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The Lake Policy Report |
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Your new source for lake policy news A frequent comment in our Wisconsin Lakes member survey this past spring indicated that many of you suffer from the lack of a consistent source of news regarding public policy impacting Wisconsin’s lakes and lake users. And it is certainly true that today’s media covers environmental issues much less than in the past.
Over time we’ll look at the big picture (such as a piece coming next month looking at the upcoming legislative session), and we’ll zero in on important local happenings as well, such as this month’s profile of Dunn County’s budgetary efforts to improve water quality in the Red Cedar basin. As always, Wisconsin Lakes’ mission is to build an informed lake citizenry, and we’ll strive to provide you with the information you need to arrive at your own opinions, instead of simply pushing ours through sensationalistic rhetoric. But we also won't shy from sharing our opinion. Of course, we hope you’ll agree. But even if you don’t, we hope we’ll have given you the information you need to be able to articulate why. We believe that the best way to move lake and water policy forward in Wisconsin is to have a vigorous conversation between all parties. That's a hallmark of Wisconsin Lakes, and that is what the Lake Policy Report is intended to foster. We’re heading into a big new legislative session come January, and lots may be in store for lakes in 2015 and beyond. Now is the time to be informed. And it’s our hope that you’ll find the Lake Policy Report a helpful tool to get there. ~ Michael Engleson, Executive Director Dunn County Budgets for Water Quality With the state legislature facing a $2.2 billion difference between what state agencies asked for in their budget requests and what Wisconsin anticipates to bring in through tax revenue over the next two years, many are beginning to worry whether conservation issues like clean water might be on the cutting room floor when it comes budget time early in 2015. Not everywhere in the state, however, is seeing cuts in funding to water quality efforts. In fact, due in part to some hard work on the part of Wisconsin Lakes member organization Tainter-Menomin Lake Improvement Association, the Dunn County Board recently created a new “Water Conservationist” position and allocated up to $100,000 for water quality initiatives in 2015. The position and funding both came with the unanimous support of the Executive Committee of the Dunn County Board of Supervisors. Dunn County is home to lakes Tainter and Menomin, part of the Red Cedar River system. The lakes are frequently plagued in the summer with massive blue-green algae blooms that turn the water into a thick, pea soup. The TMLIA has been working for years to bring people in the Red Cedar basin together to work to solve the problem, winning a Wisconsin Lakes Stewardship Award in 2014 for their efforts. With the addition of the Water Conservationist position to county staff, county residents will now have a place to go to ask questions about water quality. The conservationist will also work on shoreland zoning, groundwater, and other issues. Ron Verdon, TMLIA president, told the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram prior to the vote that creation of the position would be “game-changing.” “I think it is game-changing in terms of the county’s ability to understand what is happening with ground, storm, and surface water,” Verdon told the paper. The Water Conservationist will be likely be hired in the early spring. Look for more coverage of this in the upcoming winter issue of the Lake Connection, Wisconsin Lakes’ print newsletter.
The New, New NR115 Wisconsin has a newly revised set of shoreland zoning minimum standards, and counties now have until 2016 to enact ordinances that at the least comply with those minimums. The state’s shoreland zoning code, often called NR115 for its section of the administrative rules, sets out the minimum standards that all counties must include in their mandatory shoreland zoning ordinance. This revision, which went into effect in October, modified another more comprehensive revision of the original rules that went into effect in 2010. After some counties expressed difficulties meeting those standards, which were developed through a cooperative effort of the state, realtors, builders, the River Alliance of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Lakes, DNR started another rulemaking process to develop this new, new set of standards. The standards now in effect kept several of the 2010 features in place, including a 75 foot setback from the shore for the house, requirement of a 35 foot vegetative buffer along the shore, and minimum lot sizes of 20,000 sq. ft. for an unsewered lot and 10,075 sq. ft. if the lot is on a public sewer system. Changes to the standards include:
Two other points are important to keep in mind. First, these standards are minimums – counties can pass shoreland zoning ordinances with standards stronger than these, and many do. The lone exception to this rule is that the legislature in 2011 passed a law that prevents counties from passing an ordinance with non-conforming structure standards stronger than NR115. Second, some counties already have ordinances stronger than NR115’s, some have adopted the stronger 2010 standards, and some have not done anything since the 2010 revision. It’s important to know what the status of your county’s ordinance development, and advocate for the level of protection you believe appropriate to your county’s lakes. Look for continuing coverage of NR115 by Wisconsin Lakes.
Lake Policy Digest: WI Dept of Justice offers online webinars on public records and open meetings laws (from WDOJ) New DNR grant program set to encourage simple lakeshore projects to boost healthy lakes (from WDNR) Ruling: Kewaunee County dairy expansion allowed to proceed, but only with heightened oversight from DNR (from wisconsinwatch.org) Public invited to weigh in on Lake Superior fisheries management (from WDNR) |
Issue 2014-1
In this LPR Your new source for lake policy news The new, new shoreland standards Policy Calendar Jan 5, 2015: Innauguration Day
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The Lake Policy Report was designed to help you fill that gap. Each month, the LPR will review important policy issues, providing information, analysis, context, and opinion to help you better understand what is happening with the laws, regulations, and court decisions that affect lakes. As a result, we hope this helps you be a more informed lake citizen.(1).jpg){kind=small}
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©2014 Wisconsin Lakes, 4513 Vernon Blvd, Ste 101, Madison, WI 53705.
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Wisconsin Lakes's mission is to conserve, enhance, and restore Wisconsin's lakes by fostering responsible lake stewardship and by promoting effective, beneficial environmental public policy. The Lake Policy Report aims to provide you with information, analysis, and opinion about the important issues impacting our lakes. We welcome your input at info@wisconsinlakes.org and on our Facebook page.
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