CNOW Week of Jan. 13, 2020

• Support LRB 3915: Funding for County Conservationists
• Support LRB 4717: Assistance to Farmers for Conservation
• Support LRB 3651: Prohibiting Sale or Use of Toxic Sealant Products
• Support LRB 4304: Extending Assistance to Fix Failing Septic Systems
• Oppose LRB 4806: Allowing Polluters to Undermine Science in Groundwater Standards
• Oppose LRB 4360: Throwing Money Away With Biomanipulation
• Support AB 252: Fourth Grade State Parks Pass
• Support AB 700: The Water Pollution Notification Act

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support LRB 3915, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

County conservation staff are the boots on the ground for water quality protections. LRB 3915 will increase funding for county conservation staff by $2,960,900 in fiscal year 2020-21, bringing the total of $12.4 million for county conservation staff in fiscal year 2020-21.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support LRB 4717, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Farmers are currently encouraged to employ practices that reduce water pollution runoff. LRB 4717 would fund several important programs to help farmers reduce pollution through measures such as managed grazing, producer-led watershed protection grants, and certification in the Water Stewardship Program.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support LRB 3651, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Coal tar-based driveway sealants are extremely toxic and can lead to increased cancer rates and cause tumors in fish and other aquatic animals. LRB 3651 would prohibit the sale of coal tar-based sealant products and high PAH sealant products beginning Jan. 1, 2021, and prohibit the use of such products beginning July 1, 2021.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support LRB 4304, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Septic systems can leak and contribute to groundwater quality problems. LRB 4304 would delay the sunset for the Wisconsin Fund program until June 30, 2023, which helps homeowners to repair or replace failing septic systems. The bill also provides Department of Safety and Professional Services with two staff positions to help conduct sanitary permit applications and plans reviews and assist with the program.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose LRB 4806, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Currently, all members of the public are allowed to participate in the process of approving new health-based standards for groundwater once submitted to the DNR. Our health depends on sound science and our state agencies provide balanced unbiased scientific review with robust public comment opportunities. Polluters have begun a push to influence the scientific review of public health impacts of groundwater. These polluters clearly have a self-interest in the outcome of such review. LRB 4806 would, for the first time, require the Department for Health Services to solicit input from self-interested parties on how health standards are developed.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to oppose LRB 4360, which is currently circulating for co-sponsorship.

Biomanipulation attempts to control algae growth not by removing its root cause, phosphorus, but “parks” it by controlling for the conditions that lead to algae growth. Biomanipulation does nothing to addredd the causes of algae bloom because it doesn't stop phosphorus from entering water systems. LRB 4360 would allocate $150,000 GPR funds in fiscal year 2019-20 on a process that is a proven failure at addressing algae blooms.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support AB 252, which is before the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks, and Outdoor Recreation on Wednesday.

Wisconsin children are losing their connection to nature. That disconnect threatens their health, their quality of life, their readiness for future job opportunities, and the sustainability of our natural resources. AB 252 provides an opportunity for every fourth grade student in Wisconsin to experience our state parks with their families by providing a free state park vehicle admission sticker.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges you to support AB 700, which is before the Assembly Committee on the Environment on Thursday.

In many rural Wisconsin communities, families rely on private wells. Well owners are responsible for knowing if their water is safe to drink. When there are pollution spills that might impact the safety of their water, they are not given any formal notification that they should test their wells. AB 700 would require the DNR to notify a county if a holder of a WPDES permit has violated a groundwater standard. This would give counties the ability to notify families that may be at risk of well water contamination and take to necessary precautions.

Conservation NOW (CNOW) announce the pro-conservation positions on issues before the senate, assembly and/or governor in the week ahead to state legislators. Others wishing to follow activities in the state legislature also receive CNOW, including legislative staff, conservation voters, and media. All of these issues are tracked on the Vote Tracker. Issues in the CNOW may appear in the Conservation Scorecard, to be released in the summer of 2020.