Environment

Wisconsin dairy cows in large animal feeding operation

Oconto County manure spill released 790,000 gallons of waste

BY: - September 17, 2020

In July, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responded to a manure spill near the village of Pulaski, in Oconto County. At the time, it was known that the spill entered the Little Suamico River, though exactly how much contamination entered the waterway remained  to be determined. Brian Hanson, a DNR agricultural runoff specialist, recently […]

DNR PFAS Graphic

Deer liver found to have high levels of PFAS

BY: - September 17, 2020

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released a report on its examination of the liver of a deer, which was found to have high levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluroalkyl substances). As a result, the DNR and Department of Health Services (DHS) have issued a Do Not Eat advisory for the liver of deer […]

DNC rural council meeting leaves out rural Wisconsin

BY: - August 19, 2020

After President Donald Trump won Wisconsin by 23,000 votes in 2016, the Democratic party put a renewed focus on the state and its issues — including naming Milwaukee the site of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.  Now that the 2020 presidential campaign is here and the convention has been moved to a virtual format because […]

Wind turbines in field in Middleton Wisconsin

Wisconsin Farmers Union grapples with climate change

BY: - August 14, 2020

Wisconsin’s agriculture industry is  contributing to climate change even as the state’s family farmers are set to be drastically hurt by its effects.  Large-scale dairy farming increases bacteria and nitrate levels in groundwater while large herds produce massive amounts of carbon. Meanwhile climate change also brings more extreme weather events, making 100-year floods such as […]

invasive species of grass

New species of invasive grass found by botanists in Wisconsin

BY: - August 5, 2020

Botanists working with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have identified a new species of invasive grass in Wisconsin. Research is ongoing to determine whether the plants found are actually Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum), or if it’s simply a look alike. Thus far, the plants are contained in the Coulee Experimental State Forest in […]

A beautiful trees and water in pristine condition

Proposed mine faces mounting troubles

BY: - August 3, 2020

The controversial proposed Back Forty open pit metallic sulfide mine on the Michigan-Wisconsin border has suffered major financial and permitting setbacks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and increasing public concerns over the safety of tailings dams to store mine waste. The proposed mine, would be located next to the Menominee River, which flows into […]

Banner at Milwaukee climate march 2019 (Photo | Isiah Holmes)

Town hall participants discuss Wisconsin’s climate crisis

BY: - July 31, 2020

The climate crisis was the focus of a virtual town hall on July 29 featuring Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and others leaders who stressed the urgency of climate adaption in Wisconsin. Climate change has major consequences for the Badger State, from the increase in severe weather events to the upcoming election. […]

Courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources page on parks and recreation.

Incidental take notice issued for endangered Queensnake in Racine

BY: - July 29, 2020

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued an incidental take notice for an endangered snake species in Racine. Workers are currently replacing existing historic structures on a bridge, as well as upgrading the roadways. Incidental take refers to the unintentional taking, or loss of individual animals or plants which are classified as  endangered or […]

Glass of water being filled from a tap

DNR monitoring cleanup of JCI/Tyco contaminated water spill

BY: - July 28, 2020

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced that it’s monitoring the clean-up of an accidental release of contaminated ground water into storm drains, which flow back to the Menominee River. The contaminated water, which was mixed with river water, came from Johnson Controls/Tyco facility at Stanton Street, in Marinette. The incident was first reported […]

Devil's Island, Apostle Islands, Wis. The North shore of the Northernmost island of the Apostle Islands is pockmarked with sea caves and fascinating shapes that have been etched into the sandstone cliffs by wind and water.

House passes bipartisan public lands bill; next stop president’s desk

BY: and - July 23, 2020

WASHINGTON — Major environmental legislation sailed through Congress Wednesday while the nation’s political leaders were stuck in intense negotiations over the contours of a fifth coronavirus relief package. The bill would provide $9.5 billion over five years to pay down the National Park Service’s maintenance backlog and provide permanent funding at $900 million per year […]

Vice President Mike Pence participates in a roundtable with executives in the State Dining Room of the White House Wednesday, April 29, 2020, to discuss a plan to reopen America. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

Recent Pence visit doesn’t reflect the perceptions of climate change in Wisconsin

BY: - July 22, 2020

Wisconsin has received a lot of attention from Vice President Mike Pence, with his repeated visits to the Badger State in recent months. At a campaign rally held on July 17 in Ripon Wisconsin the vice president’s speech touched on a few key concerns for his conservative base. Among those was climate change, something the […]

State Street

How could COVID-19 reshape our cities?

BY: - July 21, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically upended society.  Dane County and the City of Milwaukee have mandated that everyone wear masks at restaurants, stores, and other indoor gathering places. Wisconsin spent months under a safer-at-home order that has been overturned, but the economic impact of the disease is still getting worse. On top of the pandemic, the […]