The Legislative Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes will meet Wednesday in Madison to begin discussing potential bills to address crane-caused crop damage in Wisconsin.

But first it will likely talk about a pair of documents titled “SHC Findings of Fact” and “SHC Conclusions.” The items were emailed Nov. 1 to committee members by legislative council staff on behalf of committee chairman Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc).

The email said the documents were “prepared by Rep. Tittl” but didn’t mention the author for both was Bruce Ross, executive director of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. Ross is not on the committee but testified before it and is a strong advocate for a crane hunting season in the state. The species is currently protected by state law.

The lack of transparency about the origin of the documents heightened tensions between those perceived to be working mostly to secure a committee vote in favor of a crane hunting season and those working to provide relief to farmers, according to several committee members.

“These documents were developed by someone who is not a scientist or a lawyer and who has a clear bias,” said committee member Meleesa Johnson, executive director of Wisconsin’s Green Fire. “I think it’s not a good look for the committee. I would hope we could do better.”

Tittl also has a record of supporting crane hunting in Wisconsin. He authored a 2021 bill to open a crane hunt in the state; it failed to get approved by the Legislature.

Tittl said Ross submitted the documents “unsolicited” and “aimed at helping the committee arrive at some agreed upon facts.”

“As I reviewed the documents I thought the approach would be a helpful first step for the committee to find areas of agreement, develop possible solutions and gain consensus on an appropriate path forward,” Tittl said in a statement. He did not say why he didn’t make it clear to committee members or legislative council staff that Ross had authored the documents.

Tittl said he has allocated a significant amount of time at Wednesday’s meeting to review the documents and suggest changes.

Ross said he submitted the documents as a “strawman” of items intended for discussion by the committee.  

“It was my hope the committee will understand the logic, modify or create documents as they see fit, decide what they collectively can agree on, and make their final conclusions a part of the committee’s record,” Ross said.

The committee has become a stage for debate over sandhill crane management in Wisconsin, especially for providing relief to farmers for crane-caused crop damage and a potential crane hunting season.

The committee was formed in late spring and met Aug. 1, Sept. 4 and Oct. 1. Its goal is to “examine population trends and determine whether any changes to state law would effectively address the incidence and consequences of crop damage caused by sandhill cranes in this state,” according to the committee description.

Sandhill cranes were once threatened in Wisconsin but have recovered over the last century. Sandhills in Wisconsin are part of the Eastern Population which was estimated at 110,000 in 2023, according to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources report.

Three states in the Mississippi Flyway offer crane hunting seasons. Two previous attempts to allow sandhill hunting in Wisconsin (2011 and 2021) failed to garner support in the Legislature.

The agendas of the first three committee meetings were heavily weighted with presentations related to crane hunting.

However in the first meeting, Kent Van Horn, a retired Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources waterfowl ecologist who helped write the 2010 sandhill crane management plan for Mississippi and Atlantic Flyway Council, said while the sandhill population in Wisconsin is large enough to support a limited hunting season, such a hunt would be designed to have a small, if any, impact on the crane population.

“It’s structured to be sustainable, so you’re not going to lower the population in Wisconsin by adding a hunting season,” Van Horn said to the committee.

No scientific study has shown hunting has reduced crane-caused crop damage in any of the hunted populations in North America.

The crane study committee includes four legislators and eight public members. In addition to Tittl, the legislators are Sen. Romaine Quinn (R-Cameron), Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo).

Public members include representatives of agricultural and conservation organizations, including the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Delta Waterfowl, International Crane Foundation, Wisconsin’s Green Fire and Wisconsin Waterfowl Association.

The restored population of sandhills in Wisconsin provides enjoyment for wildlife watchers and others but also causes an estimated $1.9 million in crop damage annually in the state, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most of the crop damage occurs in spring when cranes eat newly-planted corn. Other losses occur later in the year to crops including peas and potatoes.

Those seeking solutions for farmers are frustrated with the amount of time the committee has spent discussing hunting.

“Advocates for a (sandhill crane) hunting season have long promoted it as the solution to crop damage, but we know a hunting season is not going to help farmers,” said Rich Bielfuss, president and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, in a statement. “The science presented in this legislative committee has made clear that hunting will not provide meaningful assistance to farmers, not by way of population management, nor financially.”

If hunting for cranes were approved, it would allow farmers to file for compensation through the state’s wildlife damage abatement fund.

In 2021 the DNR estimated that as many as 200 sandhill damage claims, with an appraised value of $1.6 million, could be filed annually in Wisconsin, more than all other wildlife damage claims made to the program. Annual revenue to the fund from hunting would likely be less than $50,000. Thus the added burden from sandhill damage claims could soon make the fund insolvent, pointing to the need for other means to provide lasting relief to the state’s agricultural producers.

“We all need to roll up our sleeves and work together to find real solutions for Wisconsin farmers,” Bielfuss said.

Wednesday’s meeting of the Legislative Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes begins at 10 a.m. in Room 412 East at the Capitol.

Sheriff Mark Podoll stood before the cameras, pleading with Ryan Borgwardt — a husband and father — to contact his family. Months earlier, officials had conducted an extensive search and rescue for Borgwardt.

Since Aug. 12, officials and family have believed that the Wisconsin resident has been missing after kayaking at Green Lake.

During a Nov. 8 press conference, Podoll revealed that evidence suggests Borgwardt is instead alive, possibly faked his death, and potentially in Europe.

“We know that he’s not in our lake,” Podoll said, referring to Green Lake, where Borgwardt’s empty kayak was found adrift in August, sparking fear that he had drowned and a lengthy search effort that included canine searches and divers. Now, authorities have shifted their focus.

This shift in the investigation has prompted new questions about Ryan Borgwardt, who he is and what might have caused him to lead his family into believing he died.

Who is Ryan Borgwardt?

Ryan Borgwardt is a resident of Watertown, Wisconsin, who was believed to have gone missing on Aug. 12, 2024, after he failed to return from a kayaking trip on Green Lake.

He is married and a father to high school and grade school-aged kids, according to Podell.

When did Ryan Borgwardt go missing?

Borgwardt was last seen the night of Aug. 12, the sheriff said during the news conference. Podell said deputies responded to a missing persons call around 5:32 p.m. local time, with Borgwardt’s car and trailer found in the Dodge Memorial Park area.

Podoll noted that the sheriff’s office had pinned Borgwardt’s last known location to Green Lake.

“Deputies headed that way, checked areas around the lake and found Ryan’s vehicle, along with his trailer, parked in the area of Dodge Memorial Park,” Podoll explained.

Borgwardt’s capsized kayak was first found in the western part of the lake, the following day his fishing rod and tackle box, with his wallet, keys and license, was found, Podoll said.

Three cadaver dogs and a dive team were also brought in to help with the search on Aug. 24. Still, Podoll said, after an almost eight-week search, they could not find him.

What do officials think happened to Ryan Borgwardt?

Officials say evidence suggests Borgwardt may have faked his own disappearance and left the country for Europe.

Podell said that on Oct. 7 they discovered that Borgwardt’s passport was “run” on Aug. 13, a day after he went missing. As they continued their investigation, detectives discovered that law enforcement officials in Canada ran his name and that Borgwardt obtained a new passport, Green Lake County authorities said, per NBC News.

Investigators then conducted a digital forensic analysis of Borgwardt’s laptop, which his wife gave them, and concluded “that he was in some place in Europe.” Podell alleged that Borgwardt replaced the laptop’s hard drive and cleared the browser on the day he went missing.

“We found out that he moved funds to a foreign bank, changing his email and communication with a woman from Uzbekistan,” Podoll remarked, noting that Borgwardt took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January and purchased airline cards. “Due to these discoveries of the new evidence, we were sure that Ryan was not in our lake.”

“Everything that we have found — we’re in a really good position that we know he is someplace out there,” Podoll continued. “All we wanna know is he’s safe.”

What’s next?

Officials are pressing on with their investigation into Borgwardt, focusing their efforts on gathering further information about his motive and whereabouts.

The sheriff also encourages anyone with knowledge to come forward. Podoll said it was too early to identify any charges that Borgwardt might face.

Borgwardt’s wife, Emily Borgwardt, told NBC News via text, “I cannot make any comments at this time since it is still an active investigation.”

The investigation continues to involve multiple agencies like the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, with officials seeking to locate Borgwardt and address any potential legal violations.

“Our goals is to identify any crimes that have been committed by any individuals who assisted with this crime,” Podoll said.

Authorities continue to hold out hope that Borgwardt will make contact with them. During the conference, Podoll urged him to reach out to his family or authorities.

“There’s one last thing I want to do, and this is to Ryan. Ryan, if you’re viewing this, I plea that you contact us or contact your family. We understand that things can happen, but there’s a family that wants their Daddy back.”