Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for Environment / Conservation

‘Focus on Energy’ now provides content in Spanish

By

Wisconsin’s statewide Focus On Energy has launched new Spanish-language web pages. This new content provides details of many of Focus on Energy’s most-popular offerings for Wisconsin residents. It includes information on the benefits of air sealing and insulation and energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning.

The site also includes links to help find Spanish-speaking contractors and offers pages that explain how to order free energy-savings home products, access Focus on Energy’s free appliance recycling service, and links to the Program’s retail discounts page and online marketplace.

Also in 2020, Focus on Energy will be offering Spanish-language applications for financial incentives related to energy efficiency projects.
–

Senate confirms Preston Cole to head DNR

By

Preston Cole IMAGE: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin State Senate has unanimously approved the appointment of Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole, but Wednesday’s vote didn’t pass without incident.

Senator Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) who has long pushed for expansion of logging and mining in the state, issued a warning to Cole, and the agency he’ll lead.

“Mr. Cole has some work cut out for him. There are many fine people who work within the Department of Natural Resources, but there are those who take liberties with the law at times,” Tiffany said. “I hope Secretary Cole is up to the task of making sure that they are accountable to him and to the taxpayers of the state of Wisconsin.”

The vote to confirm Cole was unanimous, meaning he’ll finally officially take over as head of the DNR. Governor Tony Evers selected Cole to lead the agency in December of 2018.

The Senate also confirmed Emilie Amundson to lead the Department of Children and Families, on a vote of 32-1. Five acting  Evers cabinet secretaries are still awaiting confirmation, including Craig Thompson at Transportation and Andrea Palm at the Department of Health Services.

Assembly approves $10 million water quality package

By

The state Assembly has approved a 13 bill, $10 million plan to address water quality in Wisconsin. Lawmakers sparred Tuesday over who deserves credit.

“If Governor Tony Evers had not declared 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water, we wouldn’t be here today, making sure that we’re acting on not just clean drinking water but surface water qand water quality in general,” said Representative Katrina Shankland. (D-Stevens Point).

“This was not started bu Governor Evers, even though I want to thank him for also calling this the Year of Clean Water,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester). Vos credited Representatives Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City) and Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) for getting the issue attention from Assembly Republicans.

Vos formed the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality has been created to gather information and make policy recommendations.

“We need to remember that this is just the beginning,” said Novak, who served with Shankland as task force co-chair. “Challenges with water quality did not start overnight. They started decades ago, so this is going to take some time and this is just the beginning. We also need to remember that clean water is not a Democratic or Republican issue, it’s a state of Wisconsin issue.”

“This isn’t partisan issue. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, if you live in Milwaukee or in southwest Wisconsin. We all deserve clean drinking water and this is certainly a step in the right direction,” Tranel said. The package must still be passed by the state Senate, before going to Governor Tony Evers.

Lawmakers address water issues in Wisconsin

By

At the Capitol, a proposal would create a state Office of Water Quality. It would be attached to the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey of the Division of Extension of UW-Madison. Why not DATCP or DNR?

“One of the things that I’ve found when we were doing hearings (on water quality issues) is credibility of the different agencies,” said Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc) during a hearing before the Senate’s environment committee on Thursday. “Let’s be honest. The DNR, DATCP, these are all political appointees.”

“I would think that we would be much better served if the Office of Water Quality, which I think is an important function, was located in place where it could be most effective,” said state Senator Mark Miller (D-Monona).

The bill (SB 709) requires the governor to appoint as director of the office, someone with experience in managing water resources. “The goals of this are commendable, certainly these issues . .  are ones that are very important to work on and that we have been working on,” said Todd Ames with the Wisconsin DNR. “We just wanted to not that the location is probably not as good as others that have been suggested.”

Also on Thursday, a bipartisan proposal was from state Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Senator Dave Hansen (Green Bay) would be aimed at dealing with PFAS, including a provision that would give the DNR up to three years to put in place emergency rules as it addresses the toxic chemical. WisPolitics reports that Governor Tony Evers immediately indicated he’d sign the bill if it reached his desk.

Snowmobile safety is a focus this week

By

A reminder for safe snowmobiling. Captain April Dombrowski, DNR Recreational Safety Section Chief, says smart, sober operation is the lesson of International Snowmobile Safety Week. “It’s really about practicing that zero alcohol,” she said. “It’s a personal choice to refrain from drinking any alcoholic beverage, until you’re done operating any motorized vehicle for the day.”

Staying sober makes it easier to know what you – and your snowmobile – are safely capable of. “Riding within your capabilities, riding at safe speeds for the users’ capability, and the machine’s capability.” The DNR recorded 16 fatal snowmobile accidents in 2019. Eleven occurred on public trails and roads, four were on frozen waterways.

Clean water bills headed to Capitol this week

By

A package of bills focused on improving water quality will be introduced in Wisconsin Wednesday. 

Republican State Representative Scott Krug says one big part of the bill will be support for an already successful farm conservation program.

 “Giving folks a chance to locally collaborate on their own watersheds to fix their problems back home, I think is the best bang for our buck.”

Democrat Katrina Shankland says she’s pushing for a state cleanup fund to support best farming practices as well as septic and well remediation.  

“I think if we want for clean water for everyone in Wisconsin, we have to be willing to pay for prevention and enforcement, as well as best practices. And I think the Clean Water Fund is something that we should be able to get behind, but it might take some time.” 

The package of bills comes out of several months worth of public hearings with the state’s Water Quality task force. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos created the task force shortly after Governor Tony Evers declared 2019 as the Year of Clean Water.

Wisconsin’s chief warden retires after 30 years on the job

By

Wisconsin’s Chief Warden is stepping down.

Todd Schaller spent more than 30 years in public service with the state, and says working as a warden was his dream. “I wanted to work with the Department of Natural Resources all my life, and I was fortunate to live that and carry it out with a great group of people within the department and also outside the department.”

Schaller says the worlds of hunting and fishing have changed dramatically over the years, and that it’s important to remember that they still remain integral to the nature of Wisconsin’s DNA. He’s also not sure what retirement will hold for him. 

“Gonna explore what that means, and I guess adjust as I learn over the next several months.”

DNR Secretary-designee Preston Cole has named Captain Casey Krueger as Schaller’s replacement. 

“He will step in without a hiccough or pause and move the agency and the Bureau of Law Enforcement forward,” says Schaller. 

Kreuger has been with the wardens for 22 years and currently heads up the wardens in Southern Wisconsin. 

Enbridge buying land for new Line 5 pipeline

By

Enbridge Energy has begun buying land, as it prepares to reroute its Line 5 pipeline around a northern Wisconsin reservation. The Ashland Daily Press reports Enbridge has opened an office in Ashland for staff members involved in relocating the line.

A company spokeswoman said Enbridge has purchased “a couple” properties in Ashland County, but declined to provide details.

The Bad River tribe has refused to renew leases with Enbridge for a portion of the pipeline on tribal lands, and has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force its removal because the tribe fears the line poses an environmental threat.

Report finds Wisconsin led states in cuts to pollution prevention

By

Wisconsin cut more support from pollution control programs than any other state over the last decade.  State spending for pollution control programs within the Department of Natural Resources was reduced by 36 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to a report from The Environmental Integrity Project, an advocacy group based in Washington D.C.

Other states have also made significant reductions, while federal funding for science and pollution programs within the Environmental Protection Agency was also been reduced by 16 percent over that past decade. The decline in funding in Wisconsin correlates with former Republican Governor Scott Walker’s time in office.

Deer kills decline for 2019 hunting season

By

The number deer harvested during the just-concluded gun-deer season is down sharply compared to a year ago. A preliminary report from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says hunters killed 90,286 deer in 2019, down from 123,090 in 2018. That’s a decrease of 26.7%.

The DNR’s Jeff Pritzl said the drop can likely be attributed to the late start to the season.

“Because of the calendar shift, having the latest possible season opener, that does have an effect when we look at that phenomenon from previous years,” Pritzl told WTAQ.

Hunters have told the DNR the deer have been hard to find. “Deer activity and observations of deer certainly appeared to be depressed and slow compared to what we’re accustomed to or what expectations were,” said Pritzl.

There were no counties in the state that reported increases from a year ago.