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Dems introduce climate change bills

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Democrats in the Wisconsin Legislature are introducing a set of bills to deal with climate change in Wisconsin. Representative Greta Neubauer says the package of 22 bills will form a framework to build on to protect Wisconsin from future climate disasters.

“This package of bills includes everything from resources for farmers to sequester carbon in the ground to programs for Union to train the next generation of renewable energy workers.”

Neubauer says the bills are needed to protect Wisconsin and its residents from the future hazards of climate change.

“With additional money for the state’s successful Focus On Energy program we can support low-income homeowners to weatherize their homes and we can build larger clean-energy projects with resources for school districts, businesses, and municipalities.”

Neubauer attempted to get these bills through the Legislature in 2019 as well. They are unlikely to make it to the floor of the Assembly.

DNR holds public hearing on new PFAS regulations

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The Department of Natural Resources is now taking public comment on a proposed rule to regulate PFAS and other forever chemicals.

That includes what has to be done to dispose of the chemicals, and how people who use fire-fighting foam have to respond to spills. At a public hearing on Thursday, Erik Cantor from Clean Wisconsin says the new rules don’t go far enough. 

“Clean Wisconsin remains extremely disappointed the legislature, that originally directed the department to develop containment disposal measures, intervened to water down the measures and benchmarks proposed by DNR in the emergency rule, which were also left out of this rule.”

Peter Burress with Wisconsin Conservation Voters asked for the D-N-R and the Natural Resources Board to pass the rules. 

“Wisconsin Department of Health Services has advised that exposure to certain PFAS may contribute to a number of negative effects including increased cholesterol levels, increase risk of thyroid disease, high blood pressure in women, lower infant birth weights, and decreased fertility in women.”

The rule is open for public comment for another week before heading to the Natural Resources Board for a vote. 

Environmental group files lawsuit to obtain text messages sent by NRB chair

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An environmental advocacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Natural Resources Board chair Dr, Frederick Prehn, in an effort to access text messages as a part of a records request.

“Any record related to a governmental function are public records, and the public has right to them. Public officials have a duty to maintain, preserve and turn over those records when requested, and Dr. Prehn’s failed to do so here,” said Midwest Environmental Advocates attorney Rob Lee.

he suit filed in Dane County Circuit Court requests that Prehn turn over text messages sent and received about his term on the board. Prehn has remained on the board which sets policy for the DNR, respite his term having expired in May.

Evers pick for Natural Resources remains unconfirmed by state Senate

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Three years into his term, the state Senate has finally confirmed 39 of Governor Tony Evers appointees. Those include DOT Secretary Craig Thompson, Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dawn Crim, and DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski.

But Evers appointment of environmental educator Sandy Nass of Ashland to the Natural Resources Board remains in limbo. “This can happen in a rational way. Somehow it became irrational,” Evers told reporters at World Dairy Expo in Madison on Tuesday.

The governor said Nass can serve if Wausau’s Dr. Frederick Prehn – whose term has expired – simply steps down, or if the Senate confirms Nass. “It just slows down the process, and it makes us look like idiots as a state.”

Right now, neither possibility appears likely. Prehn’s continued presence on the seven member board which sets policy for the Department of Natural Resources allows appointees of former Republican Governor Scott Walker to retain the majority.

No Mow May may grow on you

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No Mow May is something you may want to consider for your yard this month.  Communities suspend enforcement of long-grass ordinances for the month, That allows owners to promote pollinator-friendly habitat early in the growing season.

“Yeah, it’s kind of like ‘no shave November’ for your yard,” said Mark Konlok, Director of Horticulture at Green Bay Botanical Garden, who explains that bees and other pollinators can really benefit, from leaving it be.

“And when we mow our lawn, if we have weeds and other things like that in there, we cut off all those flowers. Even dandelions are used by these newly emerging insects,” Konlok said.

Appleton adopted No Mow May last year, and is joined this year by De Pere, Fort Atkinson, Fox Crossing, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Oshkosh, Stevens Point and Wausau.

Konlok said that in addition to being good for beneficial insects, No Mow May can encourage us to think about our lawns.

“And start to think about, maybe we should transition some of that lawn to more plants, maybe native plants or things we don’t spend so much resources, time, energy, carbon dioxide, emissions, mowing, and maybe transition our yard to more of a habitat than just a turf grass area.”

When Appleton adopted Now Mow May last year, increases in bee populations and diversity were documented in the yards of participants.

DNR awards over $6 million in clean water grants to local groups

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The Wisconsin DNR is awarding over 6 million dollars to local groups in order to help clean up and maintain lakes and rivers.

DNR Lakes and Rivers Team Leader Alison Mikulyuk says nearly 250 groups will be working to restore Wisconsin waters. 

“Grants are available to groups that want to take on projects to protect and restore lakes, rivers and wetlands, and help control invasive species. Together we can ensure we have healthy waters far into the future”

Among the projects are trout habitat restoration in Forest County, watershed management near Lake Winnebago, and multiple projects to reconnect wetlands to streams and rivers. 

Mikulyuk says this is part of the Department’s overall approach of keeping Wisconsin’s waters clean at the local level. 

Nearly double Wisconsin’s wolf hunt quota killed in abbreviated hunting and trapping season

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Wisconsin hunters took nearly twice the number of wolves than the Department of Natural Resources was hoping for during an extremely brief 3 day wolf hunt this week.

DNR Wildlife Administrator Keith Warkne said the agency to close the season nearly as fast as it opened.

“As of 3 p.m. today 216 wolves have been reported in GameReg. The harvest breakdown was 86% taken by dogs, 5% taken by trappers, and 9% by other hunting methods,” Warnke said. “We monitored the reported harvest constantly. The decision to close zones was made using the best available harvest data, and, following the law, we issued a 24-hour notice of closure.”

The total kill was 82% above the state-licensed goal, according to Department of Natural Resources data released Thursday. Licensed hunters and trappers had a harvest quota of 119 spread across the state, excluding Native American reservations.

“By Tuesday, we announced the closing of the first three zones at 10 a.m. followed by announcing the closure of the remaining three zones at 3 p.m. that afternoon. Those zones then closed 24 hours after the announcement,”  Warnke said.

A court ordered the wolf hunting and trapping season – just the fourth in state history – to begin this week following a lawsuit from an out-of-state hunting group. Legislative Republicans claimed that the DNR was trying to delay it until wolves were put back on the federal endangered species list.

 

WMC sues the Department of Natural Resources over expansion of PFAS rules

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The state’s largest business lobby is suing the Department of Natural Resources over new PFAS regulations.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and an Oconomowoc dry cleaner want a court to stop the D-N-R from enforcing new rules regarding PFAS cleanup. W-M-C says that the D-N-R doesn’t have any legal right to tell businesses to test for PFAS contamination as a part of cleanup efforts, and that the courts need to stop the state from expanding their list of contaminants without legislative approval.

Those so called forever chemicals have now been found at over 50 sites statewide, mostly linked to firefighting foam spills.

Wisconsin wolf hunt already over, just days after start

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Wisconsin’s wolf hunt has already reached its quota, just a few days after it started.

That hunt opened up on Monday with a total of around 120 wolf tags available to regular hunters, and another 80 ceded to the state’s tribal nations. The DNR will be closing the hunts by Wednesday afternoon.

The wolf hunt was a matter of contention between Republican lawmakers and the Natural Resources Board, with a court ordering the hunt to take place.

Natural Resources Board sets quota at 200 wolves for February hunt

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Wisconsin’s Natural Resources Board has set a quota of 200 wolves for the rapidly-organized winter hunting season.  The board met online Monday, unanimously supporting the Department of Natural Resources recommendations.

DNR Division Administrator Keith Warnke says application for permits will begin at the DNR’s Go Wild website at 12:01 am Tuesday, February 16th and close Saturday, February 20th at 11:59 pm. “Customers who win in the drawing will be able to review the results on February 22nd. Drawing winners can begin hunting and trapping when they have purchased their license and printed their carcass tag. The season will run through February 28th.”

Warnke says the online applications for the November hunt will open March 1st, and he says applicants can apply for preference points without seeking a harvest tag.  Permits cost $10.00 and if applicants are drawn for a license, wolf harvest tags cost $49.00.  Hunters and trappers can begin harvesting wolves Warnke also says DNR will forego carcass testing for the winter hunt.

DNR Program Supervisor and carnivore specialist Dave MacFarland told the board the 200 quota figure along with other human-caused wolf mortality figures is a figure that stabilizes the wolf population.  Board member Greg Kazmierski asked if that is the goal. “I’m not sure that should be our objective, and maybe that’s what the biologists were asked to do is come up with a quota that stabilizes the population, but the current population is almost four times what our population goal is.”

Board Chair Dr. Frederick Prehn appreciated the efforts of DNR and the board since Thursday’s Jefferson County court ruling. “We have a job to do and I think we completed it, but we completed it with what we believe (is) good science from the department, all politics aside.”

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bennett Brantmeier ruled Thursday, February 11th the DNR violated existing state law by refusing to schedule a winter 2021 gray wolf hunt.  He scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, February 16th to get DNR’s update on complying with his Thursday order.

Livestock growers have had increased depredation problems since the last wolf season in 2014 including nine confirmed and 36 unconfirmed wolf kills in 2020.

Larry Lee, Brownfield