Wisconsin is home to a wealth of natural resources, spanning the Driftless Area bluffs to the shores of two of the Great Lakes. Responsibly managing these resources is a daunting task for the state Department of Natural Resources. Gov. Jim Doyle’s veto of Assembly Bill 138 has compounded these challenges.
It is just one week away from when your state Representative will have a chance to override the Governors veto of the Independent DNR Secretary bill.
The Milwaukee County Supervisors have recently approved a costly plan to turn the crumbling Estabrook Dam into a hydropower facility.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper (as stated earlier in our position paper) is against the repair of the Estabrook Dam, and we see the hydropower effort as another action by the County Board to find justification for keeping a failing dam that creates a safety hazard and provides little public benefit. To read more about our position against hydropower click here.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial staff recently agreed in an article stating, "it would require an extensive and expensive permitting process at the state and federal levels. And for what gain? To help cover the cost of extensive repairs of the dam and provide power for a small number of homes in the area." The full article is below.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper has recently learned about the new plan unveiled by the White House to stop the Asian Carp. The proposal contains many methods (several already in use), but does not call for the closure of the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, in which the fish can enter the Great Lakes.
If you haven't done so already, please sign the petition urging the Federal Government to close the locks and stop the threat.
More information about the White House's plan can be found below.
A recent Journal-Sentinel editorial echoed Milwaukee Riverkeeper's concern that Waukesha undertake an EIS (environmental impact statement) in its application for Great Lakes Water.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is part of the Healing Our Water-Great Lakes Coalition. News has just come out that President Obama's budget slashes $175 from his funding for the Great Lakes.
We plan on urging Congress to restore that funding and thus continue the restoration of the largest fresh-water resource in the world.
The Journal-Sentinel has reported that Milwaukee County could begin courting a private developer to build a hydroelectric power plant near Estabrook Dam under a plan the County Board's parks committee endorsed this week.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper (as stated earlier in our position paper) are against the repair of the Estabrook Dam, and we see the hydropower effort as another action by the County Board to find justification for keeping a failing dam that creates a safety hazard and provides little public benefit.
Waukesha is moving to approve a Lake Michigan diversion application BEFORE their EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) is done. Generally, an EIS serves as a way to compare the economic, environmental, and social impacts of alternatives side by side in order to make an informed decision.
Not having the EIS ready for the public and DNR until the application is in the process of approval, does not give the community enough to time to assess the potential harm a diversion could have on our local waterways.
You can read a summary of the issue at the Daily Reporter.
More information is also below where Milwaukee Riverkeeper's Cheryl Nenn is quoted in a recent Journal-Sentinel article.
The Milwaukee County Supervisors have recently approved a costly plan to turn the crumbling Estabrook Dam into a hydropower facility.
Waukesha is moving to approve a Lake Michigan diversion application BEFORE their EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) is done. Generally, an EIS serves as a way to compare the economic, environmental, and social impacts of alternatives side by side in order to make an informed decision.
