April 2, 2012
For Immediate Release
Contact Representative Jim Steineke (608) 266-2418
Sporting Heritage Bill Signed into Law
Madison: At an event in Woodruff, Governor Walker signed several key pieces of natural
resource legislation. Among them was the Sporting Heritage Bill, which was introduced
by Representative Jim Steineke (R – Kaukauna) and is designed to reinvigorate
Wisconsin’s sporting community. Assembly Bill 311 creates a 12-member Sporting
Heritage Council in the Department of Natural Resources that will study issues relating to
hunting, trapping, fishing and other outdoor activities. This bill also offers incentives to
people who recruit others to sporting activities, reduces license fees for first time
applicants, requires the DNR to offer adult only hunter education classes, allows school
boards to grant one-half credit for hunter education, creates a disabled hunting permit,
lowers the minimum age for a sturgeon spearing license from 14 to 12 and establishes a
free fishing weekend in January.
“Wisconsin is one of the most beautiful places and people want to enjoy that natural
beauty and the outdoor activities that we offer at a price they can afford in this economy.
We’re seeing more people who want to learn these outdoor sports as adults and one of the
barriers they’ve encountered is being able to learn the basics of hunter safety with other
adults. This bill establishes adult only classes and encourages mentorship for beginning
sportsmen and women” said Rep. Steineke.
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