Independent Waterfowl Audit Completed

Statement

Back in 2009 and 2010 while I was interviewing to be Governor, I promised to conduct an independent audit of the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) management of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp Program. This week, the first in a series of annual audits of fish and wildlife accounts was completed.

The independent audit was conducted by Wegner CPAs of Madison and found the revenue collected from the sale of the Waterfowl Stamps for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011 was stated accurately and used for the appropriate purposes in accordance with Wisconsin law.

I'm pleased the findings of this audit show the DNR is collecting, reporting, and spending the money collected from the Waterfowl Stamp Program appropriately.

Revenue from the sale of Wisconsin waterfowl stamps totaled $509,864 for the fiscal year. The money supported 19 waterfowl habitat projects in Wisconsin, as well as some projects in Canada that benefit migratory waterfowl. Below are a few examples of projects funded by the Wisconsin Waterfowl Stamp Program:

Meadow Valley Wildlife Area, Juneau County--Work was recently completed on a damaged dike. The dike is now better equipped to manage water levels on the flowage, impacting 655 acres of marshland.
Wetland restoration, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, and Rock Counties--Three restoration projects were completed, which has improved waterfowl conditions in 80 acres of land.
Germania Wildlife Area, Marquette County--The Duck Creek dike repair work was completed. As a result, the dike was able to hold up against heavy rain and flooding in May of 2012.
Horicon Wildlife Area, Dodge County--There is an ongoing project aimed at eliminating invasive cattails in the Horicon Marsh to improve conditions for breeding and migrating birds.

Source