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DNR board adopts major changes to Deer Management Assistance Program, lowers elective acreage to 40
Summary
The Natural Resources Board on Dec. 11 approved WM‑18‑23, restructuring the Deer Management Assistance Program to separate base membership from elective on‑site services, lower elective‑benefit eligibility from 160 to 40 acres, require data reporting for continued benefits, and introduce a membership fee plus pay‑as‑you‑use elective fees.
The Natural Resources Board voted Dec. 11 to adopt WM‑18‑23, a code revision that restructures the Department of Natural Resources’ Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). The board approved the change by voice vote after a presentation by Haley Freighter, DMAP and Private Lands Team lead.
"In 2023, state statute 29.02 passed stating that the Department of Natural Resources shall establish a deer management assistance program," Freighter said while reviewing the statutory authority and the proposed changes to membership and elective services. Under the adopted code, program membership remains a three‑year enrollment but elective services — such as site visits, written management recommendations and antlerless tag assessments — become add‑on benefits that participating landowners must apply for and pay for when they receive them.
The most consequential changes approved were a reduction in the minimum acreage required to qualify for elective benefits from 160 acres to 40 acres, and a new requirement that landowners who receive elective services must provide annual data reporting (for example harvest reports) to remain eligible. Freighter told the board these steps were recommended by the program review and focus groups to improve customization and data collection.
Eric Lobner, director of the Wildlife Management Program, told board members staff reorganized the program to form a specialized private‑lands team and said the department expects to use contract biologists and, where necessary, enrollment caps to manage demand. "We have two contract biologists that assist with our DMAP offerings… the number of enrollees that we can bring into the program may need to be capped," Lobner said.
Board members asked how the changes fit into broader budget and staffing constraints and whether the fee structure would deter participation. Marcy (board member) and others voiced concern about workload and long‑term costs for field staff; Lobner and Freighter replied the fee changes were developed after outreach and that caps or partners could be used to manage capacity.
The board adopted the rule on a motion and voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. Staff said they will proceed with implementation under the adopted code and continue to monitor capacity, fees and enrollment levels and return to the board as needed.
Supporters cited greater flexibility for landowners and improved data for statewide herd management; opponents on the public record raised concerns about enforcement capacity and potential fee impacts on participation. The department plans follow‑up communications to DMAP members explaining the new membership and elective‑benefit processes and any transitional arrangements.
