Bill would reserve five certificates for sturgeon spearing licenses to the group Sturgeon for Tomorrow.

MADISON – Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) and Representative David Murphy (R-Greenville) introduced a bill yesterday that would reserve five certificates for sturgeon spearing licenses to the group Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Inc. to utilize as prizes in a raffle. These certificates are also known as “Governor’s Tags” and will support Sturgeon for Tomorrow, a group that closely works with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on the propagation, habitat, education, and enforcement of the lake sturgeon population of the Lake Winnebago System and throughout the state.

“The bill is a simple measure that would best utilize surplus licenses for which there is the highest demand, to help raise funding to support and sustain a healthy sturgeon population for generations to come. I appreciate Sturgeon for Tomorrow for approaching my office with this idea.

“The sturgeon spearing season brings people from around the world in the middle of winter to our community and is a huge economic driver for the Lake Winnebago region. Sturgeon spearing is a tradition that I am proud of and enjoy seeing the shanties on Lake Winnebago each February. It is groups like Sturgeon for Tomorrow that help keep these traditions going with the hard work they do year round.”

Sturgeon for Tomorrow was founded in 1977, and has grown to be the largest citizen advocacy group for sturgeon in the world, currently consisting of five chapters and over 3,000 members. They hold an annual fundraising dinner, and have donated over $1 million to the DNR for sturgeon research, management, and education since their inception. Funds from the Governor’s Tag raffle will also go toward these purposes and facilitate successful sturgeon spearing seasons in the future.

The average amount of Upriver Lakes tags not purchased between 2007 and 2016 is 13 tags, and in both 2015 and 2016 there were 16 leftover tags. Because there have been available harvest tags leftover consistently, reserving 5 tags as Governor’s Tags for Sturgeon for Tomorrow will unlikely reduce the number of individuals that would like to purchase a tag. The Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association holds a similar tag raffle. Funds from the purchase go toward Black Bear management, research and education.