The hearings are being moved once again to an online comment format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The public will have the opportunity to provide input on the natural resources proposed rule changes from the DNR and advisory questions from the Natural Resources Board and WCC through the online input option which opens on April 12 and will remain open for 72 hours. Results will be posted as soon as they are available.

Last year’s spring hearings also utilized an online comment period and received a record-setting 64,943 responses to the 2020 Spring Hearing Questionnaire.

This year there are 23 proposed rule changes related to fisheries and five proposed rule changes related to wildlife management. There are also advisory questions from fisheries, the Natural Resources Board and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress.

Typically county residents would have the option to run for a seat on the Conservation Congress and to elect delegates from their county to represent their county views regarding natural resources on the Conservation Congress, but those elections for 2021 have been canceled.

For more information on the Spring Hearings, how to comment and more, visit the DNR’s website (dnr.wisconsin.gov) and search ‘Spring Hearings 2021’.

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress is the only statutory body in the state where the public elects delegates to advise the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources on how to responsibly manage Wisconsin’s natural resources for present and future generations.