Amendments proposed to a bill that would allow easier filling of wetlands in Wisconsin has drawn the support of construction and business interests and the ire of outdoors groups.
The bill would exempt nonfederal and artificial wetlands from wetland permitting requirements administered by the DNR.
Former DNR Secretary and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation George Meyer says a group of sports and conservation organizations are against it. He says the bill originally was designed to allow wetland filling in areas such as an established subdivision.
He says his group didn't object to that...
"...basically(the new bill) would allow the filling in of any wetlands in any city or village or within a mile of any city or village. Any wetlands in a sanitary district, or what are known as urban townships. There are several of those across the state. So we're still dealing with 100,000 to 200,000 acres of wetlands...."
He says wetlands are critical for wildlife habitat and water quality.
In the initial bill it required for developers to make equivalent or more new wetlands for the ones that were filled in, but the latest bill has taken that requirement out. He says the loss could be up to 200,000 acres of wetlands.
Meyer says the legislature is fast-tracking the matter. He says the sports groups said enough was enough...
"...these are valuable acres whether you hunt, fish or trap, these are important wetlands. That's why TU, DU, the Federation and other other groups are fighting hard to kill this amendment. We're willing to talk about the narrow bill they've described...."
The Northwoods has a large percentage of the top-grade wetlands in Wisconsin. The bill's authors say the existing regulations grant too much protection to low-value wetlands and stand in the way of development.
