Conservation Congress Endorses Mining Controls

	4/28/97 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
	Contact:	Jim Wise 715-453-6015 715-453-3676 ecowise@newnorth.net	Will Fantle 715-839-7731 wfantle@eau.net

CONSERVATION CONGRESS ENDORSES MINING CONTROLS
Across Wisconsin, advisory resolutions passed at county Conservation Congress meetings overwhelmingly endorsed tougher environmental regulations for mining. Wisconsin is the only state in the country with a Conservation Congress, whose primary goal is to bring advice to the state DNR from the outdoors and sporting community via the yearly meetings held in each of the state's 72 counties.

The three advisory resolutions concerning mining that were contained in this year's ballots passed with support from more than 97% of the members attending the meetings. A fourth resolution, calling on the state legislature to pass the mining moratorium bill, was introduced from the floor in 33 counties and passed in each county with overall support from 98% of those voting.

"This confirms what we've been saying all along, that when the fishing and hunting communities get a chance to express their views on issues directly affecting the outdoors, they support measures protecting the woods and waters of Wisconsin," said Jim Wise. Wise is a lifelong hunter and fisherman and the northcentral hub coordinator for the Wisconsin Stewardship Network, an informal statewide affiliation of 100 environmental and conservation groups.

"We hope that the DNR and our legislators will take this as another indication of the depth of concern for conserving our state's valuable natural resources, not only for today but for future generations," added Will Fantle, the western hub coordinator for the Wisconsin Stewardship Network.

The three mining related resolutions passed by the Conservation Congress are:

#49, calling for mining companies to comply with same groundwater pollution standards as the rest of Wisconsin's industry (from which they are currently exempt); 69 counties passed the resolution, 0 opposed it, with 3 counties not voting on it. Overall support from 98.6% of the voters.

#50, opposing the discharge of wastewater from a 38 mile long pipeline from the proposed Crandon mine into the Wisconsin River; 69 counties passed the resolution, 1 county opposed, 2 counties did not vote on the matter. Overall support from 97% of the voters.

#51, calling on the DNR board to consider giving Outstanding Resource Waters designation to a list of water bodies that had been removed from the process due to potential mining activities near the Willow Flowage; 61 counties supported the resolution, 3 counties opposed it, 8 counties did not vote on it. Overall support from 97% of the voters.

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