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Legislative Audit Bureau finds DNR's fish and wildlife spending consistent with statutes; agency urges new revenue solutions
Summary
A Legislative Audit Bureau review found the DNR's Fish and Wildlife account expenditures complied with statutory requirements and that 89.3% of spending benefited hunters, anglers and other users; administrative costs were 10.3%, under the 16% statutory cap. The department and partners said the greater issue is structural revenue shortfalls that er
The Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) reviewed the Department of Natural Resources’ Fish and Wildlife account and associated federal grants and concluded Sept. 24 that the department’s use of funds complied with statutory limits and grant eligibility. The LAB review found that the department spent 89.3% of account expenditures on activities that benefited hunters and anglers (and related other users), and recorded administrative costs at 10.3% of expenditures — below the 16% cap set in statute. The audit also found DNR spent Pittman‑Robertson and Dingell‑Johnson federal grant funds on eligible activities.
Maggie Hutter, DNR director of management and budget, summarized the audit and the department’s planned responses. The audit recommended the department document and formalize certain internal cost‑allocation and reporting procedures, tighten automation checks on biennial financial reporting, make program support and administrative categories more transparent in the department’s biennial report, and improve supervisor guidance for approving employee time coding. Hutter said the department accepts these recommendations and will report progress to the LAB on a set timeline.
Deputy Secretary Stephen Little told the board the audit validated DNR stewardship of fish and wildlife funds but urged legislators and the public to focus on the program’s revenue model. “Hunters and anglers are getting a tremendous value — 90% of license revenues go back to activities that benefit them and other users — but license fees and stamps have not increased meaningfully in nearly 20 years while costs for habitat, enforcement and program delivery have risen with inflation,” Little said. Little described the issue as structural: the agency can manage funds tightly, but declining purchasing power and fewer staffers have reduced operational capacity, he said.
The LAB’s recommendations largely concern process, documentation and internal controls rather than findings of misuse; the department said it will implement the audit bureau’s process suggestions and continue to work with legislative committees on funding solutions. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation issued a statement praising the LAB’s work and urged collaborative solutions for long‑term conservation funding.
What this means: The audit provides a publicly documented review of the department’s accounting and spending classifications and establishes a set of recommended administrative improvements. It also sharpened a policy conversation about how to secure long‑term revenue for conservation work, a matter the department said it plans to pursue with the Legislature and stakeholder groups.
Speakers and sources: Maggie Hutter (DNR director of management and budget), Deputy Secretary Stephen Little and Legislative Audit Bureau report.
