UPDATE: Here's the audio archive of the meeting: 05/26/16 (An MP3 Audio will download)
What if the Office of the Legislative Auditor released a report and few members of the Legislative Audit Commission bothered to show up? What if the report was prompted by concerns about the state's deer herd?
This is the story of that report, the release of which seemed to make lawmakers on the committee as scarce and wary as trophy bucks on the day after the deer season opener.
Although it's become common for members of the Minnesota legislature to try to mobilize the Office of the Legislative Auditor to review the fruit of new legislation, the twelve member Legislative Audit Commission is tasked with select topics:
The Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) is a bi-partisan commission with 6 members from the House of Representatives and 6 from the Senate, equally divided between the majority and minority parties. Membership is governed by Minnesota Statutes, Section 3.97, subd. 2. The commission appoints the Legislative Auditor and selects topics for the Program Evaluation Division to review. It also periodically holds hearings to review audit and evaluation reports. The commission chair rotates every two years between the House and the Senate.
On Thursday, the Legislative Audit Commission - Evaluation Subcommittee meet to receive the OLA's report on the DNR's Deer Population Management. Lots of Minnesotans care about whitetails. The Associated Press (via WCCO) reported in Audit: DNR Should Develop Formal Deer Management Plan:
Deer hunting groups that have been critical of the department’s management of the herd called for the audit last year. The state’s harvest has plummeted from a high of about 290,000 deer in 2003 to around 139,000 in 2014. The number of deer killed by hunters bumped up slightly last year to nearly 160,000. The state has around 500,000 deer hunters and their frustration has grown in recent years as many have left the woods with no venison for their dinner tables.
But deer hunters--and landowners--aren't the only "stakeholders" in this game. Subcommittee Chair Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-S. St. Paul pointed out in a statement:
- Today, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released the program evaluation of DNR's deer population management. The Legislative Audit Commission Evaluation Subcommittee convened today to discuss the report. Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL- South Saint Paul), the lone legislator to participate for most of the meeting, received the report, asked several questions of the Auditor and the DNR and released the following statement:
“The issue of deer population management is not exclusively for hunters, nor landowners, but for all Minnesotans. According to the Public Trust Doctrine, ‘under federal law, states must manage wildlife for the common use and benefit of the public’. This thorough report should be the read and considered not just by the usual stakeholders, but the public for whom our wildlife is entrusted.”
Rep. Hansen also noted the presence of the DNR Commissioner Tom Landwher in responding to the report was important in taking the audit recommendations seriously. Hansen encouraged a public process in responding to the report recommendations.
The Office of the Legislative Auditor made deer management recommendations to the OLA Commission Evaluation Subcommittee: "We found that aspects of the Department of Natural Resources’ management of deer populations in recent years were commendable and reflected local stakeholders’ interests. However, the department does not have a formal plan that prioritizes DNR resources, goals, and objectives for managing deer statewide. We recommend that the department improve its information for monitoring deer populations and setting deer population goals.”
Yes--that's right. While there was popular interest in having the audit done, lawmakers seemed indifferent--a response far different from the politically charged release of the IRRRB audit two months ago.
Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire tweeted from the scene:
Rep. Rick Hansen is only panel member present for OLA report on DNR deer management. pic.twitter.com/815kja5WGE
— Tim Pugmire (@timpugmire) May 26, 2016
That tweet was followed by another:
Rep. Sondra Erickson has joined Rep. Hansen.
— Tim Pugmire (@timpugmire) May 26, 2016
Representative Hansen told Bluestem that Senator Kiffmeyer eventually showed up as well. We are happy that some of the commission want to do their work.
Bluestem looked for the audio or video of the commission meeting, but we have been unable to find it posted online. We'll be calling those in charge of keeping these archives to obtain the recording, whatever form it may be in. Most of the coverage of the report centers on reactions to the document, rather than the commission meeting itself.
Meanwhile, Pioneer Press outdoors writer Dave Orrick reported the findings:
Minnesota needs a “big picture” plan for whitetail deer.
That’s a central recommendation of the state auditor’s office, which on Thursday released a report that both praised the state’s deer population management efforts and pointed out ways the Department of Natural Resources needs to do a better job.
The report was eagerly awaited by many of the state’s roughly 500,000 deer hunters, who have found themselves increasingly less likely to take home a deer as deer populations fell for several years and hunting regulations tightened as a result. Several hunting groups, as well as a chorus of state lawmakers, have leveled criticisms against the DNR ranging from a lack of transparency to improperly estimating deer populations.
The auditor’s report substantiated some of that criticism, albeit in gentler terms, but also praised the agency for improvements to its deer population modeling system, a technical statistical model. . . .
Read the rest at the PiPress.
Here's the report:
EVALUATION REPORT Department of Natural Resources: Deer Population Management
Image: Bucks fighting it out, still from Disney's "Bambi."
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