MADISON | Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) supports the work and findings of the Legislative Audit Bureau’s Report 25-15 from August 2025 which confirms that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) properly managed Fish and Wildlife Account funds. This account is funded primarily by license fees paid by Wisconsin hunters, anglers and trappers and is one of ten accounts in the state’s Conservation Fund. The account supports a range of conservation programs including fisheries, wildlife, research, law enforcement, education, and public land management.
The audit showed that the WDNR is properly managing the funds. Yet, the audit also identified that without state funds backfilling the Fish and Wildlife Account, it would experience a deficit. For the 2025-27 biennium, the Legislature found a short-term solution through a $30 million one-time transfer from the Forestry account of the Conservation Fund.
Tom Hauge, co-chair of WGF’s Wildlife Work Group and former director of the WDNR Wildlife Bureau, said, “We thank the Legislature for the short-term fix, but we need to find a longer-term solution. It’s not just hunters and fishers who enjoy the fishery and wildlife conservation supported by the Fish and Wildlife Fund. Outdoor recreation enthusiasts from across the state and nation come to Wisconsin to enjoy our wildlife resources. We can be proud of the broad benefits from this public investment. Looking forward, hunting licenses alone are not enough income to support our critically important conservation infrastructure.”
Bill Fisher, chair of WGF’s Fisheries Work Group and retired fisheries professor at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, cited a 2023 Wisconsin Department of Outdoor Recreation report showing that fishing and boating generate nearly $928 million in sales and economic impact. Fisher stated, “Recreational and subsistence fishing are a statewide tradition enjoyed by people of all ages, and those activities along with commercial fishing support Wisconsin’s economic growth. We need to work on a long-term strategy that goes beyond using fishing licenses fees to sustain the state’s fisheries program.”
Wisconsin’s Green Fire is proud to be a part of a growing coalition of organizations working to identify new sustainable sources of funding to support and grow critical conservation infrastructure and programs. The coalition consists of hunting/fishing groups, silent sport recreators, bird conservation enthusiasts, and others.
“We congratulate WDNR on its management of the Fish and Wildlife Account. The problem isn’t how the agency is using the funds. The problem is that they don’t have the funding they need to take care of our state’s fisheries and wildlife populations. Now is the time to look at real solutions for funding conservation to propel Wisconsin forward,” said Meleesa Johnson, Executive Director of WGF.
The full audit report, its findings, and recommendations can be found here.
Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) is a statewide nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to science-based management of natural resources.
