MADISON – Give like you mean it.
In Wisconsin, that means giving family and friends the gift of the outdoors.
These eight gift ideas will help you, your family and your friends make the most of the state’s beautiful lakes, rivers, state parks and other special places.
They won’t break the bank (some are even free); they’re convenient to get and give; and they’ll leave everyone, including Mother Earth, feeling better.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll find in DNR’s online gift guide, whether you’re shopping last minute or want to help a loved one start 2010 off right.
Add water…and a bobber. Print off a certificate that pledges to a family member, a friend, a co-worked, that you’ll give them a fishing trip and the chance to tell the tale of “the one that got away.”
Non-stop fun @ Wisconsin’s special places – For $25, an annual parks sticker gets the bearer unlimited vehicle admission to 60 state parks and forests across Wisconsin. An annual state trail pass gives access to more than 30 scenic trails throughout Wisconsin, so get that body moving.
Books to get hooked on – A pair of new books will reel in readers of all ages: “The “Magic Goggles: Discovering the Secrets of the Lake” is a richly illustrated story book that entertains and educates with its story of two kids discovering the underwater forest at their grandparents’ lake. “People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish,” a glossy coffee table book, uses historical photos, personal stories and other memorabilia to tell how Lake Winnebago area residents and state fish biologists help nurse the lake sturgeon population back from the brink to become the world’s largest.
Where the Wild Things Are - A subscription to Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine brings our natural world and emerging environmental issues to their doorstep. Stories highlight year-round outdoor activities and our outdoor environment. For more than thirty years Wisconsin Natural Resources has delighted readers with stories about Wisconsin's wild things. Order online to get 1 year (6 issues) for $8.97 and print off a beautiful gift card.
The online guide will put you a click away from most of these gifts. In some cases, you may need to make a call, e-mail someone or drive to a state park or DNR Service Center if you want to make sure you have the gift in hand for that special day.
So give like you mean it, and let the fun begin.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Watch out for invasive species in adornments to wreaths and dried arrangements
MADISON - When decorating for the holidays, many people look to nature for raw materials: colorful berries, dried flowers and seed heads can provide for simple but beautiful adornments. But state environmental officials are cautioning that some plants used for wreaths and dried arrangements are actually invasive weeds that can spread if not handled and disposed of carefully.
“When you go looking out your back door in search of inspiration for your next craft or come across a ‘great find’ at a local market, keep in mind that some of these beautiful specimens can cause great environmental damage to our forests, prairies and fields,” says Courtney LeClair, AmeriCorps invasive plant specialist, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In particular, people should be on the lookout for bittersweet, multi-flora rose and teasel she says.
Bittersweet
Bittersweet is a common vine frequently cut for wreaths and other decorations.
“Many people are unaware that there are two species of bittersweet in Wisconsin,” LeClair says.
The somewhat uncommon native American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) has large clusters of many fruits at the ends of long stems. A bright orange husk surrounds each deep reddish orange berry. Although it is legal to harvest and use this bittersweet, collectors should always get permission from the landowner first.
The second species Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is from Asia and is extremely invasive in Wisconsin.
“The invasive bittersweet can spread by seed into forests, where it winds around trees, climbing to the top where it can topple or strangle the trees,” LeClair says.
This bittersweet can be recognized by its lighter orange fruits surrounded by a pale yellow/orange husk. There are usually just a few berries at each leaf node, rather than the large cluster at the end of the stem.
“Even in the winter, it takes only a minute to look closely to ensure that you are not harvesting and using the invasive species,” she says.
Some people add the deep red fruits or “hips” of rose bushes to their flower arrangements. Although there are many ornamental and native roses that are good to use, the clusters of the invasive multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) often are used. If wreaths or arrangements are put outside, birds and rodents may feed on the fruits and disperse the seeds of these plants.
Teasel
Another plant frequently used as a holiday ornament is the spiky oval shaped seed heads from common teasel (Dipsacus fullonum and D. laciniatus). Teasel seed heads are sometimes spray painted to give them even more of a creative splash. If collecting teasels for decorating, make sure all seeds are removed and disposed of in the garbage.
“Often when these flower arrangements or wreaths get old, they are tossed in a compost pile or in the local park or woodlot. If these invasive plants still have seeds, they are probably still viable and can germinate wherever they were disposed of and can start a new infestation,” LeClair says.
Asian bittersweet, multiflora rose and teasel were recently declared as restricted invasive plants throughout Wisconsin. With the new invasive species rule (NR 40, Wis. Admin. Code) that went into effect on September 1, 2009 it is now illegal to transport, introduce, or transfer (buy, sell) these restricted invasive species, unless you are trying to control or dispose of them. Even though you may see some of these species for sale, it is no longer legal to sell them or purchase them in the state of Wisconsin. A full listing of species affected by this rule is available on the DNR Web site.
“When you go looking out your back door in search of inspiration for your next craft or come across a ‘great find’ at a local market, keep in mind that some of these beautiful specimens can cause great environmental damage to our forests, prairies and fields,” says Courtney LeClair, AmeriCorps invasive plant specialist, with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In particular, people should be on the lookout for bittersweet, multi-flora rose and teasel she says.
Bittersweet
Bittersweet is a common vine frequently cut for wreaths and other decorations.
“Many people are unaware that there are two species of bittersweet in Wisconsin,” LeClair says.
The somewhat uncommon native American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) has large clusters of many fruits at the ends of long stems. A bright orange husk surrounds each deep reddish orange berry. Although it is legal to harvest and use this bittersweet, collectors should always get permission from the landowner first.
The second species Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is from Asia and is extremely invasive in Wisconsin.
“The invasive bittersweet can spread by seed into forests, where it winds around trees, climbing to the top where it can topple or strangle the trees,” LeClair says.
This bittersweet can be recognized by its lighter orange fruits surrounded by a pale yellow/orange husk. There are usually just a few berries at each leaf node, rather than the large cluster at the end of the stem.
“Even in the winter, it takes only a minute to look closely to ensure that you are not harvesting and using the invasive species,” she says.
Some people add the deep red fruits or “hips” of rose bushes to their flower arrangements. Although there are many ornamental and native roses that are good to use, the clusters of the invasive multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) often are used. If wreaths or arrangements are put outside, birds and rodents may feed on the fruits and disperse the seeds of these plants.
Teasel
Another plant frequently used as a holiday ornament is the spiky oval shaped seed heads from common teasel (Dipsacus fullonum and D. laciniatus). Teasel seed heads are sometimes spray painted to give them even more of a creative splash. If collecting teasels for decorating, make sure all seeds are removed and disposed of in the garbage.
“Often when these flower arrangements or wreaths get old, they are tossed in a compost pile or in the local park or woodlot. If these invasive plants still have seeds, they are probably still viable and can germinate wherever they were disposed of and can start a new infestation,” LeClair says.
Asian bittersweet, multiflora rose and teasel were recently declared as restricted invasive plants throughout Wisconsin. With the new invasive species rule (NR 40, Wis. Admin. Code) that went into effect on September 1, 2009 it is now illegal to transport, introduce, or transfer (buy, sell) these restricted invasive species, unless you are trying to control or dispose of them. Even though you may see some of these species for sale, it is no longer legal to sell them or purchase them in the state of Wisconsin. A full listing of species affected by this rule is available on the DNR Web site.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Lake Puckaway fish kill affects netted, penned game fish and rough fish
Contractor hired to remove rough fish from lake is faulted Public meeting scheduled for December 16
MONTELLO - “Final estimates of the number of dead fish as the result of a preventable fish kill in Lake Puckaway in Green Lake County are expected to be completed in several days,” says Ron Bruch, DNR Fisheries Team Leader in Oshkosh.
The fish kill was reported by a Puckaway lakeshore resident who had concerns about the way the rough fish removal contract was being carried out by a carp removal contractor who is permitted to harvest rough fish, primarily carp, from the lake. There has been a contracted removal of rough fish on this lake for several decades without any similar incident. This is the first year with this particular contractor and the contract with him has been terminated.
The north and south shores of the lake where most of the fish were killed are adjacent to the areas where the contractor had set up his net pens. The contractor’s failure to remove the game fish as required from these nets was the primary cause of the fish kill. Thirty per-cent of the fish killed were game fish. Various species of rough fish made up the remaining 70%.
Fresh dead walleye and drum have been collected and sent to the lab in Madison for necropsy and disease testing. “The final tallies of the numbers of walleye that we picked up or were seen dead on shore may be less than we originally thought,” said Bruch, “however the size of the walleyes was impressive -- with many fish over 5 pounds.”
DNR fisheries biologists are collecting the facts about the kill, doing dead fish counts, collecting biological information on the walleyes, and developing estimates of the size of the kill. DNR law enforcement officers are conducting a thorough investigation, have terminated the rough fish contract, and will hold discussions with the Green Lake District Attorney to determine what legal action may be taken.
Fisheries staff are working closely with the district to sort through the information and put together a plan of action to move forward with the management of the fishery. “Several individuals asked whether the DNR was going to stock the lake to re-build the walleye population,” said Bruch who explained that stocking the lake will not replace the large walleyes that were killed. He reports that the walleyes ranged from 18 to 28 inches and were probably 6 to 18 years in age.
Biologists will alter their lake assessment schedule to conduct a fisheries survey on Lake Puckaway after ice is out in the spring of 2010. Until the fish biologists do their assessment of the lake they won’t have an accurate picture of what kind of impact the kill actually had on the fish community. DNR and the lake associations will move forward from that point.
Prior to this fish kill, the DNR had planned to work with the lake district to prepare their walleye wagon to spawn and raise walleye fry for stocking in spring 2010. Biologists reaffirmed their commitment to work with them to make sure they get the eggs from the lake, that the walleye wagon is functioning properly, and that the fry stocked are marked for future assessment.
DNR has scheduled a public meeting to review and discuss the information about the kill and plans for the future. Members of surrounding communities, area businesses, and lakeshore residents are pleased that DNR is moving ahead to actively involve the public. The public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on December 16 at the UW Extension facility, 480 Underwood Avenue in Montello.
The department will advertise this meeting in local newspapers in the Lake Puckaway area and the Lake Puckaway District and Association will get the meeting announcement posted on the Lake District/Association web site.
DNR biologists are confident they will have good data on this fish kill and that they have a solid strategy outlined to move forward.
MONTELLO - “Final estimates of the number of dead fish as the result of a preventable fish kill in Lake Puckaway in Green Lake County are expected to be completed in several days,” says Ron Bruch, DNR Fisheries Team Leader in Oshkosh.
The fish kill was reported by a Puckaway lakeshore resident who had concerns about the way the rough fish removal contract was being carried out by a carp removal contractor who is permitted to harvest rough fish, primarily carp, from the lake. There has been a contracted removal of rough fish on this lake for several decades without any similar incident. This is the first year with this particular contractor and the contract with him has been terminated.
The north and south shores of the lake where most of the fish were killed are adjacent to the areas where the contractor had set up his net pens. The contractor’s failure to remove the game fish as required from these nets was the primary cause of the fish kill. Thirty per-cent of the fish killed were game fish. Various species of rough fish made up the remaining 70%.
Fresh dead walleye and drum have been collected and sent to the lab in Madison for necropsy and disease testing. “The final tallies of the numbers of walleye that we picked up or were seen dead on shore may be less than we originally thought,” said Bruch, “however the size of the walleyes was impressive -- with many fish over 5 pounds.”
DNR fisheries biologists are collecting the facts about the kill, doing dead fish counts, collecting biological information on the walleyes, and developing estimates of the size of the kill. DNR law enforcement officers are conducting a thorough investigation, have terminated the rough fish contract, and will hold discussions with the Green Lake District Attorney to determine what legal action may be taken.
Fisheries staff are working closely with the district to sort through the information and put together a plan of action to move forward with the management of the fishery. “Several individuals asked whether the DNR was going to stock the lake to re-build the walleye population,” said Bruch who explained that stocking the lake will not replace the large walleyes that were killed. He reports that the walleyes ranged from 18 to 28 inches and were probably 6 to 18 years in age.
Biologists will alter their lake assessment schedule to conduct a fisheries survey on Lake Puckaway after ice is out in the spring of 2010. Until the fish biologists do their assessment of the lake they won’t have an accurate picture of what kind of impact the kill actually had on the fish community. DNR and the lake associations will move forward from that point.
Prior to this fish kill, the DNR had planned to work with the lake district to prepare their walleye wagon to spawn and raise walleye fry for stocking in spring 2010. Biologists reaffirmed their commitment to work with them to make sure they get the eggs from the lake, that the walleye wagon is functioning properly, and that the fry stocked are marked for future assessment.
DNR has scheduled a public meeting to review and discuss the information about the kill and plans for the future. Members of surrounding communities, area businesses, and lakeshore residents are pleased that DNR is moving ahead to actively involve the public. The public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on December 16 at the UW Extension facility, 480 Underwood Avenue in Montello.
The department will advertise this meeting in local newspapers in the Lake Puckaway area and the Lake Puckaway District and Association will get the meeting announcement posted on the Lake District/Association web site.
DNR biologists are confident they will have good data on this fish kill and that they have a solid strategy outlined to move forward.
‘Water guards” will be working ice fishing season to help prevent spread of deadly fish disease
MADISON – Wisconsin’s “Water Guards,” will be working the hard water season to help ensure that anglers know about and are following rules to prevent the spread of VHS fish disease and aquatic invasive species.
This specialized group within the Department of Natural Resources conservation warden service focuses on education and enforcement of VHS and aquatic invasive species rules and laws. As their second open water season draws to a close, they’re turning to the ice fishing season.
“For the first time, through careful planning, we’ve been able to stretch our budget to allow Water Guards to work later in the year,” says Wisconsin’s Chief Warden Randy Stark.
“VHS is most active during the cold water season and our ice fishermen move around, particularly over the holidays,” Stark says. “It’s important to keep up our education and enforcement efforts during this time of year. We must continue to contain the threat to Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and fishing.”
Wisconsin’s regular field wardens, stationed in local communities around the state, also will be looking for violations of VHS and aquatic invasive species, he says.
According to Greg Stacey, a Water Guard based in Fitchburg and the coordinator of their winter efforts, “we want to concentrate our efforts on where we can get the biggest bang for the biggest buck, so we’ll be working major ice fishing tournaments across the state,” he says. “The rest of the time, we’ll be out there on the ice, talking to individual anglers, reminding them of the rules, and writing citations where we see violations.”
The VHS virus is most active in water temperatures below 60 degrees, and the disease can spread fish to fish, or through water contaminated with VHS.
“In the winter, it’s primarily about the water and the fish,” Stacey says. “We need to stop people from moving both of them around.” Specifically:
“VHS is still found in Wisconsin waters, so we need everybody to keep up the good work,” Stacey says. “Together, we can keep the disease from spreading and can continue to keep our lakes and rivers healthy.”
This specialized group within the Department of Natural Resources conservation warden service focuses on education and enforcement of VHS and aquatic invasive species rules and laws. As their second open water season draws to a close, they’re turning to the ice fishing season.
“For the first time, through careful planning, we’ve been able to stretch our budget to allow Water Guards to work later in the year,” says Wisconsin’s Chief Warden Randy Stark.
“VHS is most active during the cold water season and our ice fishermen move around, particularly over the holidays,” Stark says. “It’s important to keep up our education and enforcement efforts during this time of year. We must continue to contain the threat to Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and fishing.”
Wisconsin’s regular field wardens, stationed in local communities around the state, also will be looking for violations of VHS and aquatic invasive species, he says.
According to Greg Stacey, a Water Guard based in Fitchburg and the coordinator of their winter efforts, “we want to concentrate our efforts on where we can get the biggest bang for the biggest buck, so we’ll be working major ice fishing tournaments across the state,” he says. “The rest of the time, we’ll be out there on the ice, talking to individual anglers, reminding them of the rules, and writing citations where we see violations.”
The VHS virus is most active in water temperatures below 60 degrees, and the disease can spread fish to fish, or through water contaminated with VHS.
“In the winter, it’s primarily about the water and the fish,” Stacey says. “We need to stop people from moving both of them around.” Specifically:
- Don’t move live fish away from the water. Keep the fish you want to take home on the ice until you leave at the end of the day, or carry them away in a dry bucket.
- Drain all water from your equipment. That includes all buckets and containers of fish. When you’re leaving the ice, you may carry up to 2 gallons of water in which to keep your minnows.
- Follow bait rules. Buy the bait from Wisconsin bait dealers. If you take minnows home after a day fishing and you’ve added lake water to their container, you can return with them only to that water body the next day.
- Preserve bait correctly if you catch your own. If you use smelt or other dead bait, preserve it in a way that does not require freezing or refrigeration. Watch the video Preserving Your Bait on the DNR Web site for more information.
“VHS is still found in Wisconsin waters, so we need everybody to keep up the good work,” Stacey says. “Together, we can keep the disease from spreading and can continue to keep our lakes and rivers healthy.”
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Top 10 ice safety tips for 2010
MADISON –Hard water fishing will soon be here and state recreation safety wardens offer their top 10 safety tips to make sure the first trip of the season isn’t the last.
“Ice is always unpredictable, and that’s particularly true during Wisconsin’s first cold snap and early in the ice fishing season,” says Todd Schaller, the Department of Natural Resources recreation safety chief.
Learn ice safety precautions, follow them -- and educate your children about the dangers associated with frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, he says.
Schaller offers these other tips for staying safe this season:
“Ice is always unpredictable, and that’s particularly true during Wisconsin’s first cold snap and early in the ice fishing season,” says Todd Schaller, the Department of Natural Resources recreation safety chief.
Learn ice safety precautions, follow them -- and educate your children about the dangers associated with frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, he says.
Schaller offers these other tips for staying safe this season:
- Contact local sport shops to ask about ice conditions on the lake or river you want to fish.
- Do not go out alone, carry a cell phone, and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
- Wear proper clothing and equipment, including a float coat to help you stay afloat and to help slow body heat loss; take extra mittens or gloves so you always have a dry pair.
- Wear creepers attached to boots to prevent slipping on clear ice.
- Carry a spud bar to check the ice while walking to new areas.
- Carry a couple of spikes and a length of light rope in an easily accessible pocket to help pull yourself – or others – out of the ice.
- Do not travel in unfamiliar areas or at night.
- Know if the lake has inlets, outlets or narrows that have current that can thin the ice.
- Look for clear ice. Clear ice is generally stronger than ice with air bubbles in it or with snow on it.
- Watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves. These can be dangerous due to thin ice and open water and may be an obstruction you may hit with a car, truck or snowmobile.
Ice fishing season around the corner
Top 5 fishing tips, fun facts, online resources
MADISON – Ice auger? Check. Tip ups? Check. Ice? There’s the rub.
The calendar says “December,” the snow is starting to fall, but ice is still in short supply in Wisconsin.
The 2009-2010 winter seems to be following the trends that UW-Madison researchers have identified in Wisconsin’s climate over the past five decades, among them, lakes freezing later. That’s because over the past half-century, scientist says, Wisconsin is a warmer place, with the exception of northeastern Wisconsin, with the greatest warming during winter/spring and nighttime temperatures increasing more than daytime temperatures. That’s led to later and shorter ice cover, lengthening growing seasons, and an earlier arrival of spring, according to a presentation (exit DNR; pdf) given to the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (exit DNR).
Before heading out on any ice, it is always best to contact local sport shops to ask about ice conditions on the lake or river you want to fish.
5 steps to early ice fishing success
But the ice is coming, and in the meantime, it’s the perfect time for anglers to take the first step that avid ice angler and DNR fish supervisor Terry Margenau says is one key to great ice fishing.
“Tool up,” he says. “Some ice anglers may be like me and stash the tip-ups and jigs poles after the last outing in February or March without a thought until first ice the following December. Then suddenly, you find yourself ready to go and surprise, after sitting around all summer some grease has dripped out of the tip-ups, the lines are in a snarl, leaders need replacement, and hooks are a little rusty. Similar to any trip, fishing or otherwise, it’s a great asset if you can take a little time BEFORE that first trip to get organized.”
He’s learned a few things over his long fishing career – he ice fishes 20 to 40 days a winter – he’s also gained insights working since 1983 as first a DNR fisheries researcher, and now a fisheries supervisor.
Here are Margenau’s four other top tips to assure tip-ups during early ice:
- Creepers. Don’t leave home without them. Early season ice can be smooth and slick, especially with a dusting of powder snow on top. These metal cleats and traction devices attached to boots help avoid slips and falls. Not sure about everyone else, but I don’t bounce quite as well as I used to.
- Travel light and be mobile. One of the nice things about early season ice is that the ice isn’t that thick yet. No need to drag that power auger along until at least 6 inches of ice has formed. A hand auger or ice spud can carve out a nice hole in a minute. Because you can open a hole much quicker than during late season, you can have more freedom to move around into different areas to find fish.
- Think shallow. Inland predators like walleye are often found in shallow water during the early season. Why? That’s where the food is. Learn more about fish biology and feeding habits during winter the article Life Under the Ice in the December 2009 issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
- Split the difference. Many anglers, when setting tip-ups, place their bait a certain distance off the bottom. For example, say water depth is 12 feet. Find bottom and set your bait one or two feet off bottom. If you are fishing in vegetation, my general rule is to think in halves. Twelve feet of water –put your bait at six feet. This serves two purposes. First, vegetation is still occupying a fair portion of the water column at early ice. If you place your bait too close to the bottom, there is a good chance it’s in the vegetation. No sight – no bite. Second, predators like northern pike cruise the water column. Even if they are near the bottom they can find prey above them. The opposite is less likely to be true.
5 Favorite Ice Fishing Facts
- Wisconsin has 1.4 million licensed anglers, and about one-third that number report they ice fish.
- Ice fishing trails only sledding, snowmobiling and ice skating outdoors as the most popular of outdoor winter activities.
- Ice anglers catch 14 million fish during the ice fishing season.
- Nearly half of all fish caught during ice fishing season are kept, compared to about one-third during the open water season.
- Panfish, northern pike and walleye, are the top species caught, in order, with 11.7 million, 866,000, and 750,000, respectively.
Online ice fishing resource
Find more ice fishing tips and techniques, links to fishing reports, lists of places to take kids fishing and tips for ensuring they have a good time on the Ice Fishing in Wisconsin Web pages. Also learn safety precautions to ensure you return home safely from your outing, and VHS rules to make sure you keep fishing strong for now and future generations.
Shoreland management rules updated to better protect lakes, rivers
MADISON – More than forty years after they were first adopted, state shoreland development rules have been updated to better protect Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers.
Lawmakers last week approved revisions to rules the state Natural Resources Board adopted Nov. 13, 2009. Enactment of the updated rules is the culmination of seven years of discussion on the topic, tens of thousands of public comments and dozens of public meetings and hearings.
Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank said the revised rules represent “a significant step forward in improving the protection of the lakes and rivers that belong to all Wisconsin citizens, while providing for flexibility for shoreland property owners.” Frank said, “As Wisconsin grows in the decades to come, these new modernized shoreland protections will help safeguard Wisconsin’s beautiful lakes and rivers, improve fish and wildlife habitat, enhance water quality, and promote sustainable development.”
Frank noted beneficial changes in the rules include: Improving vegetation standards and prohibiting clear-cutting; ensuring management decisions are made based on land and water conditions, rather than an arbitrary 50 percent valuation of a building; giving homeowners flexibility to improve their properties without requiring the time-consuming process of getting a county variance – also saving counties time; and implementing for the first time an impervious surface standard to protect both habitat and water quality from runoff pollution. He noted that the rules also allow homeowners the flexibility of employing mitigation tools when developing properties to minimize increased run-off pollution.
County governments will now begin the process of updating their shoreland development rules to be consistent with or exceed the state’s rules, and will have two years to do so once the rules are officially published in early 2010.
When the rules are enacted locally, owners of existing homes and buildings will not have to do anything different unless they propose a major change on their property, like remodeling or expanding their home. Then they may have to take steps to offset the potential impacts from their project: increased water runoff, loss of plants to filter runoff and provide wildlife habitat, and impacts on their neighbors’ and lake and river users’ scenic views. The statewide rules require the counties to determine what such “mitigation” requirements and options will be.
“We’re happy to finally bring these rules into the twenty-first century,” says Frank. “A lot of people worked hard to make this happen: DNR staff, the Natural Resources Board, the River Alliance, the Wisconsin Realtors Association, the Wisconsin Builders Association, and the Wisconsin Lakes Association, county staff, and thousands of citizens who provided comments.” Frank also thanked the legislature and particularly legislative committee Chairs Representative Spencer Black, Senator Jim Holperin and Senator Mark Miller for their input and review prior to adoption of the final rule.
Frank stressed that the rules were just one tool Wisconsin uses to protect lake and river shorelands. Lake classification efforts, financial incentives to encourage property owners to restore shorelands, state, local and private efforts to buy sensitive shorelands to protect them, and technical assistance and education for landowners to help them maintain natural shorelands or restore them are among those tools.
Wisconsin’s shoreland protection laws were first adopted in 1966 and the standards were set in 1968 and gave counties two years to adopt them. The standards largely apply to unincorporated areas -- those outside city and village boundaries.
Key statewide minimum rules can now be found online. Counties may adopt more protective standards, so the final rules that property owners must meet depend on what happens at their county level, says Gregg Breese, DNR shoreland program manager.
Lawmakers last week approved revisions to rules the state Natural Resources Board adopted Nov. 13, 2009. Enactment of the updated rules is the culmination of seven years of discussion on the topic, tens of thousands of public comments and dozens of public meetings and hearings.
Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank said the revised rules represent “a significant step forward in improving the protection of the lakes and rivers that belong to all Wisconsin citizens, while providing for flexibility for shoreland property owners.” Frank said, “As Wisconsin grows in the decades to come, these new modernized shoreland protections will help safeguard Wisconsin’s beautiful lakes and rivers, improve fish and wildlife habitat, enhance water quality, and promote sustainable development.”
Frank noted beneficial changes in the rules include: Improving vegetation standards and prohibiting clear-cutting; ensuring management decisions are made based on land and water conditions, rather than an arbitrary 50 percent valuation of a building; giving homeowners flexibility to improve their properties without requiring the time-consuming process of getting a county variance – also saving counties time; and implementing for the first time an impervious surface standard to protect both habitat and water quality from runoff pollution. He noted that the rules also allow homeowners the flexibility of employing mitigation tools when developing properties to minimize increased run-off pollution.
County governments will now begin the process of updating their shoreland development rules to be consistent with or exceed the state’s rules, and will have two years to do so once the rules are officially published in early 2010.
When the rules are enacted locally, owners of existing homes and buildings will not have to do anything different unless they propose a major change on their property, like remodeling or expanding their home. Then they may have to take steps to offset the potential impacts from their project: increased water runoff, loss of plants to filter runoff and provide wildlife habitat, and impacts on their neighbors’ and lake and river users’ scenic views. The statewide rules require the counties to determine what such “mitigation” requirements and options will be.
“We’re happy to finally bring these rules into the twenty-first century,” says Frank. “A lot of people worked hard to make this happen: DNR staff, the Natural Resources Board, the River Alliance, the Wisconsin Realtors Association, the Wisconsin Builders Association, and the Wisconsin Lakes Association, county staff, and thousands of citizens who provided comments.” Frank also thanked the legislature and particularly legislative committee Chairs Representative Spencer Black, Senator Jim Holperin and Senator Mark Miller for their input and review prior to adoption of the final rule.
Frank stressed that the rules were just one tool Wisconsin uses to protect lake and river shorelands. Lake classification efforts, financial incentives to encourage property owners to restore shorelands, state, local and private efforts to buy sensitive shorelands to protect them, and technical assistance and education for landowners to help them maintain natural shorelands or restore them are among those tools.
Wisconsin’s shoreland protection laws were first adopted in 1966 and the standards were set in 1968 and gave counties two years to adopt them. The standards largely apply to unincorporated areas -- those outside city and village boundaries.
Key statewide minimum rules can now be found online. Counties may adopt more protective standards, so the final rules that property owners must meet depend on what happens at their county level, says Gregg Breese, DNR shoreland program manager.
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