*Please note these dates are subject to change.
✓ MARCH 16, 2023 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Update from Melissa on her trip to Washington DC! // Zoom Link
MARCH 30, 2023 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Future Strategy for Wisconsin Conservation Congress // Zoom Link
APRIL 18, 2023: WILDLIFE DAY AT THE CAPITOL! Please join us for a day of speaking up for Wisconsin Wolves and wildlife! Starting with a morning legislative briefing, guest speakers and lunch, we’ll then proceed onto individual meetings with your State Senator and Representative in support of wolf protections and other wildlife issues that matter most to you. We will provide FREE lunch, legislator talking points and prep time, handouts, our 10th anniversary t-shirt and pre-scheduled appointments with your legislators. Details and Registration here!
MAY 19, 2023 – Endangered Species Day
*Please note these dates are subject to change.
✓ DECEMBER 1, 2022 – Fireside Chat: Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan Review. Meet with our Scientific Advisory Board, Nancy Warren and Melissa Smith to review the plan and start preparing your public comments to the DNR. / Zoom Link
✓ DECEMBER 3, 2022 @ 9:30 AM – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Bear Advisory Committee Meeting. Located at Mead Wildlife Area Visitor Center located at S2148 County Hwy S, Milladore, WI. If you are unable to be there in person, you may attend via this zoom link or call 1-888-475-4499 / Meeting ID: 88933394796
✓ DECEMBER 3, 2022 @ 1:30 PM – Wisconsin Conservation Congress Wolf Advisory Committee Meeting. Located at Mead Wildlife Area Visitor Center located at S2148 County Hwy S, Milladore, WI. If you are unable to be there in person, you may attend via this zoom link or call 1-888-475-4499 / Meeting ID: 86771858295
✓ DECEMBER 15, 2022 – Fireside Chat: Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan Review (Part 2) followed up our Virtual Howl-iday Party! 6:00 – 7:00 PM / Zoom Link
✓ DECEMBER 31, 2022 – LAST CHANCE to have your donations matched! Double your contribution HERE.
✓ JANUARY 19, 2023 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Strategic Plan for 2023. Your questions and suggestions are welcome! / Zoom Link
✓ FEBRUARY 2, 2023 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Romeo The Wolf, A Case Study. Zoom Link
✓ FEBRUARY 7, 2023 @ 4:00 PM – The Wisconsin DNR is holding a public listening session for the proposed Wolf Management Plan on as part of the public review and comment period. This listening session is an additional opportunity for anyone interested to provide input on the proposed plan while the public review and comment period remains open until Feb. 28.
DNR staff will give a brief overview of the plan, and the public comment period will immediately follow. To make sure we hear from everyone who registers to speak, staff will not be addressing questions.
Registration is required by noon CST on Feb. 6 for anyone wishing to provide comment on the proposed plan during the listening session. Registrants will speak in the order of which they’ve signed up, and each speaker will have two minutes. Members of the public who do not wish to provide testimony during the hearing and only want to listen can watch a live feed of the hearing on the DNR’s YouTube channel. After the event, the recording will be accessible on YouTube for on-demand viewing.
✓ FEBRUARY 7, 2023 – Minnesota Wildlife Day at the Capitol w/ Howling for Wolves. A day of speaking for the wolf, starting with a morning legislative briefing and guest speaker, lunch provided, then individual meetings with your State Senator and Representative in support of wolf protections and banning the wolf hunt in Minnesota. Register here. All are welcome!
✓ FEBRUARY 16, 2023 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: State + Federal Legislative Updates // Zoom Link
✓FEBRUARY 28, 2023 – The Wisconsin DNR is requesting public input on the state’s wolf management plan. The prior Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan underwent a review process in 2005-06 and was last updated in 2007, so this is a unique opportunity for advocates to make their voices heard. Feedback and comments can be submitted via the Online Comment Tool. The deadline to submit comments has been extended to February 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
*Please note these dates are subject to change.
✓ SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat (Cancelled)
✓ SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Get Out the Wild Vote! Zoom Link
✓ SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat Cancelled…see you at Vegan Fest!
✓ OCTOBER 1, 2022 @ 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM – FREE EVENT: MADISON VEGAN FEST! Our Executive Director, Melissa Smith, will be speaking on wildlife advocacy and there will be a special feature on USDA wildlife services. Visit our Upcoming Events page for details.
✓ OCTOBER 13, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Learn more about the new DNR Wolf Population Report and join in the fun for some Wolf Trivia for #WolfAwarenessWeek ! Zoom Link
✓ OCTOBER 16 – 22, 2022 – NATIONAL WOLF AWARENESS WEEK
✓ OCTOBER 18, 2022 – please join us for a wolf presentation by Lois Lehmann at the Deforest Public Library where you can meet our new “Robo Lobo” and help support the wonderful efforts of our volunteers! Details here. #WolfAwarenessWeek
✓ OCTOBER 26, 2022 – Howl at the Moon Day ! Howling at the moon can represent breaking free of the traditional and standard, to stare into the dark night and away from convention and civilization. This can be your opportunity to cut free, do something unexpected, and release the wild within you. However you choose, howl with us on October 26th to let wolves know we will always continue to advocate for them. After all, it is HOWL-A-WEEN!
✓ OCTOBER 27, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Revisiting ACT 168 which opened Wisconsin State Parks to hunting and trapping in 2012. Zoom Link
✓ NOVEMBER 8, 2022 – VOTE WILD for the Midterm Elections! Everything you need to know here.
✓NOVEMBER 10, 2022 – Fireside Chat w/ special guest speakers Diane Brusoe and Tami Ryan – Deputy Division Administrators of the DNR. Zoom Link
✓ NOVEMBER 17, 2022 – Fireside Chat w/ special guest speaker Rolf Peterson, Author of “The Wolves of Isle Royale, A Broken Balance”. Zoom Link
✓ NOVEMBER 29, 2022 – GIVING TUESDAY! Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. Please choose Wisconsin Wolves this Giving Tuesday.
*Please note these dates are subject to change.
✓ JUNE 2, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Update from Melissa Smith
✓ JUNE 3, 2022 – Our friends at Wyoming Untrapped have a call to action to submit public comment on Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department’s wolf hunting regulations! Deadline for commenting is June 3 at 5 PM. Instructions for submission and sample talking points can be found on Wyoming Untrapped’s site.
✓ JUNE 7, 2022 @ 1:00 PM – Join us for a presentation with Dr. Jonathan Gilbert on the Ojibwe reaction to the Wisconsin wolf hunt, hosted by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison. Attend in person @ Science Hall – Room 110 or join virtually via ZOOM
✓ JUNE 16, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Get the Lead Out ! Featuring special guest and wildlife rehab expert Mark Naniot.
✓ JUNE 18, 2022 – Wolves and Wildflowers Day at the Bog in Lewiston, Wisconsin! Please visit our Events Page for details.
✓ JUNE 21 – 22, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Natural Resources Board Meeting. Rm. G09, State Natural Resources Bldg. (GEF 2) 101 S. Webster St. Madison, WI 53703. More info here. (no meeting scheduled for July)
✓ JUNE 30, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Update Call with our Executive Director, Melissa Smith
✓ JULY 7, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Join us for a Special Guest Speaker on Wildlife for All and why state litigation is so important. Zoom Link
✓ JULY 13, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Anyone interested in learning more about the Minnesota DNR’s draft wolf plan update is invited to this informational webinar. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment during the webinar. Registration is required.
✓ JULY 21, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Minnesota and Michigan’s Wolf Management plan review with special guests Nancy Warren and Collette Adkins. Zoom Link
✓ JULY 23, 2022 @ 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Animal Advocacy Day 2022! Learn how to enhance your animal advocacy work at this free event, featuring speakers and free vegan food. Beginners in advocacy welcome! More info and register here.
✓ AUGUST 4, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Update Call with our Executive Director, Melissa Smith
✓ AUGUST 4, 2022 – The Michigan DNR is requesting public input on the state’s wolf management plan. The plan was created in 2008 and last updated in 2015, so this is a unique opportunity for advocates to make their voices heard. We encourage anyone with connections in the region to contact partners who might be interested in commenting. The questionnaire currently appears to allow anyone to submit and does not restrict based on geographic location. Submissions are open until August 4.
Please use the following guides when submitting your public comment for the Michigan Wolf Plan:
HSUS Guide to Completing the Michigan Wolf Plan Questionnaire
✓ AUGUST 8, 2022 – The Minnesota DNR welcomes comments on a draft of Minnesota’s updated wolf management plan that incorporates the diverse views of Minnesotans and will guide the state’s approach to wolf conservation once finalized.
The updated plan includes summary information about Minnesota’s wolf population and history of wolves in the state. It details the diverse and changing public attitudes about wolves, the legal status of wolves, tribal perspectives on wolves, and ways to support a healthy and resilient wolf population while minimizing conflicts between humans and wolves. The draft plan also sets out a framework for future decisions about whether to hold a wolf hunting or trapping season.
The DNR welcomes comments on the draft plan through 4:30 p.m. Monday, August 8th. The DNR expects to finalize the wolf plan later this year. Submit your comments to the DNR here – click on “comment on the draft plan”.
Please use the following guides when submitting your public comment for the Minnesota Wolf Plan:
HSUS Guide to Completing the Minnesota Wolf Plan Questionnaire
✓ AUGUST 8, 2022 – Deadline to submit your comments for the Biden Administration’s move to BAN Lead Ammunition! Comments may be submitted electronically here: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0055-0001
Or submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery: Public Comments, Processing, Attn: FWS-HQ-NWRS-2022-0055, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041–3803
Contact your US Representative (Congressman) and both US Senators to voice your support for this lead ammunition ban. Click here to find your Elected Officials.
Resources for Talking Points:
Lead in Hunting Ammunition and Fishing Tackle
✓ AUGUST 13 – 14, 2022 – Speak for Wolves: The conference will have a few sessions each day, presented live by webinar followed by Q&A. Select sessions will be recorded and available for review. Details to join the webinar will be e-mailed to all registrants. This conference will feature special guest speakers including our Executive Director Melissa Smith, so we hope to see you there! Register Here.
✓ AUGUST 18, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat on Wildlife Agency Reform: Mutualism, Wolves and the North American Model of Conservation featuring Special Guest, Erik Molvar. Zoom Link
*Please note these dates are subject to change.
✓ FEBRUARY 24, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Get involved with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress
✓ MARCH 10, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Special Guest Speaker
✓ MARCH 11, 2022 – Each year, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress accepts resolutions from citizens throughout the state regarding natural resource issues of statewide concern. Resolutions that meet the criteria will be added to the online input survey as a county-level resolution from the author’s county of residence. WCC Citizen Resolutions are due March 11th before midnight.
>> Here is the resolution we are asking our advocates to submit to the DNR Citizen Resolution page regarding access to public meetings <<
✓ MARCH 24, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Topic TBD
✓ APRIL 7, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Wisconsin Conservation Congress
✓ APRIL 11, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – WCC Annual Spring Questionnaire: provide input on Wisconsin’s natural resource issues through the 2022 Spring Hearings which will be online beginning April 11, 2022 (starting at 7:00 pm) and remain open through 7:00 pm on April 14, 2022. Information on the questions being asked, how to participate, and how citizens can introduce a resolution will be posted here as it becomes available.
✓ APRIL 12 – 13, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Natural Resources Board Meeting. Rm. G09, State Natural Resources Bldg. (GEF 2) 101 S. Webster St. Madison, WI 53703. More info here.
✓ APRIL 21, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Fireside Chat: Topic TBD (Earth Day)
✓ April 23, 2022 – Earth Day Celebration! Please see our Events page for details.
✓ MAY 5, 2022 @ 7:00 PM – In place of our usual Fireside Chat, we will be joining the Unite for Wolves Webinar to learn the latest on wolves in Idaho and Yellowstone, the impacts on Yellowstone business communities, and efforts by tribes, students and activists to gain emergency listing for wolves in the Northern Rockies. Please see our Events page for further details!
✓ MAY 6, 2022 – Wolf Day of Action! Join us for a phone jam to tie up Secretary Deb Halland’s phone lines all day long with calls about wolves. We’re going to call her every five minutes urging her to stand up for what’s right, listen to the American public, and relist wolves as an endangered species. When you sign up, pick a time on Friday, May 6th when you’ll be free and we’ll send you an email or text reminding you to make your call. We’ll send you easy instruction for how to make the call and a short, simple script so that you know what to say.
SIGN UP TO PLEDGE YOUR CALL HERE
✓ MAY 16, 2022 – Deadline to submit your comments on the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan. Comments can be submitted electronically. Go to the regulations page for Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2022-0018, click the comment button in the upper left of the page, enter your comments, indicate if you’re submitting as an individual or representative of an organization and submit. Please comment before May 16 to demand the USFWS properly address this critical threat to the survival of the Mexican gray wolf population.
✓ MAY 20, 2022 – In place of this week’s Fireside Chat, please join us Friday, May 20th @ 7:00 PM (CST) for an Endangered Species Day Celebration via Zoom! See our Events page for details.
✓ MAY 24 – 25, 2022 @ 6:00 PM – Natural Resources Board Meeting. Rm. G09, State Natural Resources Bldg. (GEF 2) 101 S. Webster St. Madison, WI 53703. More info here.
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR (LTE)
A letter to the editor (LTE) is an effective way to influence elected officials and educate others. Members of Congress are particularly responsive to letters in their constituents’ local newspapers. There may be no easier way to make a public statement of support for wolves than a writing a letter to the editor.
Join our fireside chats where you can provide feedback, ask questions, learn more about the latest advocacy updates, meet our team, discuss volunteer opportunities and hear from special expert guests. As always, we are open to any and all of your suggestions. Make sure you follow our Facebook page and subscribe to our website to keep momentum moving forward and be the change you want to see…we look forward to seeing you all there!
Time: Every Other Thursday, 6:00 – 7:00 PM (CST)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/96624716122…
Meeting ID: 966 2471 6122
Passcode: 854398
*Please Note: Dates are subject to change
✓ DECEMBER 3, 2021 @ 9:00 – 11:00 AM – Listen to or speak at the virtual public comment meeting on the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Response Plan Review hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The meeting provides an opportunity for public input to the CWD Response Plan Review Committee to help inform the review.
Those interested in commenting during the meeting must register in advance here. Each registered speaker has a maximum time limit of five minutes, and the facilitator may set a time limit of three minutes. Please be prepared for either time limit. The public can also email their comments to the committee at any time.
✓ DECEMBER 8, 2021 @ 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM – Listen to or speak at the Natural Resources Board Meeting. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) sets policy for the Department of Natural Resources and exercises authority and responsibility in accordance with state laws.
Use this link to join a livestream of the meeting
✓ BY END OF JANUARY – (exact date TBD) Ask the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to #RelistWolves. FWS is conducting a status review of gray wolves and “requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding the species and factors that may affect its status. Comments calling for emergency relisting are due by December 16. Find out everything you need to know and submit your comment here.
✓ BY SEPTEMBER 15th @ 11:00 AM – Submit written comments or register to speak at the upcoming NRB meeting by emailing or calling: Laurie J. Ross, Board Liaison, Office of the Secretary, AD/8, Laurie.Ross@wisconsin.gov, 608-267-7420. *Be sure to provide your name, city, phone number, and email or mailing address.
Details: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/NRB/public.html
✓ SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 – Listen to or speak at the NRB meeting, held at NOR/Superior area
✓ SEPTEMBER 23 @ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Watch the newly formed Wolf Management Plan Committee’s third meeting. Our group has a seat at the table to speak. It will be a virtual meeting and open to the public to watch. The goal of this group is to create a new plan around managing the wolves in our state that would take effect summer of 2022. There are two ways to join the call:
- Use this link to join a livestream of the meeting, or
- Join by phone (312-626-6799, Meeting ID: 817 6864 6459)
More information on the wolf management plan update process and timeline, including the formation, membership and work of this committee is available on the DNR Wolf Management Plan Webpage.
✓ BY OCTOBER 20th @ 11:00 AM – Submit written comments or register to speak at the upcoming NRB meeting by emailing or calling: Laurie J. Ross, Board Liaison, Office of the Secretary, AD/8, Laurie.Ross@wisconsin.gov, 608-267-7420. *Be sure to provide your name, city, phone number, and email or mailing address.
Details: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/NRB/public.html
✓ OCTOBER 21, 2021 @ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Watch the last of four scheduled meetings of the DNR Wolf Management Plan Committee. This committee has been formed to discuss important issues related to wolf management in Wisconsin and provide input as the department updates the state wolf management plan. Use this link to join a livestream of the meeting.
More information on the wolf management plan update process and timeline, including the formation, membership and work of this committee is available on the DNR Wolf Management Plan Webpage.
✓ OCTOBER 21, 2021 @ 2:00 PM – Attend the court hearing for an injunction in our lawsuit via Zoom. Please attend if you can — it is important that the judge sees how many of us support this legislation and DO NOT want a wolf hunt.
Instructions to join the hearing are provided below. If you have any questions, please call our office prior to the hearing date at 608-266-4009 or email ann.ford@wicourts.gov.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://wicourts.zoom.us/j/94324249379?pwd=ZFZTK3BEZkwrRzJDRThqMHJhQlNlUT09
Meeting ID: 943 2424 9379
Passcode: 611802
To participate by phone dial 1-312-626-6799, when prompted enter Meeting ID: 943 2424 9379
✓ OCTOBER 27, 2021 – Listen to or speak at the NRB meeting, unless otherwise noted, all Madison meetings are held at the following address:
Rm. G09, State Natural Resources Bldg. (GEF 2)
101 S. Webster St.
Madison, WI 53703
(Enter the building at the 101 S. Webster St. entrance and take the hallway to the right to the reception desk.)
✓ SUMMER 2021 ADVOCACY ACTION ITEMS
✓JULY 22 @ 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Watch the newly formed Wolf Management Plan Committee’s first meeting. Our group has a seat at the table to speak. It will be a virtual meeting and open to the public to watch. The goal of this group is to create a new plan around managing the wolves in our state that would take effect summer of 2022. There are two ways to join the call:
- Use this link to join a livestream of the meeting, or
- Join by phone (312-626-6799, Meeting ID: 817 6864 6459)
More information on the wolf management plan update process and timeline, including the formation, membership and work of this committee is available on the DNR Wolf Management Plan Webpage.
✓ BY AUGUST 4 @ 11:00 AM – Submit written comments or register to speak at the upcoming NRB meeting by emailing or calling: Laurie J. Ross, Board Liaison, Office of the Secretary, AD/8, Laurie.Ross@wisconsin.gov, 608-267-7420. Be sure to provide your name, city, phone number, and email or mailing address.
Details: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/NRB/public.html
✓ AUGUST 11, 2021 – Listen to or speak at the NRB meeting, held at SER/Oak Creek.
✓ ACTION ALERT: Wolf Harvest Committee Meeting Comments Due by June 18th!
Your written comments to the Wolf Harvest Committee must be submitted by noon on Friday, June 18th. This committee will decide a quota for the fall hunt to be presented to the Natural Resources Board in August.
Submit your written comments via email at: DNRWildlifeWebmail@wisconsin.gov. Please include “Fall Wolf Season Comments” in the subject line. Comments will be recorded verbatim with submitter’s name and provided to the committee in advance of the meeting. To allow time for the committee to review comments, the deadline to submit comments is Friday, June 18th at noon.
Details here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/calendar/meeting/44621
There are several points that we must make to this committee which should be put into your own words for best effect. Try to limit your testimony to a few paragraphs, with what you feel personally is most important. These are your wolves too, and any thoughts you have about a fall hunt should be included, but supported. Provide any anecdotal evidence you have that there are less wolves or how a fall hunt would personally affect you, or how a future hunt will diminish your recreation and the future of wolf recovery. That is what is most important to let the committee know.
We support Wisconsin wolf management but it needs to include public input and thorough scientific analysis and deliberative processes as required by law. We need to include sportsmen and women, conservation groups, tribal leaders, and interested citizens to establish goals and build broad public support for managing wolves and minimizing wolf-human conflicts. The public trust doctrine says that wildlife belong to all citizens of Wisconsin, and they are held in trust for the public. We believe it is imperative that the WDNR and the NRB fulfill their responsibility to wolves as a public trust natural resource by supporting the further development and implementation of scientific wolf management practices using current scientific and cultural information.
- The WDNR did not follow it’s mission statement in regards to the February wolf hunt and the state violated the Public Trust Doctrine.
- Determining the quota for the February hunt was not an inclusive process. The quota, season dates, and reporting structure did not ensure that a sustainable population of wolves would be maintained and a fall hunt is following the same processes.
- The biological impacts of the February 2021 hunt, held during the wolves’ breeding season, will never be fully understood due to a lack of important biological data collection. Impacts to the overall population, and impacts to specific local wolf packs, cannot be known. Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) states in their recently released Conservation Bulletin “Although there are significant uncertainties associated in making a prediction based on limited information, we believe that based on loss of bred females and alpha males, it is reasonable to estimate that 60-100 of Wisconsin’s wolf packs may lose all pup production due to the February 2021 hunt. If this impact is realized it will represent 24-40% of the expected reproduction from 245 known wolf packs outside of Indian reservations in Wisconsin.”
- The WDNR receives 90% of its funding from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, according to a January 2017 internal report. There is a steady decline in the number of recreational hunters nationally, as only 4% of people now identify themselves as hunters (National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. 2016). Relying on hunter funding leads to a narrow focus on managing game animals for a small special interest base. WDNR needs to broaden opportunities for non-consumptive users, and increase funding for conservation decisions that benefit game and non-game species. As fewer people hunt now and into the future, the continued support of hunting depends on the attitudes of non-hunters. Most support hunting to obtain meat, and oppose hunting only to obtain a trophy. The majority of Wisconsin citizens are non-hunters who support wolves
- Wolves respond to human hunting pressure in surprising ways. Packs are more likely to break up if an alpha animal is killed, which can cause an increased risk of younger, more inexperienced wolves to attack “easy” prey such as livestock, as these wolves lack the cohesive pack unit. Aggressive human hunting of wolves can actually result in increased conflict with farmers, and more wolf depredations on livestock. Wolf depredations are occurring now in Wisconsin after the February 2021 wolf hunt at an increased rate. https://dnrx.wisconsin.gov/wdacp/public/depredation/2021
- A reliable wolf population estimate will be lacking when quotas are set for the proposed fall 2021 hunt. WGF’s recommendation that “WDNR wildlife biologists must make their best efforts to assess and model the impact of the 2021 February hunt, including estimating illegal or unregistered kills, removal of pregnant females, and loss of alpha males on the wolf population. Current population models and population estimation methods should also be assessed for reliability. This impact analysis should be completed and made available to the Wolf Advisory Committee prior to WDNR’s development and public release of 2021 fall harvest quota alternatives.”
✓ FOTWW 2021 SPRING CAMPAIGN PLAN
Wolves Unmasked Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrAnJJ7cEaw
DNR Wolf Management Plan: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/wolfmanagementplan
Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB): https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/NRBhttps://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/NRB
Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) Annual Spring Public Hearings: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing
Subscribe to DNR Email & Text Notifications: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIDNR/subscriber/new
✓ BY APRIL 5, 2021 Submit a resolution in your county as we discussed by THIS SUNDAY. Amy Mueller is working closely with Project Coyote and The Humane Society of the United States and is keeping track of resolutions and counties. You can submit anything you’d like but if you would like to use the resolutions we have generated and discussed, please email amueller@wiwolvesandwildlife.org. Click HERE to submit resolutions.
✓ BY APRIL 7, 2021 – 11:00 AM Register to testify at the Natural Resources Board (NRB) with “your story” about how the wolf hunt impacted you and why you do not believe there should be a fall hunt. To register to speak, please email or call Laurie Ross, Board Liaison, Laurie.Ross@wisconsin.gov or 608-267-7420. We will post some talking points and have a mock NRB board meeting at our fireside chat. Rewatch the link about storytelling and personalize your message. Remember your audience. If you need help with your story or if have ANY issues registering to testify, please email Melissa Smith at msmith@wiwolvesandwildlife.org.
✓ APRIL 8, 2021 – (11:30 AM – 2:30 PM) The 2021 WOLF HARVEST COMMITTEE MEETING will take place virtually on April 8 at 11:30 AM and will discuss the February 2021 wolf season as well as providing Wolf Monitoring Program updates. Experts will also discuss updates from the Wildlife Conflict Program as the next steps to the Fall 2021 wolf season and the Wolf Management Plan. The public is encouraged to provide input during this meeting. Contact: Randy.Johnson@Wisconsin.gov or 715-499-0010.
Join Zoom online: https://lnks.gd/…/eyJhbGc…/s/965715598/br/101433548205-l
Join by phone: 1-312-626-6799 Meeting ID: 894 9256 5323
✓ APRIL 12-15, 2021 – Vote in the Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) Annual Spring hearing here. Do not forget to look at your county’s posted resolutions and vote on those resolutions as well. Consider filling a vacant county seat if you are interested. Please contact dianemcain@yahoo.com with any questions you may have. Some questions are tricky and confusing. If you need help understanding anything, email us at info@wiwolvesandwildlife.org and we can give you our interpretation of the question. We cannot advise you how to vote, we can only provide you an explanation of the question posed.
✓ APRIL 14, 2021 – Natural Resources Board Zoom Meeting. You will have already registered to speak at this meeting. We will be on the entire NRB meeting and usually citizen testimony starts around 10:15. That can change depending on the agenda and how many of us are registered. We can alert you when citizen testimony starts or they call your name, but you need to send us your phone number so we can text you. Laurie Ross will have already emailed you instructions on how to log in, etc. If you are working, remember it’s only 3 minutes!
✓ April 15 – May 15, 2021 – This comment period is open to everyone, even out-of-state residents who have a vested interest in wild wolves. HOWEVER, PLEASE WAIT to submit your comments until we go over this survey in our next Fireside Chat Meeting on April 22nd at 6pm via Zoom. Questions on this survey have been worded to get the results the DNR wants and not necessarily what the public wants. We will go through everything with you, question-by-question, so that you all thoroughly understand and feel prepared to help family and friends participate as well. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR WAITING TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS UNTIL WE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO DISCUSS IT TOGETHER AS AN ORGANIZATION. See you next Thursday !
How to REALLY Connect with Your Elected Officials
In the age of mass-generated emails and petitions, ol’ fashioned snail-mail stands to be most the most tried-and-true method of capturing the attention of your senator or representative. Aside from a scheduled visit, a handwritten letter is one of the best ways to connect to your elected official on a more personal level. Many reps will read every single handwritten letter that crosses their desk and some will even send back a handwritten reply.
Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife 