Wetlands
WGF reports and educational materials about the values of wetlands, and state and federal regulation affecting wetlands in Wisconsin, developed by the Public Trust and Wetlands Work Group.
Governor Signs 2019 Wetland Mitigation Bill
On November 25, 2019 Governor Evers signed Senate Bill 169 into law as 2019 Wisconsin Act 59. The bill was designed to steer wetland mitigation closer to the site of a development project by requiring developers who elect to purchase mitigation bank credits to try to buy them near the site and within the same …
Read More >WGF Comments SB 252 Flood Risk Reduction Pilot
As a member of Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) and a resident of Ashland County, I write to express my appreciation to the sponsors of Senate Bill 252 for this investment in green infrastructure approaches to flood reduction. Prior to my retirement from the Department of Natural Resources, I worked on several initiatives to reduce runoff in the Lake Superior basin. The demonstration projects that would be funded pursuant to SB 252 would build on a long history of partnerships among local residents, watershed organizations, and government at the local, tribal, state, and federal levels. This investment by state government would be timely and much appreciated.
Read More >Follow up to WGF Testimony on Senate Bill 169 Related to Wetland Mitigation Banks
Thank you again for allowing me to comment on SB 169 at the hearing on April 30, 2019. I would like to add an additional comment as a follow-up to my testimony.
Both DNR and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are involved in wetland mitigation banking. Wetland compensatory mitigation requirements are specified by USACE-St. …
Read More >Wisconsin’s Green Fire Testimony to Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy on Senate Bill 169 Regarding Wetland Mitigation Banks
My name is Ron Grasshoff and I am here representing Wisconsin Green Fire. I appear today for information only, but we hope if our concerns are addressed that we can change our position to support.
We like the fact that SB 169 emphasizes mitigating wetland losses from permit actions near to where the impacts occur. With …
Read More >Nonfederal and Artificial Wetlands Law: Comments on Updated Implementation Guidance
Comments on Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Watershed Management Waterway and Wetland Protection
Draft Guidance
Artificial Wetland Exemptions #3500-2018-01
Nonfederal Wetland Exemptions #3500-2018-02
Thank you for considering our comments on the initial draft of the guidance to implement Act 183 and for the opportunity to discuss the guidance with staff following the public comment period. We recognize the current working …
Read More >Nonfederal and Artificial Wetlands Law: Comments on Implementation Guidance
Summary Statement: We have reviewed the Draft Guidance documents: 3500-2018-01 & 3500- 2018-02 (Draft Guidance) and have a number of comments that are outlined below. The review was conducted by a number of our members who have experience administering Wisconsin’s wetland programs and regulations. We would be happy to discuss these comments with Department of …
Read More >Wisconsin’s Green Fire Testimony to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy – Senate Bill 816
Wisconsin’s Green Fire does not have concerns about 2017 Senate Bill 816 addressing the statewide wetlands mitigation program. However, WGF notes that Assembly Amendment 2 to Assembly Bill 956 passed on February 22, 2018, contains language to clearly exempt a single business, Meteor Timber Company, from wetland permitting requirements.
Read More >New legislation helps controversial sand-mining
In May 2017, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) granted a permit to Meteor Timber in Monroe County to fill 16.25 acres of wetlands, including 13.37 acres of white pine – red maple swamp, a very rare wetland type remaining in Wisconsin. The purpose was to construct a frac sand plant and rail transfer …
Read More >Controversial Wisconsin Wetlands Bill Heads to Governor Walker
Update:
Late Tuesday, the state Senate’s wetland bill vote was cast along party lines, 18 Republicans for and 14 Democrats against. Next step, Gov. Scott Walker’s desk.
http://wigreenfire.org/2019/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/wet.mp3
Republican Rep. Jim Steineke of Kaukauna authored the bill making it easier for landowners to fill some wetlands – not high quality systems, he says, but low-grade isolated …
Read More >Problems with removing wetland protections
Wisconsin’s Green Fire analyzed recent amendments to Senate Bill 600 and Assembly Bill 547, the legislative proposals to reduce state oversight of wetlands that are not protected under the federal Clean Water Act. See our analysis and February 11, 2018 press release.
Ephemeral wetland in southeastern Wisconsin. Photo by Eric Epstein.
Wetlands grace …
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