February 7, 2022 at 11:12 a.m.
Oneida County forestry to review wolf management resolution
Disagreement sparks emotional discussion
Oneida County forestry to review wolf management resolution
By Trevor Greene-
That was the direction he received from committee chairman Jack Sorenson during the committee's Feb. 3 meeting.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is in the process of accepting public input as it looks into creating a new wolf management plan as a result of an October ruling made by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost barring the fall wolf hunt.
At the Feb. 3 forestry committee meeting, Laurie Groskopf, the Lincoln County Deer Advisory Council's alternate chair, submitted a request to the forestry committee to forward a wolf management resolution.
During the course of the discussion, there was a misunderstanding between members of the committee and those who requested the submission of a resolution which ultimately resulted in Sorenson's directive to Fiene.
At one point in the meeting, Fiene suggested sending a revised copy of a similar resolution from 2010 to the county board, for time's sake, a suggestion that led to the misunderstanding.
Committee member Alan Van Raalte objected to signing a resolution which, he said, was out-of-date.
"There's a lot of problems sending the old one," Van Raalte said, and listed discrepancies including outdated statistics and former government officials.
Groskopf mentioned she sent copies of an updated resolution template to county clerk Tracy Hartman and county board chairman Dave Hintz and if Fiene would like to use that, he could.
Van Raalte said the forest administrator takes direction from the committee and they have yet to discuss the resolution.
According to Groskopf, 13 counties have already submitted a new resolution or a revised copy of an older one.
"Well, the 13 counties can do what they want to do but if I'm going to put my name on a document, it can't be this far outdated," Van Raalte told her.
Groskopf then introduced Paul Hagen who shared his experiences in dealing with wolves with the committee.
"We own 480 acres on County (Highway) G, just short of Zimmer Road," Hagen said. "We watched our deer herd be decimated by the true predator of the Northwoods that has no other predator to counter its killing."
He said his family has owned the land for 80 years, and his brother would drive to Antigo to buy potatoes to keep the deer alive during harsh winters.
"You can feed what deer we have right now with a 50-pound bag of corn if you choose to do that," he said. "That's the bottom line. We went from over a 100 deer in our area in that 500 acres, plus the land that's involved with (public land), to approximately maybe 20 deer."
According to Hagen, "The predator has done its deed."
Van Raalte told Hagen he was not arguing with what he said but the language on the 11-year-old resolution must be updated, adding he can give anecdotal evidence as well.
"Can you?" Hagen asked.
Van Raalte said there are wolves where he lives in Little Rice and he hasn't noticed a decline in the deer population in the 20 years he has been a resident.
Very occasionally, Van Raalte said, he has heard a wolf howl.
"So, I guess your calling me not truthful?" Hagen said and he continued to talk about high wolf populations.
He said he won't walk his property at all without a pistol.
"The DNR can't even make a decision on how to do (it)," he said. "One group wanted to shoot 500 wolves this year, the other ones wanted to shoot less than 350."
Despite Hagen's comments, Van Raalte continued to object to signing the 2010 resolution.
The back and forth between the two continued and tensions rose until Sorensen interjected, calling a "timeout."
"We don't have anything presented on this agenda that is before us right now that we can deal with," he said. "(Van Raalte) is absolutely right, this resolution is dated. I would not pass this resolution onto the county board, we can't, it's not in resolution form."
Hagen said he understood, and he and Groskopf were asking the committee to work on a new resolution to present to the DNR.
Hagen's comments prompted Fiene to clarify Groskopf's initial request of the committee which was in the form of a letter she sent.
"The quickest, easiest way is to forward on the one that was already passed (back in 2010)," he said. "That's what the letter requested."
Before Sorensen directed Fiene to complete a new resolution, Hagen "appealed" the initial request.
"We are meeting your request," Sorensen said. "Paul will work on it and will bring it back next month."
Groskopf told committee members not to worry about the 21-day period, claiming that as long as a resolution is submitted, that would be OK because "local government matters."
"You know I understand it's a topic, and I apologize," Hagen said. "I got a little carried away, not the first time in my life, but it's an extremely important topic for us."
Once the committee finalizes the resolution, it'll go to the full county board and if approved there, sent to the DNR for use as reference material in creating a new wolf management plan.
Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].
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