Updated: 2/13/2008
Board delays trapping decision County to seek DNR legal help
By Andrew Dowd Leader-Telegram staff
ALTOONA - Changes on setting traps on public land in the town of Seymour won't come at least during the current season, which ends this week for foxes and coyotes. Eau Claire County Parks and Forest Committee members voted 5-0 Tuesday night to get the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to help draft a local ordinance that would limit trapping on public land in Seymour.
Officials and the author of a proposed trapping ban said they'd be willing to find a compromise between an all-out ban and a status quo.
"Am I stuck on that proposal? No," said Kathy Michels, the Seymour resident who proposed the ban in autumn. "There's a compromise and we'd all be willing to find that."
Michels' dog snapped two traps in Tower Ridge Recreation Area this autumn, but was not injured. Two other dogs encountered traps on private land in Seymour - one was killed and the other injured.
"We're not going to ban trapping across Seymour township," committee member Dennis Jenson said.
The citizen board that advises the Parks and Forest Committee met Feb. 5 and voted 8-0 to recommend restrictions on trapping in Tower Ridge Recreation Area, but not the remaining county forest land in the town of Seymour.
The Parks and Forest Advisory Board wanted to limit trapping in Tower Ridge from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 because there is less activity on the trails then. The DNR's regular season runs late October through mid-February for species often trapped in Tower Ridge.
Body-grip traps, often known as Conibear traps, would not be allowed in the recreation area unless they were set under water, if the recommendation is approved.
Before the county could change the law pertaining to trapping, DNR Conservation Warden Dean Gullickson said the state would need to review the policy to make sure it does not unreasonably impinge on the right to hunt and trap in the Wisconsin Constitution.
"Whatever ordinance you adopt has to be based on a public health and safety concern," he said.
He recommended the county bring the trapping ban proposal to the DNR's spring hearing on April 14.
But committee members and county Parks and Forest Director John Staszcuk said it doesn't make sense to take such a local issue to a statewide hearing process.
"Going statewide with it, to me, doesn't make sense," Staszcuk said.
Dowd can be reached at 833-9204, 800-236-7077 or andrew.dowd@ecpc.com.
Immediate action needed
even after the deadline for public input, you can send a letter to the Forestry and Parks committee, as of now we are out-numbered on letters
Scott
Based on the discussion at the Forestry and Parks Committee meeting last night concerning the applicability of 29.038 to any ordinance the County might create, the committee decided to not act on any proposals at this time. They want to review the Statute and ultimately come up with something that DNR will support. In the mean time a committee may be established including all of the interested parties to come up with some common ground.
Even though the comment period concerning the original proposal ended on 1/21. The committee is still receiving and accepting comments. The people supporting the ban are continuing to send comments. Some have sent their comments more than once. Marge Roach from WWF expressed great disappointment that the committee was accepting comments after the deadline because she had informed people not to send any in after that date. Pat LaVelle, Chairman of the committee, said that people could send him their thoughts at any time. His address is:
Patrick LaVelle
Forestry and Parks Committee
Eau Claire County
721 Oxford Ave.
Eau Claire, WI 54703