for their pet and mostly wasteful projects where to they get it? By cutting the budgets to the individual departments. Faced with less revenue to run the department they have to decide what departmental programs to cut, or at least threaten to cut. Protected funding from the Pittman Robertson and Dingel Johnson funds received from the Federal Government can only be used in certain ways by law. They do not, or should I say should not find their way into any general fund, although greedy politicians would like to get their hands on them. Closing fish hatcheries for example is anti Dingel Johnson because the funds from this act are earmarked in part for stocking fish and constructing public access facilities. While these funds are earmarked to be spent a certain way, the majority o funding for the DNR comes from the state budgetary process. So before you get down on the DNR get down on the person you elected to represent your thoughts and desires in how the government is to be run, which they seldom ever do, and give them H E double toothpicks about funding the DNR so that your tax dollars are spent the way you want them, supporting worthwhile projects instead of going into the pockets of a select few.