West Central Wisconsin Lakes Workshop. Aug 12, 2005 at the Rice Lake Technical College. A full agenda is available on our website, and you can register online.

Shoreland Zoning Rule (NR 115) Public Hearings. August 2 (Delavan) and August 4 (Fitchburg, Madison area). For times and locations, please download the brochure.

Deadline for written comments on Shoreland Zoning Rules (NR 115). Written comments on proposed revisions to NR 115 will be accepted through August 26th. You can submit written comments by e-mail at toni.herker t@dnr.state.wi.us or by sending them to Toni Herkert, Wisconsin DNR - WT/2, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707-7921.

Rock River Coalition Conference August 26 and 27th. Fort Atkinson High School. For more information, please call the UW-Extension Jefferson County office at (920) 674-7442.

Save the Date!

Aquatic Invasive Species in the Upper Great Lakes- Promoting regional collaboration. October 19-20 Lake of the Torches, Lac du Flambeau.

2005 Citizen-based Monitoring Conference. Camp Jorn in Manitowish Waters. October 21st and 22nd

North American Lake Management Society International Symposium. Monona Terrace, Madison. November 9-11.

Local solutions through local leadership is the theme of a day-long lakes workshop at the Rice Lake Technical College on Friday, August 12th. A full agenda is available on our website, and you can register online.

John "Duke" Welter featured speaker at West Central workshop

Long active in natural resource advocacy at the state and national levels, John (Duke) Welter, Eau Claire, was appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board in May, 2004. The seven-member citizens board sets policy for the Department of Natural Resources, and is currently considering major rule revisions in several areas of importance to the state’s lakes, including shoreline zoning and water regulations permits.

Duke grew up on Shell Lake in Washburn County, and explored that lake extensively. He has fished, paddled and camped along many of Northwest Wisconsin’s streams and rivers.

An active member of the coldwater conservation group Trout Unlimited, he has worked to prevent the bottling of Mecan Springs Natural Area waters by the Perrier Corporation, for passage of legislation for wetland and groundwater protection, and for the mining moratorium legislation. He currently chairs TU’s Driftless Area Restoration Effort, a major watershed restoration initiative focused on the unglaciated region of southwest Wisconsin and portions of neighboring states.

The interests of thousands of lakefront property owners, anglers, boaters, tourists, and the businesses that depend on them are the same: to have clean, safe, healthy lakes for everyone. The shoreland zoning rules (NR 115) draft now offered for public review reflects nearly three years of work by the advisory committee, and broad public participation. These rules reflect the considerable effort made to balance the rights of the public and property owners who enjoy Wisconsin’s lakes with natural resource protection. WAL believes shoreland zoning rules are important to lakes and will help

• protect property values
• preserve local control
• provide property owners with certainty and flexibility

WAL encourages you to read and comment on the rule. The complete NR115 draft, a comparision document between the current NR 115 and proposed changes, and frequently asked questions about the proposed revisions are available online.

The last two public hearings on Wisconsin's 35 year old shoreland zoning rules (NR 115) are scheduled in Delavan on August 2nd and Fitchburg (near Madison) on August 4th. Written comments can be submitted through August 26 by e-mail to toni.herker t@dnr.state.wi.us or mailing to Toni Herkert, Wisconsin DNR - WT/2, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI, 53707-7921.

The Governor vetoed the Legislature's proposal that would have directed the Department of Natural Resources to use stewardship funds to purchase 77,755 acres of land already owned by the state (see WAL's June e-lake letter). The Governor's veto means that Stewardship fund can continue to expand parkland, increase opportunities for hunters and anglers, and protect habitat for scores of endangered and threatened plants and animals. The Stewardship program has protected water quality and fisheries and expanded outdoor recreation opportunities by preserving over 57,500 acres around lakes.

Governor Doyle has also vetoed the proposed repeal of Wisconsin's "Smart Growth" comprehensive planning law, and has restored funding for the planning grants program (for more information on Smart Growth, see WAL's previous release).The quality of our lakes is dependent on the health of their watersheds. "Smart Growth" enables local citizens, who best know their lakes and lake issues, to be a be part of land use planning decisions.

The Governor’s vetos will stand unless they are overridden by the legislature through a two thirds vote of the members present in each house.

The following excerpts are taken from an article run on July 18th in the Duluth News-Tribune. WAL would like to extend our sincere appreciation to WAL board member Sandy Anderson and her husband Fred for their tireless efforts on behalf of Wisconsin's lakes.

Fred and Sandy Anderson admit that when they had a cabin built on Whitefish Lake, they made mistakes that were detrimental to the lake. Fred admits mowing the lawn to the water's edge and pulling protective cord grass. "When we moved here, we didn't know anything about anything," Sandy said. Sandy said it was that lakes classification hearing in the mid- 1990s that prompted them to learn more. They attended a Wisconsin Association of Lakes convention. “We realized what we didn't know," Sandy said. "When we learned something, we realized that no one back at the lake knew it."

The couple's transformation from lake-dwelling novices to leaders in lake preservation earned Fred and Sandy Anderson the 2005 Wisconsin Lakes Stewardship Award for individuals. "We both have been around nature all our life and we have a love for nature," Fred Anderson said. "When we saw how harmful the mistakes we'd made were, we realized that most people could make the same mistakes.

Sandy said it is their privilege to own land next to a lake and they feel obliged to take care of it. "This year we received the award, but there are hundreds of volunteers out there who give of their time and money," Sandy said. The couple is active in or has participated in about 16 organizations or committees entrusted with lake protection. They have volunteered for projects including exotic species inspection, self-help monitoring, and fighting zoning decisions they believed detrimental to the lakes.

Zebra mussels have been found in Rock Lake, leading the state to place the 1,371 acre water body in Jefferson County on its list of waters infested with the invasive mollusk. “The zebra mussels found recently through monitoring by our Department and lakeshore property owners indicate there is an established, reproducing population in Rock Lake,” noted Susan Graham, lakes management coordinator for DNR’s South Central Region at Fitchburg.

Zebra mussels can take a toll on the environment, recreation and economy. Zebra mussels form dense clusters that attach to hard surfaces. They can decimate native mussel populations, decrease the oxygen that fish and other aquatic species need, and worsen algae blooms. Also, zebra mussels can clog boat engines and intake pipes used by utilities and industrial facilities. Their sharp shells can cut the feet of beach walkers.

DNR will continue to monitor for zebra mussel adults, and plans on working with local groups and governments such as the Rock Lake Improvement Association, the City and Town of Lake Mills, and Jefferson County in hopes of increasing public awareness and outreach efforts to control the further spread of zebra mussels.Volunteers may also be requested to help with watercraft inspections and educating the public about invasive species. DNR will survey Lake Ripley next week looking to discover if zebra mussel have also infested that nearby Jefferson County lake.

Minnesota is experiencing a lakeshore development boom, and with it changing shorelines. Many new property owners are choosing to replace natural shorelines with lawns and sand beaches. Unfortunately, these shoreline changes have negative consequences for the lake's water quality, fish, and wildlife.

On land, native vegetation shelters a variety of living things, from frogs to mink. It also helps keep the water clean: A natural area will absorb 90 percent of the rain that falls on it, while less permeable surfaces such as pavement and lawns send much of the precipitation that hits them into the lake. This runoff carries silt, which clouds the water; nutrients such as phosphorus, which speed algae growth and deplete oxygen; and chemicals, which contaminate natural habitat.

For more information about what Minnesotans are doing to cope with increasing development pressure on lakes, please see the full article online.