The Wisconsin DNR sent the New Rules Package back to the Assembly Natural Resource committee without implimenting any changes requested from the previous hearing.
While the position of the Wisconsin BASS Federation Nation is that there are a number of flaws in the rules packege that it is the best that we could expect to see at this time.
I would ask any and all of you to contact your senators and represenatives and ask them to encourage the Assembly DNR oversite committee on Fish and Game to allow the ten days to pass with out acting on this bill. No action will allow it to pass and we can move on.
The following is the email that I sent to Represenative Ann Hraychuck with our position on the tournamnet rules and plans for the future:
Representative Hraychuck,
As a member of the Fishing Tournament Advisory Committee I was sent a copy of letter from Secretary Frank refusing to implement any of the last series of changes that the Assembly committee requested.
While we at the Wisconsin Bass federation are disappointed with the response we are not surprised.
We will not at this time ask or encourage you to take any further action on this item. As we discussed, this is the best we could expect at this time and current situation.
We as an organization take away from this experience a new sense of understanding not only of the process but the problems inherent in dealing with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as they currently exist. In large part our growth of understanding and a new found sense of responsibility are a result of the time and patience that you, Representative Gunderson and Representative Huebsh freely gave to us. For that the Wisconsin Bass Federation Nation will always be grateful.
Our intent is to eventually reopen discussions on allowing the Sorting or Culling of live black bass during Permitted Catch and Release Tournaments. It is our hope that the current move By the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to attempt to remove size limits on Bass due to perceived over population and predation on Walleye and Musky fry. Our hope is that there is a mid ground somewhere between the WDNR current stance and the WDNR endorsed Kill-em and Grill-em tournament that is scheduled for the Chippewa Flowage this summer. I look forward to pursuing this subject with you.
Beyond that, and more important than that, is a new found sense of responsibility by the Wisconsin Bass Federation Nation, the Wisconsin Bass Federation and many of the independent Bass tournament organizers towards identifying and publicizing the inherent problems with the WDNR as it exists in its present incarnation.
During the Rule making process we were exposed to a number of clear problems that we hope to help bring focus to. They are:
-The unhealthy relationship between the WDNR and influential lake front property owners.
-The top heavy , cumbersome and unproductive Bureaucracy that currently exist within the WDNR.
-The failure to address increasing lake access on those bodies of water that still do not meet the state mandated minimum access standards.
-The unnecessary and excessive funding of student projects at State Universities
-Failure to withhold WDNR funding to lake projects that do not meet access standards per state rules.
-And last but by no means the least important the total lack of active recruiting, training and promoting of Minorities, both Male and Female within the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The Wisconsin Federation nation looks forward to your term as Chair of the Fish and Game committee and the important work that lies ahead for us.