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WSNetwork
News
June
1, 2005
News
on issues of common interest to Wisconsin's
sporting, conservation, and environmental
communities
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Welcome
to WSNetwork
News
For
a quick scan of what's in this issue see
WSNetwork News Table of Contents
To read news
about WSN
Priority Issues, click on these section links:
For current links
to articles about Wisconsin's environment from
state news media and organizations, see WSNetwork
News Daily
Environmental
News by Topic
Environmental
News by Topic Archives
Announcements
Meetings
& Events
List
of Wisconsin Media and Abbreviations
used in WSNetwork News
Contact your WSN Regional Coordinators for local action on conservation
and environmental issues in your community
See
list of WSN
Member Organizations
Subscribe
to WSNetwork
News
We want
to hear from you! Send
your comments and suggestions, organization
news, and
information about upcoming meetings &
events to Alice McCombs, webmaster@wsn.org
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Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair
June 17-19, 2005 - ReNew the Earth Institute
http://www.the-mrea.org/energy_fair.php
The 16th annual Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair will
be June
17-19, 2005. The Fair will again be held at the ReNew the Earth Institute,
MREA’s educational facility, in Custer, WI (just 7 miles east of Stevens Point).
Each year thousands of people from around the world celebrate the summer
solstice at MREA's Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair. This three-day
festival is the world's largest venue to learn about renewable energy, energy
efficiency, and sustainable living.
The Fair offers:
- over 100 workshops
- working demonstrations of renewable energy and energy efficiency
technologies
- products that help consumers save money, save energy, and protect the
environment,
- special workshops and entertainment for children and families, and
- a friendly festival atmosphere.
See
Energy Fair Information, Registration and
Tickets
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Articles
from State Media
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Articles
from State Media
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Aldo Leopold Foundation: Announces Major National Conservation Effort
The Aldo Leopold Foundation is announcing The Land Ethic Campaign to improve
land health across the country by expanding the influence of noted
conservationist, Aldo Leopold. Leopold, an internationally celebrated 20th
century professor, scientist, and conservationist was the author of the popular
A Sand County Almanac with over 2 million copies in circulation in nine
languages. Leopold’s connection to Wisconsin was duly recognized when Governor
James Doyle signed legislation in March of 2004 making the first weekend in
March of each year Aldo Leopold Weekend across Wisconsin.
The Land Ethic
Campaign, a $6.9 million capital fundraising campaign with the mission of
Fulfilling the promise of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic has received donations and
commitments of more than $3.7 million.
For more information on the Aldo
Leopold Foundation and the Land Ethic Campaign, or to make a donation, go to
www.aldoleopold.org or call (608) 355-0279.
Read
the complete article at WisPolitics
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Article
from State Media
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Excerpted:
Bill would turn forests into industrial fiber mills
By
Bill Willers
In March, 30 state legislators, 27 of them Republican, introduced Assembly Bill
254, which would radically change state law regarding forests.
......
If passed, AB 254 would make indisputable the "right to log" all state
forests according to "generally accepted forestry management practices" as
defined by industry. Generally accepted practices are what independent
biologists and environmentalists have struggled against for decades - vast
clear-cuts, aspen monocultures, pine plantations, forest fragmentation from
cobwebs of logging roads, soil compaction from heavy machinery, erosion and loss
of soil nutrients, loss of habitat and rare plant communities, dousings with
chemicals - the world as fiber factory. The bill also seeks to limit
establishment of "natural areas" unavailable to the chainsaw. AB 254 would prevent re-establishment of diverse native forests in favor of
production units of even-aged plantations and aspen monocultures.
Read
the complete OpEd in The Capital
Times
Bill Willers of Middleton is emeritus professor of biology at UW-Oshkosh.
E-mail: willers@charter.net
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Articles
from State Media
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Hearings to be held on shoreline zoning
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board recently
voted to hold public hearings on
the first major rewrite of zoning rules along the state's shorelines in more
than 35 years.
In an effort to balance landowners' rights with environmental protection,
many of the proposed changes are designed to give landowners more flexibility
with projects on their land.
The current so-called 50 percent rule would be eliminated. That rule does not
allow a landowner to make improvements within 75 feet of a shoreline if they
increase the value of the property at least 50 percent. The value is based on a
pre-construction estimate that the DNR has to make.
Landowners can now rebuild a home within 75 feet of the shoreline if they
stay on the existing footprint. Within that setback, the new rules would allow
landowners to increase the size of their homes, based on a sliding scale. The landowners would also be required to take actions such as building buffer
strips of vegetation close to shore, getting septic systems inspected or
upgraded and controlling the amount of impervious surfaces on their
properties.
Todd Ambs, administrator of the DNR's water division, said the buffer strips
might go a long way toward protecting state waters, even as lake development
grows.
"We want to get out of the business of hassling property owners and get back
to the business of protecting the environment," added Toni Herkert, a DNR shore
land zoning specialist.
The DNR said it will conduct six or eight hearings in July and August, many
of them in areas where a lot of people live along lakes.
Read
the article in the CapTimes
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Articles
from State Media
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Update
on Nestle Water Bottling
in Michigan:
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Action
Alerts
Legislative
Panel votes to kill Smart Growth: Deals blow to local control, private property
rights and lake protection
Restore Funding
for Focus on Energy Stop the
Army’s Plan to Burn PCBs at Badger Army Ammunition Plant
Dirty Air Bill Bad For Health And Economy
The
Jobs Creation Act II, AB 277, should
be named the Dirty Air Bill because
it would allow more air pollution under the guise of creating jobs.
Last year's Act 118 paved the way for major sources of air pollution to get
general operating permits. Now the Dirty Air Bill takes it one step further and
exempts those same major sources of air pollution from obtaining currently
required construction permits. Not only would the bill allow polluters to operate without required permits, it
targets the Department of Natural Resources for more contentious litigation by
industry over air pollution controls.
Read
the complete OpEd by Melissa Scanlan
in The Capital Times
Wisconsin
citizens across the state oppose cutting
Smart Growth
Republicans
on the Joint Finance Committee recently
voted to scrap Smart Growth, the requirement that municipalities in the state come up with
comprehensive plans by 2010.
The
following articles show statewide concern
about preserving Smart Growth:
For
what you can do see Wisconsin Association
of Lakes Action
Alert: Legislative
Panel votes to kill Smart Growth: Deals blow to local control, private property
rights and lake protection
To
view more articles See
WSN's Urban Sprawl and Smart Growth
page
Sierra
Club: Cutting the Recycling Fund Trashes Wisconsin
On
May 24, the budget-writing Legislative
Joint Committee on Finance adopted a
budget amendment covering several recycling
issues for the 2005-2007 State Biennial
Budget. The motion by JFC Co-Chairman
Senator Scott Fitzgerald, Republican
of Juneau, reduces the recycling tipping
fee and recycling surcharge and transfers
$2.9 million from the recycling fund
to wildlife damage in fiscal year 2005-06.
Read
the Sierra Club press release in WisPolitics
(PDF)
Stewardship Fund Forced to Purchase State Lands
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On May 12, the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) passed Motion 502 to require the Department of Natural
Resources to use Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds to purchase 77,756 acres from
the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. These purchases would cost the
Stewardship Fund upward of $80 million and would mean that the DNR would be
unable to protect truly vulnerable lands. BCPL lands are currently owned and
managed by the state and are open for public acces.
This motion passed
10-6 with Senators Cowles, Decker, Leibham, and Taylor and Representatives Colon
and Pocan voting against. |
For
more information See
the Gathering Waters Conservancy website
The 10 Most Unwanted
Invasive Species
The waters and woods of Wisconsin, and many of our home gardens, ponds and
yards are being taken over by invasive species like garlic mustard and gypsy
moths.
Unfortunately, they all seem to have taken up Wisconsin's old state slogan as a
mantra: We like it here.
The
following list of unwanted aliens is
from an article
in The Capital Times:
- Garlic mustard
- Tatarian, Morrow's and Bell's Honeysuckle
- Buckthorn
- Wild parsnip
- Purple loosestrife
- White and yellow sweet clover
- Reed canary grass
- Eurasian water milfoil
- Zebra mussels
- Gypsy moths
Read
the article in The Capital Times
Madison Environmental Group and Culver's Restaurants Will Use a State
Energy Grant to Explore Use of Vegetable Oil as a Biofuel
A $15,000 technology feasibility grant from the state energy office will be used
by Madison Environmental Group and Culver'sÒ restaurants to assess the
commercial applications of used vegetable oil as a biofuel, Administration
Secretary Marc Marotta announced today. A first-of-its-kind endeavor for the
state, the grant will help the environmental firm and restaurant chain to
initiate a pilot program of cars capable of running on used vegetable oil in
place of traditional diesel fuel.
Vegetable oil used as a biofuel produces zero net greenhouse gas emissions, zero
sulfur emissions, and less particulate matter ("soot") than diesel or gasoline.
It can be turned into fuel after a simple filtering process between the fryer
and the fuel tank. Diesel cars and trucks are capable of using vegetable oil
after a conversion process involving slight modifications to the diesel engine
and the addition of a vegetable oil fuel tank.
Read
the article in WisPolitics
Cross
Plains Library
To Be Natural Resource
The village that's "Famous for Friendliness" will soon be famous for being a
Wisconsin leader in environmental stewardship.
This summer, Cross Plains will break ground on the first new library in
Wisconsin to be built to the standards of the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design's green building rating system. The LEED system is a voluntary national standard developed and monitored by
the U.S. Green Building Council. Standards are available for new commercial and
civic buildings, existing buildings and neighborhoods.
"LEED buildings are designed from the inside out, the way our ancestors
designed their homes," said Aaron Rittenhouse, account executive for Johnson
Controls, the company responsible for guaranteeing the performance of the
mechanical systems in the new library. "They are built to work with the
environment rather than in opposition to it."
Read
the article in The Capital Times
System Changes Hog Waste into Clean
Water
Don
Lloyd, a hog farmer in North Carolina
has developed a system to transform
hog waste into drinking water.
Lloyd’s pilot system, developed at Little Creek Hog Farms
here, cleans out three hog houses four times a day, churning out potable water
within six hours. The water is then recycled to water the hogs. Solid waste
strained from the water is mixed with high-carbon cotton plant remnants to make
compost.
The $150,000 system, developed with help from a state
environmental grant, includes pipes that run from flushing tanks through the hog
houses and into purifying tanks.
For
more information read these articles:
U.S. and Canada Release Plain Language Version of Great Lakes
Report
Our Great Lakes, a report released recently by U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and Environment Canada, takes a fresh, more user-friendly look at issues
of major concern to Great Lakes area residents.
The 25-page booklet addresses the state of the Great Lakes, what is being
done to restore and protect them and practical ways in which everyone can help
keep the lakes cleaner and healthier. It is a simplified version of the
scientific 2003 State of the Great Lakes report that summarized information
presented at the 2002 State of the Lakes Ecosystem conference. Our Great Lakes
will debut at the International Association of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
Mayors' Conference this week in Quebec City, Canada. The
report, in PDF format, is available online at
http://binational.net/ourgreatlakes/ourgreatlakes.pdf
or order a print
version by contacting Lawrence Brail at 312-353- 8547 or brail.lawrence@epa.gov
Read
the article at the Great Lakes Environmental
Directory
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New
Email Address for Wisconsin
Stewardship Network
Please
update your email address
for Wisconsin Stewardship
Network to stewardship@wsn.org
Thank
you!
Volunteers Needed!!!
Marquette
Waterfront Festival
June 11, 2005
- Madison
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2005 12:31:50 -0700
(PDT)
From: River Alliance of Wisconsin
Once again the Marquette Neighborhood
Association will offer up two days of
unsurpassed excitement in presenting
the 16th annual edition of the Marquette
Waterfront Festival on June 11th and
12th at Yahara Place Park.
Where else can you listen to great
music while enjoying the weather and
water... all while supporting Wisconsin's
rivers?
Come prepared to hand out literature,
sell a few raffle tickets and bask in
the beautiful weather. We†re looking
for help in 2, 4 (or more) hour stints.
Want to join the fun!? Reply to this
email or call us at 608-257-2424 with
your preference of day and/or time.
For
more information visit the Marquette
Waterfront Festival site
To volunteer, email
mlavitschke@wisconsinrivers.org
or call 608.257.2424 ext. 114
River Alliance of Wisconsin
306
East Wilson Street
Suite 2W
Madison,
Wisconsin 53703
Email: wisrivers@wisconsinrivers.org
Position
Available: Part-time
Coordinator for Milwaukee
Environmental Consortium
The Milwaukee Environmental Consortium (MEC) is seeking a part-time
Coordinator for the organization.
Read
the job announcement at
http://www.wsn.org/mec_job_050605.doc
Community fund grant applications accepted
through July 1
Grant applications are now being accepted by the Apostle Islands Area Community
Fund (AIACF) for non-profit projects that benefit the Bayfield-Madeline
Island-Red Cliff region. The deadline for submitting applications is July 1.
Applicants must be public agencies or charitable organizations. Those interested
are encouraged to review the grant guidelines and to discuss their project with
staff. Grant awards will support projects in six areas; the arts, environment,
civic projects, human rights, adult education, and community, youth and family
services. Proposals must be received in the AIACF office no later than 5 p.m. on
the deadline date.
Read
the article in Ashland Daily
Press
Family
hopes to keep farm a farm: Deal would be part of larger conservation plan Gerald
and Janice Merkel want to pass their nearly 223-acre farm on to their son, Ty, so
that he can become the family's fourth generation to milk cows and grow much of
the animals' feed on this land straddling the North Branch at Highway 144.
To achieve their goal, the Merkels could be paid to conserve their land and
keep it in agriculture. Those payments would come from a partnership of state
and federal programs that is not available anywhere else in southeastern
Wisconsin except the North Branch watershed.
Read
the article in the Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel
Better tools provide better air quality information
With spring and warmer weather come an increase in outdoor activities, and
everyone needs to know how outdoor air quality will affect those activities. The
DNR and other federal, state and local agencies and organizations now provide a
number of useful tools to help the public to stay informed on the air quality
where they live.
Read
the announcement from WDNR
DNR Has Hotline To Report Violations
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources maintains a Violation Hotline for
confidential reports of suspected wildlife, recreational, and environmental
violations using a toll-free number 800-847-9367.
The violations may include fishing or hunting out of season, night hunting,
exceeding bag limits, illegal sale of fish and wildlife, deposit of harmful
substances in lakes or rivers, or illegal storage or disposal of hazardous
waste.
Callers may remain anonymous.
From
Wisconsin State Journal
Lake Superior Basin Brook Trout plan available
for viewing
Deadline
for Comments - June 30
A Wisconsin Lake Superior Basin brook trout plan developed jointly between the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
is now available for public comment.
The plan can be viewed on-line at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland or at
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/gmu/superior/Fish/Fish.html.
Comments can be made in
writing or online until June 30 by contacting either Stephen Schram, Lake
Superior Fishereries Supervisor, 141 S. 3rd St., Bayfield, WI 54814 or Mark
Dryer, Project Leader, 2800 Lake Shore Drive E., Ashland WI 54806.
Read
the article in Bayfield
County Journal
State
to accept Clean Sweep grant proposals
Grant
Proposals due in late July
The state
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will be opening up a
six-week period this June to receive applications for $710,400 in Wisconsin
Clean Sweep grant funds.
All proposal materials will be made available as downloadable documents from
its Web site.
Proposals will be due in late July. Wisconsin Clean Sweep is the new program
that was approved in late 2004, allowing counties, cities, villages, towns and
other units of government to receive grants for the collection of agricultural
and household hazardous wastes.
Go
to the website for the Wisconsin
Clean Sweep Program
Read
the article in Green Bay
Press Gazette
Watch a documentary
and help protect the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge
You
watch a documentary entitled Oil On Ice -- and invite your friends, family, and
neighbors to join you. Oil On Ice is a documentary that examines the threat
posed by drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Oil On Ice serves as an important reminder that drilling in the arctic
won't solve our energy problems
Click
here to Sign up to host a home screening of this important film.
Read
the campaign action announcement
in the League
of Conservation Voters Wisconsin Campaign
News
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Did
you know that, in the 1980s, one of the top two sites
considered for nuclear waste storage was
the Wolf
River Batholith located along the Wolf River in central
and northeast Wisconsin?
Now
that there are numerous problems with using Yucca Mountain,
the Wolf River Batholith
could once more be a target
site for nuclear waste storage.
Many
of the people and groups who opposed the proposed
Crandon mine, are organizing to
keep the Wolf River
Batholith from ever being used to store nuclear waste.
A website for the group (under heavy construction)
has been started at www.notinmybatholith.com.
If
you would like to receive meeting notices, send information,
volunteer
or receive information about this important issue, send
email to
info@notinmybatholith.com
For
more information about the Wolf River Batholith see
http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/wolfbatholith.html
“The only thing
necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing." Edmund
Burke
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WSNetwork News is published twice monthly
by the Wisconsin Stewardship Network, Inc., a network
of hunting, fishing, conservation, environmental, and
other groups interested in protecting and preserving
Wisconsin’s natural resources.
For a list of the WSN’s Board of Directors see http://www.wsn.org/wsn_board_of_directors.html
The WSN’s mission is to build a cooperative network
that strengthens Wisconsin’s stewardship ethic for the
betterment of its people and natural resources. Editorial
contributions to this e-newsletter are welcome. Send
news of your group’s activities relating to WSN’s priority
issues, conservation and the environment to Alice
McCombs, webmaster@wsn.org
Subscriptions to WSNetwork News are free.
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