Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Trapper's Guide Service
Does not support a one rule/ mind set at all.
I do not support a season past September.
Please help protect our fisheree.
Trapper
I do not support a season past September.
Please help protect our fisheree.
Trapper
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Trout Water's need protection
STEPHEN M. BORN, UW-Madison emeritus professor of planning and environmental studies Posted: Friday, April 2, 2010 4:00 am
Stephen M. Born is an emeritus professor at UW-Madison in planning and environmental studies. He is also former co-chairman of Wisconsin Academy’s Waters of Wisconsin project and former chairman of the National Resources Board, Trout Unlimited. The Capital Times archives
The surface and groundwaters of Wisconsin undergird a major tourism-recreation-outdoor industry, as well as significant portions of our agricultural and industrial economies (including beer-making).
But, our water resources are at risk. Increasing demands and land use changes resulting from a growing population, agricultural industry expansion and changing climate are leading to non-sustainable pumpage and environmental stress and damage in some parts of Wisconsin.
Recognizing the threats to long-range environmental health and water supply security, Wisconsin has taken actions to protect this "buried treasure" and related surface waters. A pioneering groundwater quality law was passed in 1984.
In 2003, the Legislature enacted Act 310 to strengthen the state's oversight of groundwater quantity management. The architects of this law recognized that it was only a first step toward integrated long-range management of the state's vital water resources, and directed a groundwater advisory committee to assess the functioning of the new law and recommend needed changes.
Last month — after several years of review by the advisory committee, scientists, and a coalition of environmental and conservation organizations — legislators took the next step to protect and better manage Wisconsin's waters by introducing legislation to remedy shortfalls in Act 310.
This new bill would:
• Improve the process for designating groundwater management areas and provide for better coordinated regional management of problem areas, including the preparation of plans to correct and avoid damages done to groundwater supplies and associated streams, lakes and wetlands.
• Allow the designation of groundwater attention areas where problems are likely to emerge in coming years.
• Expand the scope of existing law to protect more springs, broaden geographic consideration of impacts of high-capacity wells, and specifically identify water-bottling operations falling under the law.
• Provide for adaptive management in groundwater management areas, where existing pumpers could have their approval permits modified to reflect changing aquifer conditions and new demands.
• Provide for water conservation and accelerated water supply planning.
The ink was hardly dry on the new bill when opponents began attacking it. In a campaign suggesting they hadn't read the proposed legislation, the usual suspects in the agricultural lobby claimed the proposed legislation would harm their constituencies — threatening their wells, giving the state Department of Natural Resources excessive regulatory powers, encroaching on property rights, damaging the agricultural economy and more.
Conservative legislators labeled it "anti-jobs", and contended it was too important to be fast-tracked (although it had been the subject of intensive study for several years leading up to the introduction of the bill).
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, and Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona — the primary authors of the bill — have fought back, arguing the importance of strengthening existing law to better protect trout streams, drinking water supplies, and other vital resources and thereby assure that the state will have sufficient water resources for the future.
Given the short amount of time left in this legislative session, support from the conservation community and business interests dependent on healthy ecosystems is needed to give this far-reaching legislation a chance to be enacted. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to ensure sound scientific environmental stewardship of our invaluable water resources.
Stephen M. Born is UW-Madison emeritus professor of planning and environmental studies. He is also former co-chairman of Wisconsin Academy's Waters of Wisconsin project and former chairman of the National Resources Board, Trout Unlimited.
Posted in Column on Friday, April 2, 2010 4:00 am Stephen M. Born, Clean Water
Stephen M. Born is an emeritus professor at UW-Madison in planning and environmental studies. He is also former co-chairman of Wisconsin Academy’s Waters of Wisconsin project and former chairman of the National Resources Board, Trout Unlimited. The Capital Times archives
The surface and groundwaters of Wisconsin undergird a major tourism-recreation-outdoor industry, as well as significant portions of our agricultural and industrial economies (including beer-making).
But, our water resources are at risk. Increasing demands and land use changes resulting from a growing population, agricultural industry expansion and changing climate are leading to non-sustainable pumpage and environmental stress and damage in some parts of Wisconsin.
Recognizing the threats to long-range environmental health and water supply security, Wisconsin has taken actions to protect this "buried treasure" and related surface waters. A pioneering groundwater quality law was passed in 1984.
In 2003, the Legislature enacted Act 310 to strengthen the state's oversight of groundwater quantity management. The architects of this law recognized that it was only a first step toward integrated long-range management of the state's vital water resources, and directed a groundwater advisory committee to assess the functioning of the new law and recommend needed changes.
Last month — after several years of review by the advisory committee, scientists, and a coalition of environmental and conservation organizations — legislators took the next step to protect and better manage Wisconsin's waters by introducing legislation to remedy shortfalls in Act 310.
This new bill would:
• Improve the process for designating groundwater management areas and provide for better coordinated regional management of problem areas, including the preparation of plans to correct and avoid damages done to groundwater supplies and associated streams, lakes and wetlands.
• Allow the designation of groundwater attention areas where problems are likely to emerge in coming years.
• Expand the scope of existing law to protect more springs, broaden geographic consideration of impacts of high-capacity wells, and specifically identify water-bottling operations falling under the law.
• Provide for adaptive management in groundwater management areas, where existing pumpers could have their approval permits modified to reflect changing aquifer conditions and new demands.
• Provide for water conservation and accelerated water supply planning.
The ink was hardly dry on the new bill when opponents began attacking it. In a campaign suggesting they hadn't read the proposed legislation, the usual suspects in the agricultural lobby claimed the proposed legislation would harm their constituencies — threatening their wells, giving the state Department of Natural Resources excessive regulatory powers, encroaching on property rights, damaging the agricultural economy and more.
Conservative legislators labeled it "anti-jobs", and contended it was too important to be fast-tracked (although it had been the subject of intensive study for several years leading up to the introduction of the bill).
State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, and Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona — the primary authors of the bill — have fought back, arguing the importance of strengthening existing law to better protect trout streams, drinking water supplies, and other vital resources and thereby assure that the state will have sufficient water resources for the future.
Given the short amount of time left in this legislative session, support from the conservation community and business interests dependent on healthy ecosystems is needed to give this far-reaching legislation a chance to be enacted. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to ensure sound scientific environmental stewardship of our invaluable water resources.
Stephen M. Born is UW-Madison emeritus professor of planning and environmental studies. He is also former co-chairman of Wisconsin Academy's Waters of Wisconsin project and former chairman of the National Resources Board, Trout Unlimited.
Posted in Column on Friday, April 2, 2010 4:00 am Stephen M. Born, Clean Water
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