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Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Supports Groundwater Quantity Protection Bill 3/9/04 Prescott---Today, The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the state’s largest conservation organization, endorsed Assembly Bill 926 and Senate Bill 524 that add substantial new protection for the removal of groundwater by high capacity wells in the State of Wisconsin. The Federation is comprised of eighty-three hunting, fishing and trapping groups located throughout the State of Wisconsin. "Springs are a substantial source of water to our cold and warm water streams which are critical to provide important habitat for the thousands of our members who are stream anglers," said Bill Buckley, (Marshfield), Chair of the Wildlife Federation’s Environmental Committee. "Those same springs are also a critical source of water for Wisconsin’s marshes that are very important habitat for waterfowl and furbearers that are hunted and trapped by many of our members," continued Buckley. "These bills are an important first step in providing protection to Wisconsin’s 18,000 springs which are threatened by high capacity wells owned by bottling facilities, municipalities and agricultural operations," said George Meyer, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. "Senator Neal Kedzie and Representative DuWayne Johnsrud provided excellent leadership in advancing this important bill through the legislature so far and we encourage all Senators and Representatives to vote for final passage of the bill this week. The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation intends to work closely with the Groundwater Advisory Committee established in the bill to assure that in the future all appropriate springs are covered by the protection set forth in the bill.
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