MADISON (February 6) - Conservation groups are urging Governor Doyle to protect water quality in the upcoming State Budget. A reallocation of the gas tax formula is strongly supported by members of the Wisconsin Association of Lakes (WAL) and other conservation, agricultural, and environmental organizations who wish to ensure the continued protection of Wisconsin’s waters, according to Donna Sefton, executive director of WAL. Newly elected Governor Jim Doyle highlighted Wisconsin’s “incredible environment… our rivers, our lakes and our streams” as a major priority in his inaugural speech. “This is an excellent opportunity for the governor to demonstrate his support of Wisconsin water quality in the new budget,” said Roger Walsh, President of WAL. According to Walsh and Sefton, the revenue provided by this reallocation to protect statewide water quality would be less-than-1% of the total gasoline taxes collected in 2002. No new taxes are being requested. The state’s formula to determine the amount of taxes collected from motorboat fuel is based on a 1987 estimate of 50 gallons per craft usage. That number is then multiplied by the number of boats licensed in Wisconsin, then multiplied again by 1.4 to help include out-of-state gas purchases by boaters using Wisconsin waters. “The $11.4 billion tourism industry depends on Wisconsin waters to attract visitors,” explained Sefton. “These vital conservation programs help to enhance resources, protect water quality, recreational opportunities and scenic beauty in Wisconsin,” Sefton also noted that the protection and preservation of Wisconsin waters is funded through this vital allocation of motorboat gas tax monies. The size of motors and the types of boats using Wisconsin fuel supplies have greatly increased in recent years. More realistic current estimates suggest consumption ranges between 75-100 gallons of annual usage per motorboat. The monies allocated from existing motorboat gas tax collections that are used for water protection should be updated accordingly. These funds are automatically placed in a special water resources account which supports conservation programs for local lake, river and wetland protection efforts. “One indication of how strongly Wisconsin sporting, conservation and environmental groups feel about adjusting the motorboat gas tax formula is reflected in this issue being proposed this year as a Wisconsin Stewardship Network (WSN) statewide issue,” said Todd Hanson, Executive Director of the WSN. “The money benefits the type of water programs WSN member groups believe in, and they are finally demanding that their boat gas tax money goes to rivers and lakes, not roads.” Wisconsin’s waters were identified as the state’s greatest resource at the 2002 Waters of Wisconsin forum, a policy group which studied important statewide issues for more than two years. “Water protection and preservation through more realistic motorboat fuel gas tax allocations were cited as vital to the ongoing health and economic vitality of the state,” according to Sefton.
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