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Clean Wisconsin Opposes Bills To Change Rules Near Water

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An environmental group is opposing a package of bills sponsors say will protect property rights in areas with water.

State Senator Frank Lasee and Representative Adam Jarchow have introduced the bills to limit government regulation and restore property rights they say were taken away over the decades for property owners near water.

Amber Meyer Smith from Clean Wisconsin says when you look deeper into the bills, they have sweeping changes that concerns them. She says it could mean more filling of lake beds...

"....more filling of wetlands and making it easier to take away the critical functions wetlands serve in our communities as habitat, flood control and as a filter...filling more is going to have consequences...."

But Meyer Smith says one particularly troubling point is is adding more legislative control....

"...redefining how special waterways are designated and adding a legislative component of those designations is troubling. Allowing the legislature to have a say in what should be a management decision...."

The bills allow landowners more flexibility to control lake beds, beaches, piers and wetlands. It would also classify fewer waters for speical protections and reduce rules on ditches and other man-made water carriers. It's not known if the GOP will take up the bills sponsored by the Republicans.

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