June 2006

Protecting Clean Water and Rural Public Health

SUCCESS!  Midwest Environmental Advocates organized dozens of rural Wisconsinites (including Samantha Treml pictured right) to turn out at the May 24th Natural Resources Board meeting in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, to urge the Board to finalize the DNR’s proposal to ban surface spreading of liquid manure during February and March by livestock factories (also known as “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” or CAFOs).  CAFOs confine hundreds – sometimes thousands – of cattle in long, enclosed barns and store the millions of gallons of liquid manure in large open manure pits, which are later spread on nearby fields.  The Board unanimously voted to finalize the DNR’s proposal, as well as the proposal to require six months of manure storage at CAFOs.  The rules now move to the legislature for final review.  Click here to learn more.  For media coverage of this issue, click here. 

Releasing an Innovative Report Calling for Stronger Protections for the Great Lakes

On June 15, 2006, Midwest Environmental Advocates released a report entitled Realizing the Promise of the Great Lake’s Compact:  A Policy Guide for State Implementation.  The venue for the release was the Stewardship of Fresh Water in Southeastern Wisconsin conference at the newly opened Pier 1-Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee.  The report highlights the Great Lakes as a world class resource and identifies the means by which Wisconsin and other Great Lakes states should commit to improving protections for the Great Lakes and the people, businesses, and wildlife that rely on them.  To view the full report, visit www.midwestadvocates.org. 

Working for Healthy Rivers for the Next Generation

At its June meeting, the Natural Resources Board will take up a formal petition by Midwest Environmental Advocates, River Alliance of Wisconsin, and 42 other state and local conservation groups to protect up to 100 pristine river segments in northern Wisconsin from increased pollution.  We filed the petition in August of 2004, and after two years of work, the DNR is now ready to propose that 81 new segments be designated as Exceptional or Outstanding Resource Waters under state law.  These designations will protect those rivers from new and increased sources of pollution, such as sewage treatment plants, industrial facilities, high capacity wells, and grading and dredging projects.  To learn how you can have your voice heard on this, click here. You can also read a copy of the DNR’s proposal here.

Protecting the Public Trust in the Waupaca River

Midwest Environmental Advocates teamed up with the River Alliance, Trout Unlimited, and other conservation groups to protect public rights in the Waupaca River.  We filed public comments challenging a request by the Waupaca Country Club to divert a large portion of this valuable cold water fishery.  After the DNR issued the permit, we asked for permit modifications to improve compliance and pushed for enforcement against the Club for past illegal diversions of the Waupaca River. 

Announcing New Tool-Kits

We have just released two new chapters of the “Know Your Rights” Tool-Kit for preventing big-box sprawl:  Open Meetings Law and Public Records Law.  Do not allow your local officials to make development deals behind closed doors.  Know your rights to open meetings and public records and make sure you voice your concern about a big-box development before the deal is done!  Learn how. 

Tracking Big-Box Developments

Early access to background information is the key to making your voice heard.  Midwest Environmental Advocates’ Sustaining Communities campaign tracks emerging big-box developments and provides information to the public regarding up-coming land use issues.  We track newspaper articles and community group experiences opposing irresponsible big box developments.  The information we gather is distributed to the coalition of community groups and lawyers in a consistent and reliable manner, creating a constant connection to the rest of the state. For more information see the Sustaining Communities web page here.

Providing Legal Support for Six Wisconsin Groups Opposing Big-Box Sprawl

Midwest Environmental Advocates provided legal support for six community groups opposing big-box sprawl in Monona, Jefferson, Stoughton, Hartford, Sturgeon Bay, and Green Bay, Wisconsin.  We drafted letters and provided city council and plan commission testimony on behalf of groups in these areas.  Through these letters, we addressed each city’s legal obligation to use annexation and zoning powers to protect the public from the impacts of unwise sprawl.  In general, these efforts have strengthened each city’s review of big-box development proposals and, in Sturgeon Bay, helped lead to a unanimous denial of an annexation petition for a Wal-Mart Supercenter.  To learn more, click here.

Protecting Wisconsin's Groundwater

After Governor Doyle signed the Groundwater Quantity Act of 2004 into law, he appointed Jodi Habush Sinykin, Of Counsel to Midwest Environmental Advocates, as an environmental representative to the Groundwater Advisory Committee.  The Committee is composed of members appointed by the Governor and both houses of the legislature, representing municipal, agricultural, environmental and industrial interests.  As its first charge, the Committee is required to make recommendations to the state legislature by the end of 2006 regarding the Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs) created under the statute.  Ms. Habush Sinykin has taken an active role on the Committee, working hard to ensure that evolving policies are grounded in science and protective of the state’s waters and natural resources.  On June 1, 2006, the Committee convened to address, among other matters, issues relating to designation of additional GMAs or other areas of concern across the state.  For agenda, presentations, and minutes, click here.

Conserving Wisconsin's Water

On May 23, 2006, Jodi Habush Sinykin attended the 2006 Wisconsin Water Conservation Symposium in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and was asked to participate as a panelist on the Wisconsin Stakeholder’s Panel.  The Symposium, coordinated by the DNR and the Public Service Commission in furtherance of Governor Doyle’s Conserve Wisconsin initiative, was well attended and included presentations by a number of national experts in the conservation field, including David Broustis, Jan Beecher, and Amy Vickers.  The following day, a meeting of the Wisconsin Stakeholder’s Group convened, and Ms.Habush Sinykin, as a designated stakeholder, provided input regarding the development of demand side water conservation options for the state’s water utilities.  Click here to hear an interview with Ms. Habush Sinykin on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Welcoming Three New Summer Advocates

We are excited to welcome our three new Summer Advocates from law schools across the country.  Working full-time with us this summer, the Summer Advocates directly assist with commenting on permits, developing legal arguments, and brief writing.

Erin Elizabeth Burg Hupp (left) is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  She received a B.S. in International Relations and Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently a joint Law and Masters in City and Regional Planning student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Tiffany Bartz (center) received her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from UC Berkeley and stayed in Berkeley to go to law school at Boalt Hall.  While originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, her family has roots in Rhinelander.  Amanda Mott (right) is originally from Neenah, Wisconsin, and studied biology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, received a Masters of Studies of Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and is currently a JD candidate at Vermont Law School. 

Giving Thanks to Artist Isabel Manalo

MEA thanks Isabel Manalo for her generous donation of a painting to our office!  Ms. Manalo is featured this month in New American Paintings Mid-Atlantic Region and has a current group exhibit called "Turning the Page: Nature Constructed."

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