29.89 Venison and wild turkey processing and donation program.

(1) Definition. In this section, “charitable organization" means a nonprofit corporation, charitable trust or other nonprofit association that is described in section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and that is exempt from taxation under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(2) Establishment of program. The department shall establish a program to reimburse counties for the costs that they incur in processing and donating venison from certain deer carcasses and in processing and donating meat from certain wild turkey carcasses.

(3) Eligibility requirements. A county is eligible for reimbursement under this section if all of the following apply:

(a) The county participates in the administration of both the wildlife damage abatement program and the wildlife damage claim program under s. 29.889.

(b) The county accepts deer carcasses or wild turkey carcasses for processing.

(d) The county pays for the costs of processing the venison or wild turkey meat.

(e) The county shall make reasonable efforts to donate the venison or wild turkey meat as provided under sub. (4).

(4) Donations authorized. A county may donate the processed venison or processed wild turkey meat to a food distribution service or a charitable organization. The county may require that the carcasses be field dressed before accepting them for processing.

(5) Reimbursement; funding.

(a) Subject to par. (c), reimbursement under this section shall equal the costs, including administrative costs, that a county incurs in processing the venison or wild turkey meat and in donating the processed venison or wild turkey meat under sub. (4).

(b)

1. The department shall reimburse counties under this section from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (fs) and (ft).

2. The department shall reimburse counties under this section from the appropriation under s. 20.370 (5) (fq) if all of the following apply:

a. The total amount of reimbursable costs exceeds the amount available under s. 20.370 (5) (fs) and (ft).

c. Moneys are available under s. 20.370 (5) (fq) after first deducting from s. 20.370 (5) (fq) payments made for county administrative costs, payments made for wildlife damage abatement assistance, and wildlife damage claim payments under s. 29.889.

(c) If the total amount of reimbursable costs under par. (a) exceeds the amount available under par. (b), the department shall establish a system to prorate the reimbursement payments among the eligible counties.

History: 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 25; 2015 a. 31; 2017 a. 59, 366.