One of the take home messages in our Communicating Environmentally workshop is to take the time to build a relationship with the elected officials in your watershed. It is also helpful to have a relationship built before you have a pressing local issue. You have an opportunity to start or continue building a relationship with your state senator and representatives during Conservation Lobby Day, Wednesday February 25.
On Lobby Day the conservation community storms the Capitol to make sure our legislators understand the importance of protecting and restoring Wisconsin’s natural resources. Our numbers have been growing every year and our voices are being heard – let’s build on that momentum and make sure our most important issues succeed. The four broad recommendations we want to take to the legislature this year are:
- Require protection of groundwater resources to make sure lakes, streams and wetlands are not impacted by excessive groundwater withdrawals. (Groundwater Fact Sheet)
- Protect Wisconsin's drinking water supplies and streams by better managing the spreading of agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste. (Drinking Water Fact Sheet)
- Address the threats of global warming in Wisconsin through clean, renewable energy jobs and energy conservation. (Global Warming and Clean Energy Fact Sheet)
- Return Wisconsin to an Independent DNR Secretary and a timely appointment of Natural Resource Board members. (Restore Conservation Integrity Fact Sheet)
Conservation Lobby Day is Wednesday, February 25. The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is arranging meetings with every legislator – please RSVP by Friday, February 13 to ensure you’re on the list for yours. Click here for more information.
The River Alliance staff also wants to connect with you during Lobby Day to hear how your meetings went, what your local river issues are and to just have great river conversations. Please join us at the Lobby Day reception at the Monona Terrace 4:30-8:00pm.
DNR River Protection Grant Delay?
If you have been unsuccessful in locating the DNR River Protection Grant application on the DNR website, it is because it is not there. The grant application has been removed from the website until the status of the river grant program funding for the upcoming fiscal year has been determined. Click here for the official statement on the DNR website.
We will know more once Governor Doyle presents his budget, which is currently slated for Tuesday February 17. The best case scenario is the grant application process will proceed as usual, or that the application date might be extended a bit beyond the current May 1 deadline. The worst case scenario is the entire program will lose its funding for the upcoming grant cycle. We have been and will continue to advocate for keeping all of the funds in this grant program this year and in the future. We will let you know the outcome as soon as we do.
Vote for Wisconsin’s River Groups
MillerCoors and River Network have chosen eight finalist organizations to receive a total of $44,000 for watershed protection programs. The four proposals with the most votes will each receive $10,000 towards their proposed project. The remaining four finalists will each receive $1,000.Two Wisconsin river groups are finalists, Root-Pike WIN and Milwaukee Riverkeeper!
Milwaukee Riverkeeper will train volunteers to test water quality in the Milwaukee River and Root-Pike WIN will create eight rain gardens to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff.
They need your help! Winners will be chosen through an online voting competition, so vote now! Voting will remain open until 5:00 p.m., PST on March 6, 2009. Vote here.
In This Issue
Lobby Day
Grant Delay?
Vote Now!
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