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For immediate release                                                                    June 21, 2004

 

Rule Suspension Threatens Wisconsin’s Shorelines

 

Green Bay, WI --- Several hunting, fishing, and environmental organizations from Northeast Wisconsin will hold a news conference tomorrow on a serious threat to Wisconsin’s shoreline protection standards:

 

Tuesday, June 22

4:00 p.m.

at the Brown County Courthouse

2nd Floor Rotunda

100 S. Jefferson St., Green Bay

 

The Wisconsin DNR is proposing 12 chapters of emergency rules to better define and implement Act 118, also known as the “Job Creation Act,” which passed the state legislature in January.   The rules were promised by the Governor and legislators to moderate the damage caused by the Act and ensure that at least some shoreline protection standards would be maintained.  The rules resulted from several months of negotiations between DNR staff, builders, realtors, others developers, conservationists and environmentalists.

 

Unfortunately, the realtors and developers are now breaking their pledges and pushing for the emergency rules to be suspended (blocked) by the legislature’s Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules.   The Committee has scheduled a public hearing and immediate suspension vote this Thursday, June 24, in Minocqua.  The hearing starts at 11:00 a.m. at the Minocqua Community Center Board Room, 415 Menominee Street, and will be difficult for most Wisconsin residents (and news media) to attend.

 

Suspension of the emergency rules would leave Wisconsin’s lake and stream shorelines unprotected for an entire construction season, until the legislature meets again next fall.   If the committee suspends the rules, this would also pre-empt the broader series of statewide public hearings planned for later this year, as part of the process for finalizing permanent rules.

 

This news conference will provide background information on the proposed rules, and group leaders will talk about the significance of the rule changes and the threat of suspension.

 

For more information, contact:  Rebecca Katers, Clean Water Action Council, work 437-7304 or home 468-4243.

 

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