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Wisconsin
passes Great Lakes Compact |
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On May 27th, Wisconsin became the
5th state to ratify the Great Lakes Compact. The compact
was endorsed by Governor Doyle, seven other Great Lakes
governors and two Canadian premiers in 2005, but all eight
state's legislatures also had to approve it. Minnesota,
Illinois, New York and Indiana have signed the compact, and
Canadian provinces Quebec and Ontario have approved it. Ohio,
Michigan and Pennsylvania are in the process of passing the
Compact through their state legislatures.
After approval by all eight states,
the Compact will be referred to Congress for ratification.
If Congress ratifies the Compact, then the Great Lakes
Region would have the legal underpinnings to set terms
of use for Great Lakes water and establish serious resistance
to distant diversions.
The Great Lakes Compact
protects the Great Lakes from future water diversions. It also
gives Great Lakes governors the power to manage any digression
of that water. Under the compact, any of the eight
governors can veto diversions to areas outside the Great Lakes
Basin. In Wisconsin, the Lake Michigan part of the basin is in
the eastern third of the state, and the Lake Superior portion
is in the far north. Communities that request water diversions
would have to have strict water conservation measures in place
and return waste water to the lakes in equal or better
condition. The Wisconsin law includes provisions that would
protect water even if Congress does not
act.
Passing the Compact has taken
on a heightened sense of urgency in light of prolonged
droughts, mounting evidence of climate change and, closer to
home, declining lake levels. States in the South and West
stressed by years of straining their own water resources and
prolonged drought have prompted renewed talks of water
diversions to make up for their depleted water resources—and
many are eying taking large portions of water from the Great
Lakes as a solution for western water
woes.
Wisconsin lawmakers have
been working on the state’s version of the compact since
September 2006. The Legislature adopted a final version in a
special session earlier this month; only two lawmakers voted
against it. |
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| Budget repair bill includes provision making
illegal to transport invasive species |
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This past legislative
session there were two bills that would have limited the
transportation of invasive species. WAL testified in favor of
SB 454/AB821 (read
WAL’s testimony), which would have made it illegal to
transport aquatic plants on boat trailers and motor vehicles
on public highways. A separate bill would have restricted the
possession, release, sale, or transportation of any invasive
fish or fish eggs.
While both of these bills
failed to pass both houses of the legislature and died with
the end of the legislative session, components of both bills
have been passed in the budget repair bill.
What’s
included
The budget repair bill specifies
that “no person may transport a boat, boat trailer, or boating
equipment on a public roadway if that equipment has an
invasive species (plant or animal), as specified by
administrative rule, in, or attached to it,” with some limited
exceptions. The bill also establishes a penalty for violations
of up to $1000, and is enforceable by DNR Conservation Wardens
and other law enforcement officials.
While this bill prohibits the
transport of invasive species on boat trailers—not aquatic
plants, and other materials that may contain invasive
species—it is a positive step to help prevent AIS
introduction. The forthcoming invasive species classification
administrative rules (NR 40) will be helpful to classify
invasive species and further define regulation of species
considered invasive.
The budget repair bill also
specifies that “no person may possess, release, control,
store, sell, or transport, any fish, or viable fish eggs that
are of an invasive species, if the person knows, or should
know, that the fish is, or the eggs of the fish are, of an
invasive species. |
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| Poll finds Wisconsinites
concerned about water |
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A 2008 Badger Poll by the
University of Wisconsin Survey Center asked residents how
problematic they think eight environmental issues are to the
people in Wisconsin.
The poll found that 43% of
people questioned believe that declining water levels on state
waterways are either extremely or quite problematic. Looking
across the state of Wisconsin, residents in Milwaukee County
and the northeastern region (including the Fox Valley, Green
Bay, and Door County) were the most likely to say that
declining water levels were either extremely or quite
problematic--a majority in both regions. That compares to only
about one-third of respondents in northern and western
Wisconsin who thought that declining water levels were
extremely or quite problematic. In
addition
- 23% thought local communities
without water conservation programs where extremely or quite
problematic.
- 77% of
Badger State residents favor the state requiring all
communities in Wisconsin to have water conservation
programs.
This was followed by concerns
over contamination of state waters (41%) Respondents in the
three southern most regions of the state were the most likely
to say that contamination in lakes and waterways. These are
also the areas of the state with the most development and
highest concentrations of population. About one-third of
respondents from the two most rural regions of the state --
north central and western Wisconsin– thought that water
contamination was extremely or quite problematic.
38% of those polls found
the presence of invasive plants and animals are either
extremely or quite problematic. a majority of respondents in
the northeast region of Wisconsin (Fox Valley, Green Bay, Door
County) said that these invasive species were extremely or
quite problematic. There was also a statistically significant
gender gap. 24% of men said invasive species were extremely
problematic, but only 15% of women thought the
same. |
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| Register for the
Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference |
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When: June
19-20, 2008
Where:
Telemark Resort and Convention Center Cable,
WI
Registration: Registration
deadline is June
14th! $45 fee includes lunch,
materials, and admission to Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
matinee show.
Register
online, download our paper
registration form, or call in your registration at
800-542-5253 (in Wisconsin only) or
608-661-4313.
Thursday
workshops: featuring the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership
Glacial lakes of the upper Midwest
are a regionally and nationally significant economic and
cultural natural resource, yet they are increasingly
threatened by a number of factors affecting sustainable fish
and wildlife habitats. From development trends and land
use changes, to invasive species and limitations in
conservation delivery (such as political boundaries and
limited budgets)— these stressors and constraints are
difficult, if not impossible, for any one agency or
organization to achieve sustainable solutions. The
Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership strives to deliver fish
habitat conservation in a new, more comprehensive
way.
Join us for a lively, interactive
session where the major issues and opportunities for lakes
conservation will be discussed. We need and look forward
to your participation. There’s no charge for this
workshop, but pre-registration is required.
More Thursday
workshops
- Monitoring for Aquatic Invasive
Species beyond the Boat Landing,
and Clean Boats Clean Waters
Volunteer Watercraft Inspection Program training
- Partnering for Our Waters: the
Northwest Wisconsin Water Resource Consortium
- Grant and Rave: Lake Grants
Workshop with Example Projects
- Read
more about these workshops on WAL's website
In addition to inspiring plenary
talks and an entertaining matinee performance of the popular
and educational Wild Woods and Waters Show by Lake Superior
Big Top Chautauqua, attendees can choose from 12 sessions on a
variety of lake topics:
- An Update on the VHS Virus
and other Threats Posed by Aquatic Invasive Species
- The legislative process:
making good ideas into good laws
- Lake Science 101 with an
Emphasis on Northwest WI Lakes
- How to Create Beautiful
Shoreline Buffers
- Nuts and Bolts of Fish
Stocking
- Pros, Cons and How-To’s of
Recreational Lake Use Ordinances
- Lakes in the
Landscape
- Communication That
Works
- 101 Ways to Help
Birds
- Why are My Taxes so
High?
- Basic Principles of
Wetland Protection
- Aquatic Plant Management
Planning: a Primer
- Read
more about these sessions and plenary speakers and the Big
Top matinee show on WAL's website
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| Half-day workshop to
focus on lake planning |
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When: June
26th, 2008
Where:
Nicolet College, Lake Julia Campus
Rhinelander
Registration:
Early bird registration deadline June 9th! $15
registration fee includes lunch and materials.
Are you concerned about aquatic
invasive species or other threats to our lakes? A lake plan
can help your community protect, manage, or restore your
vision of a healthy lake. Join other lake enthusiasts at this
workshop to explore the essentials of lake management planning
at this half day workshop. Sessions include:
- Why does our lake need a
management plan? A lake citizen's perspective.
- An overview of comprehensive
lake management planning.
- Elements of the lake management
planning process.
- Lake Julia’s management
plan: Proactive planning to safeguard a healthy
lake.
- From plan into practice: Tips on
implementing your lake management plan from Cloverleaf Lakes
Association.
- Read
more about these sessions on WAL's website
Stay for lunch and afternoon
networking meetings with area county-wide lake associations.
Learn what county-wides and lake groups are doing to protect
their lakes. Choose one of six meetings:
- Forest County Association of
Lakes
- Langlade County Waterways
Association
- Lincoln County Lakes and
Rivers Association
- Oneida County Lakes and
Rivers Association
- Price County Waterways
Association
- Vilas County Lakes Association
(This will be VCLA’s annual membership meeting.)
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| Support WAL's lake
policy program and member services while winning great raffle
prizes! |
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WAL’s lake policy program is
entirely supported by our members’ contributions. Each dollar
goes to work for you as we advocate for lake interests inside
the Capitol, keep you informed about lake issues via e-mail
and in print, and provide timely customer service to our
members. Donations from concerned citizens like you provide us
with greater flexibility to adjust spending in response to
changing needs, and expand the scope of our work.Proceeds from
the raffle will be used to support WAL’s lake policy program
and member services.
This year's raffle prizes
include:
- Girolamo’s Sustainable Lifestyle
Demo
- Weekend on Door County’s
Clark Lake
- Three nights at Eagle
Waters Resort
- One week at Wisconsin Dells’
Tamarack Resort
- $1500 in legal services
from Bill O’Connor
- One week at Cypress Pointe in
Orlando, Florida
Tickets
and drawing information
Purchase your chances to win
for:
$5 per ticket or
$20 for 5
tickets
Buy your raffle tickets from your
local WAL
board member or call our
office (608-661-4313 or 800-542-5253 in Wisconsin
only)
Winning tickets for each
raffle prize will be drawn in conjunction with WAL’s
June 26th lake management
planning workshop, held in
Rhinelander. You do not need to be present to
win. |
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| June is invasive species
month: aquatics the focus |
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June is invasive
species awareness month! Events are scheduled throughout the
state. Learn about the issues surrounding invasive species
(both plant and animal, aquatic and terrestrial) in Wisconsin
by attending workshops, field trips ad lectures. Also
participate in invasive species control work parties. You
can search for events in your area on the Wisconsin
Council on Invasive Species website. |
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Working with you for clean, safe,
healthy lakes |
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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.
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