Wetlands, Cranberries, Trout, Waterfowl & Mitigation:
Is There Room for All? Take a Tour & Take a Stand!
The Environmental Decade, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Trout Unlimited,
Sierra Club, Madison Audubon and other groups addressed the Natural Resources
Board on April 23, voicing both appreciation and concern regarding wetland
protection in Wisconsin. The matter before the Board was a package of proposed
revisions to NR103 and NR299, the rules that govern DNR regulation of wetlands.
The environmental and conservation groups expressed appreciation that the
rules were not significantly weakened, as some regulated industries might
have preferred. They congratulated the DNR for a thorough and democratic
process of reviewing the rules, which took effect about six years ago.
Most of those present expressed serious concern about an amendment to NR103
brought to the Board which was not an outgrowth of the year-long public
review process. This new amendment would permit a proposal for a cranberry
operation expansion to proceed without an examination of practical alternatives
if the DNR determines that the project "will not result in significant
adverse environmental impacts." For proposed expansions of existing cranberry
operations, the search for alternatives would be restricted to the property
itself in all cases.
The environmental groups expressed concern that this proposed rule change
circumvented the review process and would grant new exemptions to the cranberry
industry. Representatives of Trout Unlimited voiced concern about the impact
on cold-water trout streams caused by water diversion projects by cranberry
growers. The Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA) raised concerns about
statements by the cranberry industry that seemed to indicate plans to triple
the number of acres of cranberry beds in Wisconsin.
Those wishing to comment on the new cranberry rule have until June 6. Environmental
advocates at the Board meeting called for public hearings on the new proposal
but the DNR and Board did not oblige.
WWA has arranged for a tour of a cranberry operation in the Wisconsin Rapids
area, to be hosted by the State Cranberry Growers Association. The tour
will be held on Tuesday, June 20, and will probably include visits to other
"Sand County" wetlands.
WWA has also scheduled a tour of the new wetland mitigation bank site recently
developed by the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. (This is the first wetland
mitigation bank in Wisconsin other than sites developed by the Department
of Transportation (DOT) as mitigation for highway projects impacting wetlands.)
The tour of the mitigation bank will be Saturday, June 14. Those wishing
to attend should meet at the Portage County Courthouse, downtown Portage,
at 9 a.m. Call the Wisconsin Wetlands Association at 608-250-9971 for more
information about both these tours.
