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Rob Zaleski |
Rob Zaleski: Groups seek protection for North Woods waters
By Rob Zaleski
September 3, 2004
OK, so it may not rank up there with
Arnold's caveman hetoric at the Republican convention or Serena's
U.S. Open attire or the raging debate over whether the Packers can
survive without the talented but goofy Mike McKenzie, who has yet to
step foot in preseason camp.
But anyone who cares about the lakes and streams of northern
Wisconsin should be delighted by the deft - though largely unnoticed
- move by the River Alliance of Wisconsin and Midwest Environmental
Advocates, along with some 42 other conservation groups in the
state.
Alarmed by the unrelenting development frenzy that threatens the
long-term future of those waterways, the coalition recently
petitioned the Department of Natural Resources to increase
protection for 100 river segments in the state's 20 northern-most
counties.
How would the DNR do that?
By designating those segments as either outstanding or
exceptional resource waters, says Denny Caneff, executive director
of the River Alliance.
An "outstanding resource water" is one of pristine quality that
has no direct sources of pollution. (At the moment, there are just
six that meet that criteria, according to the DNR.)
An "exceptional resource water" is just a notch below that,
Caneff says. It may have some minor sources of pollution, but any
new developments would have to ensure that the current water quality
is maintained.
By making such designations, Caneff says, the DNR not only could
ensure that future generations are able to enjoy those waters, but
would provide a boost to northern Wisconsin businesses whose very
livelihoods are dependent on tourism.
"And this is also about legacy," he says. "We altered the
landscape of northern Wisconsin forever when we logged the hell out
of it in the 1800s, and we should learn from that mistake."
With all the development that's occurred over the last decade,
"we're right on the cusp of a second transformation," he argues.
"Are we going to suburbanize northern Wisconsin? That's the
question."
Caneff says a lot of people probably assume the coalition's
action is a response to the so-called Job Creation Act, the
much-criticized law that relaxes shoreline building rules and that
the pro-development lobby - with a big assist from the Doyle
administration - "railroaded through the Legislature" last
spring.
Not so, he says.
While the River Alliance and its allies were appalled by that
measure, he says, it actually began pursuing this idea last year
after reviewing a 1997 DNR initiative that examined the water
quality in 1,494 river segments in northern Wisconsin. Although the
agency identified hundreds that were of high quality, it has yet to
seek greater protection for those waters, Caneff says.
"So we just took their numbers and kind of recast them a bit and
narrowed down the list to 433 that deserve special protection," he
says. "We told the DNR, 'Here's a list of 433 rivers that we want
you to review to see if they qualify as outstanding or exceptional.
However, we know that you're bogged down by your work load. So for
now we just want you to focus on the top 100 and get those
designated.'
"That way we won't have to wait around for five years."
Caneff says the DNR's initial response was positive but says
there's still much work to be done. He speculates that it could take
five months for DNR staff to review the data before presenting its
recommendations to the DNR Board.
If approved by the board, they would then go to the Legislature -
probably late next year - and what happens then is anybody's guess,
Caneff says.
Actually, that's an extremely optimistic scenario, cautions Bruce
Baker, deputy administrator for the DNR's water division.
"We're not against the concept of providing more protection to
those streams," he says. However, it's premature to say the DNR will
do anything at all, he says, for two reasons: the work load issue
and the fact that it would have to change some of its rules, which
is always a laborious process.
Caneff says he's fully aware that there are some major hurdles
ahead. But he says he's talked to a lot of people in northern
Wisconsin in the last year and it's convinced him that those who
favor more development are, in fact, "a shrill minority."
"What I hear," he says, "is a growing chorus of boaters and
anglers and hunters and lakeshore property owners - folks with
grandpa's cabin- who are turning up the volume and asking, 'What's
going on here? What are we sacrificing in this big push to develop
the North Woods?' "
E-mail: rzaleski@madison.com
Published: 10:48 AM 9/3/04
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