Wisconsin’s Southern lakes have been enjoyed for generations. However, intensive use over a long period of time has been accompanied by negative impacts such as invasive species, nutrient and sediment pollution, and higher development density.

Join us in Pewaukee for the Southern lakes workshop February 18th to learn about the unique challenges faced by our Southern lakes, and the creative and effective approaches to their successful management and restoration. Workshop topics will include:

• Groundwater management, groundwater conservation, and lakes
• Lake management and restoration tools: dredging, drawdown, and aquatic plant management
• Recent changes in waterway permitting
• Key ingredients for successful restoration projects
• Lake management planning

Conservation Lobby Day offers you the opportunity to talk your legislative representatives about your concerns and hopes for Wisconsin's lakes and natural resources. Your perspective as a local lake person will help your elected legislator understand the issues that are important to our lakes and vote to protect the things we value about Wisconsin’s special lakes.

The Wisconsin Association of Lakes has prepared background information and talking points for four issues we feel are important to the future of our lakes (see links below):

• Polluted Runoff
• Groundwater decline and Great Lakes water diversion
• Aquatic invasive species prevention and control
• Shoreland protection

Online registration for Conservation Lobby Day 2006 is being handled by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.

The new Senate Select Committee on DNR regulatory Reform, created by Dave Zien and Alan Lassee, appears to be designed to gather complaints against the DNR in preparation for future attacks against selected environmental regulations.

According to a recent press release (posted on www.wheelerreport.com ) from Senator Zein’s office, “This committee’s purpose is to focus on the content and enforcement of land use regulations impacting economic development in this state, wetland definitions/regulations, pier regulations, and other DNR related activities. Senator Lasee and the rest of our committee want to hear the horror stories of inconsistencies, double standards, and personality conflicts which plague DNR activities rather than sound public policy.

Senator Lassee has publicly solicited complaints about the DNR and has scheduled a limited number of public hearings for early January. In an advance announcement about these hearings forwarded by Lorainne Seratti—former state Representative, now Governmental Affairs Director for the Northwoods Association of Realtors— she assured recipients that “In discussions with Senator Lasee’s staff, I have been assured the primary purpose of this hearing is to take complaints from citizens and the committee is prepared to accommodate this goal.”

It appears this committee is going to considerable effort to recruit and hear only negative perspectives of the DNR. This ignores the tremendous work the DNR does, despite budgetary and staffing cuts, to protect our lakes and help lake communities. There are many examples of lake communities receiving grants and technical assistance from the DNR in order to improve the quality of their lake.

“Good water quality is good for everyone. Healthy lakes maintain lakefront property values, boost the greater communities’ tax base, and support the income generated by visiting tourists,” says Peter Murray, Wisconsin Association of Lakes Executive Director. “Focusing only on complaints and negative anecdotes misrepresents the work DNR does and public’s appreciation for Wisconsin’s natural resources. Biased perspectives rarely make good policy.”

We encourage you to participate in Conservation Lobby Day and contact your State Senator and Assembly Representative to let them know how important your lake is to you.

Less than two years ago the Wisconsin Legislature passed 2003 Act 118 which created a pier permitting process, exempted certain piers from permitting, and directed the DNR to write administrative rules (NR 326) to administer the statute.

A diverse group of stakeholders, with the help of the public, spent eighteen months developing reasonable rules (delivered to the legislature December 9) that balance property owner’s rights to access the water, to continue enjoying their piers, and to preserve the character and health of our lakes.

Now, before considering the rule, and less than two years after the legislature directed the DNR to write pier rules Representatives Gard and Gunderson have introduced legislation (AB-850) that would allow certain private riparian property owners to place pre- existing and new piers that are clearly detrimental to other riparian property owners and the public interest in public waters.

With the rapid pace of this bill (introduced November 29, one public hearing held December 2, passed out of Assembly December 15), many legislators will not have had time to read the submitted rules before voting to change them. In addition, several amendments were added to AB-850 making it easier to install piers that are harmful to lakes and interfere with other riparian property owners’ rights, including:

• Requiring DNR to issue permits for harmful piers even if they negatively impact an adjacent property owner, obstruct navigation, or damage fish and wildlife habitat.
• Restricting the recourses for adjacent property owners who may be harmed by a neighbor's pier.
• Allowing high density condominium and commercial development to double their number of boat slips. This is unfair to single family home owners whose lakes and property are adversely affected.
• Creating standards, exemptions, and permitting requirements that are more confusing for property owners, the problem 2003 Act 118 was intended to solve.