The Legislature’s joint rules panel has ordered the Department of Natural Resources to remove all protections for the Butler’s Gartersnake—a state threatened species—by Nov. 30 unless the conservation strategy for the snake is changed so it is “less burdensome” to private property owners.

Small populations of the Butler's garter snake exist in the swath of southeast Wisconsin and in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Ontario. In 1997, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources labeled the Butler's garter snake a threatened species, meaning the animal is given certain protections to keep it from becoming endangered.

West Bend Republican Senator Glenn Grothman says it shouldn’t be very difficult for the DNR to change the current rules and allow some of these private property owners to do what they want on the land they have been paying taxes on for years. Grothman says if the DNR doesn’t budge, he’s prepared to take the snake off the state’s endangered species list. Madison Democratic Assemblyman Spencer Black says Grothman’s argument is charged with emotion, not scientific data. He says what it really means is that the Republicans have put off an unpopular decision until after an election.

If the Legislature removes protections for the snake, it will be the first time nationally such action was taken for non-scientific reasons and could set the stage for attacks on state protected-species listings nationwide. The state also could lose federal environmental funds if protections are removed, said Signe Holtz, director of the DNR's Bureau of Endangered Resources.

"This sets a slippery-slope precedent," said Natural Resources spokeswoman Erin Celello. "If they can delist the garter snake, they can delist other species. It's pretty clear this is politically motivated and not in the interest of good science."

A federal district judge in northern California ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency must begin regulating ballast water discharges from freighters under the Clean Water Act by Sept. 30, 2008.

The EPA has dodged the ballast water issue since the 1970s, pointing to its own rule that exempts itself from regulating the shipping industry under the Clean Water Act for discharges that are "incidental to the normal operation of a vessel." The judge ruled that the EPA’s failure to regulate “biological pollution”—invasive species of bugs, critters, and fish entering U.S. waterways from overseas freighters— is "plainly contrary to the congressional intent" of the Clean Water Act, a law that has the overarching goal "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters."

Ballast water is used to steady ships in open seas and is often discharged when ships arrive in port to take on a load of cargo. Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard, requires overseas ships headed for the Great Lakes to exchange their ballast water in mid- ocean to expel any unwanted organisms. Yet "empty" ballast tanks can still hold puddles of water and muck, both of which can be teeming with life. When a ship drops a load of cargo at one Great Lakes port, it often takes on ballast water before steaming to another Great Lakes port. Organisms can be dumped into the lakes when that ballast water is exchanged at the next port for a fresh load of cargo.

In the ruling, the court acknowledged that contaminated ballast water is one of the costliest forms of pollution. For example, the pipe-clogging zebra mussel has been blamed for about $2 billion in damage to water-dependent industry and utilities since it was discovered in the Great Lakes in the late 1980s. At least 182 non-native species are found in the Great Lakes with a new one reported roughly every six months. Overseas ships may be blamed for as many as 70% of the invaders that have arrived since 1970.

Wisconsin joined the suit more than two years ago. "It now time for EPA to obey the court's order and to move on with getting the job done to control this primary source of invasive species into Great Lakes and Wisconsin waterways," said Wisconsin Attorney General Lautenschlager.

Mercury contamination threatens wildlife on land and in water according to a new report released by the National Wildlife Federation. Scientists have long known that mercury threatens species that live and feed in aquatic habitats; however significant levels of mercury are also accumulating in wildlife such as raccoons, forest songbirds, alligators, and bats.

Mercury is a heavy metal that can cause developmental, reproductive, and neurological problems. Mercury enters the atmosphere when coal, oil, and other products containing mercury are burned. It enters our lakes, rivers, and wetlands when it settles out of the air. Bacteria convert this mercury into a water-soluble and highly toxic form called methylmercury. Mercury levels build up in the bodies of living things. As smaller animals are eaten by larger ones, each step up the food chain leads to higher concentrations of toxic mercury in animals. Animals at the top of the food chain—like game fish and birds such as loons that eat those fish—have high mercury levels. Mercury levels have led to a fish consumption advisory for all Wisconsin lakes.

Recently scientists have discovered mercury contamination in species that do not eat fish; insects also provide a path for mercury to accumulate upward through the food chain. “The evidence is compelling that it’s fairly widespread,” said David Evers, a scientist with the BioDiversity Research Institute. “It’s not just the one area, or one habitat, or one species of songbird.” The lakes in north central Wisconsin are among the top ten habitats with mercury problem, according to Evers.

Evidence suggests that reductions in mercury emissions can have rapid effects in animals. Florida’s wading bird population is rapidly recovering, Evers said, and in New Hampshire mercury contamination in loons has decreased by 50 percent in four years after emissions were controlled. Last month, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle ordered the state Department of Natural Resources to create a rule which will produce a 90 percent reduction in mercury emissions.

The 2007 Wisconsin Lakes Convention is looking for you!

We’re looking for presentations from lake leaders that highlight local lake management experiences for the 2007 Wisconsin Lakes Convention. This year’s theme is “Agents of Change.” We’ll focus on ways citizens and lake organizations can be a force for positive changes that will result in clean, safe, healthy lakes for everyone. The deadline to submit a proposal is October 20, 2006.

Download submission guidelines and application form

Wisconsin Lake Stewardship awards

Wisconsin Lake Stewardship Awards recognize an individual or group whose outstanding contributions of time and effort have made a positive difference in the well-being of a Wisconsin lake (or lakes) and the human communities and natural life living around and in the lake (or lakes). Winners of this prestigious award will join a distinguished group of lake leaders that have been formally recognized for the mark they made on Wisconsin’s lakes, lake life, and/or lake people. Deadline for nominations is March 16.

Nomination guidelines and form

The Wisconsin Association of Lakes is the only statewide organization working exclusively to protect and enhance the quality of Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes.

We represent citizens like you who care about Wisconsin’s lakes as a natural resource, and who also recognize the value healthy lakes bring to property values, tourist economies, and overall quality of life.

• Learn about our statewide voice for strong lake policy
• Learn about our lake education events
• Learn about our lake publications, The Lake Connection and E-lake Letter
• J oin Us in working for clean, safe, healthy lakes for everyone.