Environment
Wisconsin could see major changes if Congress passes ‘Build Back Better’
In Washington, D.C., two intertwined pieces of legislation are ensnared in bickering among House and Senate Democrats while Republicans mostly look the other way. But this week, a pair of conversations 850 miles west of the nation’s capital brought the potential impact of those bills home to Wisconsin — a brief slice of real life […]
Nonprofit status of group pushing for Wisconsin wolf hunts may not be valid
Update: This article was published on Wednesday morning, Hunter Nation officials did not respond to requests for comment until Thursday afternoon. We have now updated it with their comments throughout. The hunters’ rights advocacy organization heavily involved in pushing to hold wolf hunts in Wisconsin and other intense fights over the state’s conservation policy claims […]
Circuit Court rules Natural Resources Board chair can remain in seat
A Dane County Circuit Court judge ruled on Friday that Frederick Prehn can remain in his seat as chair of the Natural Resources Board (NRB). Prehn has refused to give up his seat since his term expired on May 1, saying state law allows him to hold on until his replacement, already nominated by Gov. […]
Environmental groups can file brief, but not join WMC lawsuit against hazardous contamination law
A Waukesha County judge will allow a group of environmental organizations to file a “friend of the court” brief in a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest business lobbying group, against the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The WMC lawsuit challenges Wisconsin’s “spills law,” which forces anyone who is responsible […]
U.S. House Democrats add more mass transit, high-speed rail in second shot at infrastructure bill
The U.S. House transportation panel early Wednesday passed along party lines the panel’s $60 billion slice of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan, adding nearly $20 billion for a new transit program and high-speed rail development in the states. Chairman Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon had considered these and other items underfunded in the Senate-led bipartisan infrastructure […]
Wisconsin joins the Enbridge Line 3 resistance
Across Wisconsin’s western border with Minnesota, Indigenous people and allies have united in months of resistance against the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline. For those who have traveled to the resistance camps, what’s at stake is clear. It’s a struggle not just against a defiant fossil fuel industry, but also against what some call “the Great […]
Four big climate items in the reconciliation bill in Congress
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee late Thursday approved its first piece of Democrats’ sweeping $3.5 trillion spending blueprint on a party-line 24-13 vote. Among the highest priorities for President Joe Biden in the plan was addressing climate change, and the panel included initiatives ranging from oil and gas reform to offshore wind ventures. The […]
Natural Resources Board won’t hold September meeting amid succession fight
The September meeting of the Natural Resources Board (NRB) has been canceled after the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said it had no pending agenda items that required the board’s action. The cancellation comes as the board has been in the middle of a game of political tug-of-war between current chair Fred Prehn and the […]
We can’t stop climate change by investing in fossil fuels
The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reiterated what we already know: We need to be taking swift, bold action to address climate change. If we don’t, the consequences are dire. The report called it a “code red for humanity.” While Gov. Tony Evers and President Joe Biden have […]
White House seeks at least $24B to aid states struck by hurricanes, wildfires
WASHINGTON — The White House is urging Congress to approve at least $24 billion — and likely more — for disaster relief costs, saying that the aid should be included in a short-term spending bill expected this month. That tally includes $14 billion for recovery costs related to extreme weather events including hurricanes, floods and […]
A hike and a fight: Northwoods residents say DNR is violating its logging rules
Last year, John Schwarzmann and Ardis Berghoff were hiking near Whitney Lake close to Berghoff’s home in the Northern Highland-American Legion (NHAL) State Forest in Vilas County when they noticed paint on a number of trees — a sign that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) planned to auction off the trees for a […]
Prehn gets new judge in lawsuit to boot him from seat
Fred Prehn, the embattled chair of the Natural Resources Board, will have a new judge assigned to the lawsuit seeking to remove him from his post. Prehn’s six year term on the board expired on May 1 but he has refused to leave, saying he can stay in power until his replacement — who has […]