The Legislature Assembly and Senate Agricultural Committees have scheduled a public hearing on the Manure Management Discharge Rules (NR 243). The rules were unanimously approved by the Natural Resources Board this May.

The hearing will be on August 3rd at 9:00 AM, 411 South, State Capitol. If you are interested in testifying, please arrive a little early to fill out a hearing slip.

NR 243 affects how Wisconsin’s largest farms (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs) handle, spread, and store their manure. Manure runoff has contaminated drinking water, killed fish, and contributes nutrients to our lakes which can lead to chronic algae blooms and declining water quality.

Many citizens and lake groups are investing in stream and lake improvements to keep our lakes clean, safe, and healthy for everyone. Manure pollution can undo this work.

Contact your legislator about manure pollution

Our Assembly and Senate leaders need to hear from citizens concerned about the impact manure pollution can have on their lake.

The Conservation Scorecard 2005-2006, a report on how state legislators voted on key conservation issues in the last two-year legislative session, indicates both good and bad news for the protection of Wisconsin’s natural resources. The report, released today by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, records legislators’ votes on a variety of conservation-related bills ranging from air and water quality to hunting and fishing opportunities.

This year’s Scorecard shows improvement in legislative dedication to natural resource protection over that of the 2003-2004 legislative session. The most notable improvement was in the state Senate where the average score increased from 46 percent in 2004 to 62 percent this year.

“We are encouraged by the upward trend in the Senate. It shows that rather than spending time attacking existing conservation laws, our Senators were actually trying to get something done. I wish I could say the same for the Assembly,” said Anne Sayers, Program Director for the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.

Despite a handful of Conservation Champions - legislators that scored a perfect 100 percent - the average score in the Assembly is just 41 percent, a decline of three percent from 2003-2004.

The Conservation Scorecard is produced by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters both as a tool to hold legislators accountable to their constituents and as a resource for voters.

A new resource on aquatic invasive species has been published by the Vilas County Land and Water Conservation Department. Aquatic Invasive Species: A Guide for Proactive and Reactive Management provides biological information about some of the aquatic invasive species found in Wisconsin, current control and treatment options available, and tips about funding the various treatment methods.

Ideas are offered about warding off potential introductions of aquatic invasive species (proactive management) and about how to cope with an existing infestation (reactive management). This guidebook is intended to provide lake organizations, conservation groups, municipal governments, and others with a convenient starting point in the search for answers to tough questions about aquatic invasive species management.

A recent mail survey—coordinated by UW- Extension, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Madison and Department of Natural Resources—evaluated the economic impact of the current recreational and tournament fishing that occurs in the Lake Winnebago System. The survey went out to almost 2000 anglers who fish the Lake Winnebago system.

Results indicate that recreational and tournament angling in the Lake Winnebago System generates $147.5 million in direct spending in the area. This spending then ripples through the local economy to generate an additional $73.9 million for a total of $221.4 million dollars created by angling opportunities in the Lake Winnebago System. This money coming into the area both directly and indirectly creates 4,300 jobs in the region.“For every dollar spent in the area, another $0.50 is generated in the local economy,” says UW Green Bay Economics Professor Dr. John Stoll.

Tournament, out-of-state and local anglers make an estimated 1.1 million trips to the region each year. People coming from out-of-state make 98,000 trips and people living in the area make 451,000 trips per year to the Lake Winnebago System. Each year an estimated 170,000 people come to the Lake Winnebago System to fish.

When anglers come here to fish, they spend their money as well. Out-of-state anglers reported that they spend roughly $96 million, primarily on lodging, meals and groceries. Local anglers spend approximately $67 million on boat expenses such as fuel or launch fees, and licenses and tackle.

“What the results show us is that the Lake Winnebago System and its fishery is an important resource to maintain and protect for the benefit of the entire community,” said Kendall Kamke, DNR Biologist.