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Legislative
updates |
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The legislative session will end March 15th.
March 13th will be the last day the entire Assembly
or Senate can meet as a group to vote on bills. The Wisconsin
Association of Lakes has been working to move several initiatives
forward this session.
How does a bill become
law
Once a bill has been introduced, it
is referred to the appropriate legislative committee within
each house of the legislature for consideration. Because the
breadth of Wisconsin law is expansive, legislative committees
focus on narrower topic areas. For example, the Senate
Committee on Natural Resources considers the details of bills
related to natural resources.
Often the same bill may have two
different bill numbers, an Assembly Bill (AB) and a Senate
Bill (SB). When the bill language is identical, these are
called companion bills.
The committee must then hold
a public hearing on a bill. The committee must then hold an
executive session where committee members vote on whether the
bill should be sent to the full Assembly or Senate for
consideration. In order for a bill to become law, the bill
must be approved by both the full Assembly and the Senate.
After the full Senate and Assembly have passed the bill it is
sent to the Governor to be signed into law, or vetoed.
Lake bills this session:
where are they now?
WAL has been working on many
bills this session. The list below details where various bills
are in the legislative process, and what steps would need to
occur between now and the end of the session (next week) in
order for these bills to become law this session.
Statewide ban on phosphorus
in lawn fertilizer (Companion bills SB
197/AB 396)
What would it
do: This bill would institute a statewide ban on
phosphorus in lawn fertilizer (with reasonable exemptions)
modeled after Dane County’s successful ordinance. WAL
supports this bill.
Where in the
process: Passed the Senate, public hearing held in
Assembly committee
Steps needed to
become law: Assembly committee must hold executive
session, vote to send bill to the Assembly floor, vote must
be scheduled, full Assembly must pass
bill
Illegal to transport
(SB
454, companion bill AB
821)
What it would
do: This bill would make it illegal to operate
motor vehicles and recreational trailers on highways if they
have aquatic plants attached. WAL supports this bill.
Where in the
process: passed the full Senate, referred to the
Assembly Committee on Natural Resources
Steps needed to
become law: Assembly committee must hold public
hearing, hold executive session, vote to send bill to the
Assembly floor, vote must be scheduled, full Assembly must
pass bill
Restoring independent DNR
Secretary (Companion bills AB
504/SB 15)
What it would
do: Restore the authority to appoint the DNR
Secretary to the Natural Resources Board rather than the
Governor. WAL supports this bill.
Where in the
process: passed full Senate; executive session held
in Assembly committee, Assembly committee voted to send bill
to full Assembly
Steps needed to
become law: vote must be scheduled, full Assembly
must pass bill
Slow no wake within 100 feet of
shoreline (SB
385)
What would it
do: require boats to operate at slow wake speeds
within 100 feet of shoreline (local opt out provision
included). WAL supports this bill.
Where in the
process: passed out of Senate Committee on Natural
Resources
Steps needed to
become law: Senate must schedule a vote on the
bill, if passed the bill must be referred to the Assembly
Natural Resources committee. Assembly committee must hold
public hearing, hold executive session, vote to send bill to
the Assembly floor, vote must be scheduled, full Assembly
must pass bill
What it would
do: ratify the eight state agreement to protect the
Great Lakes water from being diverted outside of the region.
WAL supports this bill.
Where in the
process: Passed by full Senate
Steps needed to
become law: Must be referred to the Assembly
Natural Resources committee. Assembly committee must hold
public hearing, hold executive session, vote to send bill to
the Assembly floor, vote must be scheduled, full Assembly
must pass bill. |
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Wisconsin
Lakes Convention: take advantage of early bird
rates |
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The 30th Annual Wisconsin
Lakes Convention will be held at the KI Convention Center
in Green Bay April 17th-19th. Register
by March 17th to take
advantage of early bird rates!
We encourage you to attend part
or all of this three day reunion of Wisconsin’s extended lake
family or send a representative from your lake
group.
The Convention is a great
opportunity to network and share experiences with lake people
across the state, visit with business partners to learn more
about products and services, and talk with staff (and Board of
Directors) from WAL, DNR and the UW-Extension Lakes
Program.
Thursday’s field trip and three
hour in-depth workshops cover important lake topics such
as:
- Training for Lake District
Commissioners
- Running an effective Lake
organization
- Aquatic Plant Identification
- Engaging Youth in Lake issues
- How to get state grant dollars
for your local lake project
- Early AIS detection and rapid
response
- Groundwater & Lake
Interactions: Science, Policy, and Tools
- Managing shoreland property to
keep your lake healthy
Join us Friday and Saturday for
more speakers and sessions on the following topic
areas:
- Aquatic invasive species
- Water Law
- Lake Science
- Citizen Involvement
- Value of Lakes
- Flora and Fauna
Have a story
to share?
Non-profit organizations and agencies: are you
looking for ways to help lake folks learn more about your
organization and the resources you offer? Lake groups: do you have a local story
to share? A limited number of hallway display tables are
available. Please contact Susan
Tesarik if you are interested in a
table?
Interested
in exhibiting or sponsoring the Convention?
Is your business interested in meeting with lake
people to talk about the products, services, and resources you
offer? Are you interested in sponsoring the Convention to help
support the event that keeps lake people coming back year
after year? Download
exhibitor/sponsor information. Please contact
Tami
Jackson if you are interested in exhibit or
sponsorship
opportunities. |
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| DNR decides it has authority to
regulate ballast water |
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On December 5, 2007 the Wisconsin Association
of Lakes and twelve other state, national and local conservation
groups petitioned the Natural Resources Board and the Department
of Natural Resources to require permits for the discharge
of Great Lakes ballast water containing aquatic invasive
species and diseases from international ships, and to modify
any state administrative rules as necessary to move forward
with a discharge permit system.
The petition argued that
Wisconsin already has authority to regulate ballast water
under the Clean Water Act, which requires that anyone
discharging “biological materials” (such as aquatic invasive
species and diseases) into Wisconsin waters have a discharge
permit. The petition suggested that Wisconsin’s current state
law and permitting system could be used to regulate and
require treatment of ballast water.
After reviewing this petition,
the DNR agreed and determined that it “has legal authority to
regulate ballast water discharges under the Wisconsin
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System” and that it will be
developing discharge permits for international ships in order
to eliminate the release of invasive species into Lake
Michigan and Lake Superior.
More than 180 invasive species
and diseases have been introduced into the Great Lakes. Many
of these species—including zebra mussels, quagga mussels, the
round goby, spiny water flea, and possibly VHS—have been
introduced by the discharge of ballast water into the Great
Lakes from international ships.
The organizations petitioning the
Natural Resources Board include: the Wisconsin Wildlife
Federation, the National Wildlife Federation, The Wisconsin
Federation of Great Lake Sport Fishing Clubs, the Wisconsin
Council of Sportfishing Organizations, the River Alliance of
Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Council of Trout Unlimited,
Walleyes for Tomorrow, Midwest Environmental Advocates,
Wisconsin Association of Lakes, Winnebago Land Conservation
Alliance, Wisconsin Environment and Lakeshore Fisherman Sports
Club Ltd. |
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| New multi-agency agreement aims to make Madison
lakes cleaner |
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Dane county officials,
DNR, and Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer
Protection (DATCP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
to assess the nutrients and sediment loading into Madison’s
five-lake chain—much of which comes from manure and
fertilizer runoff from farm fields—and then develop
a strategy to reach water quality goals.
The plan will:
- Create a model to assess
existing pollution.
- Establish a community vision for
what the lakes' water quality should be,
- Develop achievable goals to
reach water quality goals
- Determine how much that would
cost.
- Advise and communicate progress
about the process to Dane County residents through a major
public outreach effort.
Nutrients and sediments that wash
into area waters are the main cause of algae blooms. Other
sources besides agricultural run-off include pollution from
lawns, streets and construction sites.
Over the last 50 years, the DNR
said almost all end-of-pipe discharges -- called point sources
-- into the lake have been eliminated and that the water
quality in the Yahara lakes has improved as a result. One of
the study's goals is to determine if the lakes will improve
further in response to intensive "nutrient reduction
practices." |
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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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