Successes, Failures in Recent Slate of Bills Thanks to TU Members, We Saw Promising Results in the Last Legislative Session
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Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited NONPROFIT ORG. 2515 Bigler Circle U.S. POSTAGE News and Views from Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Verona, WI 53593 PAID wicouncil.tu.org PERMIT NO. 1 MADISON, WI Wisconsin Trout Spring 2016 Council banquet an overwhelming success By Mike Kuhr, Council Vice Chair and execution. The Council is fortunate Banquet Chair to have Bill Heart, Heidi Oberstadt, Henry Koltz, Jim Wierzba, Kim Mc- The numbers are in, and any way Carthy, Linn Beck, and Todd Frank- you look at it, our 2016 State Coun- lin working on its behalf. cil Banquet was a huge success. Our donors really came though More than 200 people gathered this year, and the prize package was in Oshkosh to show support for our our most valuable in recent memo- coldwater resources. We handed ry. A big thank you to all the chap- out more than $23,000 in prizes. Af- ters that made prize and cash ter the bills were paid, Treasurer donations. Gary Stoychoff reported that we Also, a number of individuals raised more than $17,000. contributed prizes for the event. TU friends and members from Most notable were creations from every corner of the state came to- Randy Arnold and Virgil Beck, gether to honor a deserving group each of which raised a significant of WITU award winners. Their con- amount of funding for the Council. tributions will help the Council con- It would not be possible to assemble tinue to advocate for cold, clean, that kind of prize package without a fishable water in Wisconsin. huge amount of help from our The Oberstadts The most important number – chapters and the individuals who “One TU,” represents the volunteer care greatly for the work that we do. CHAPTER FLY BOXES A FAVORITE AT BANQUET efforts that made this event success- The Council thanks the many Organized by Bob Haase, the chapter fly box section of the silent auction has ful. volunteers who performed so many The Banquet Committee was become popular with attendees, competitive for chapters seeking the highest outstanding in both planning and Please see BANQUET, Page 21 bid, and a great revenue generator at the State Council banquet. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Successes, failures in recent slate of bills Thanks to TU members, we saw promising results in the last legislative session. By Henry Koltz, National Trustee and discussing this issue and urging that negatively impact streams to which simply correct the unfortunate im- WITU Legislative Committee member the parcels be retained. they are connected. pact that the 2005 railroad package Thanks to all of our efforts, and Wisconsin TU appeared in Madi- law change has had, and to allow The past session of the Wiscon- the efforts of many other concerned son and testified in opposition, and hunters, trappers and anglers to sin Legislature has been exception- organizations and citizens, the DNR notably regarding those components once again cross tracks in the pur- ally busy, and as a result, Wisconsin recommended that the spring of this large bill that would negative- suit of their sporting activities as TU’s Legislative Committee has ponds, along with the vast majority ly impact coldwater systems. they had for years prior to 2005. been equally busy. The committee of other parcels of interest to Wis- Thankfully, an amendment was Wisconsin TU engaged on this bill would like to thank Wisconsin TU consin TU, be retained. Thank you affixed to this bill which made sig- and contacted legislators on the members who responded to our to everyone who helped make this nificant changes to the bill, and committees that were hearing these calls for action by calling, mailing, result a reality, and thanks to the which, from TU’s perspective, re- bills, and we supported the passage giving testimony and meeting with DNR for hearing, understanding moved discharge permitting exemp- of these bills. their legislators on our behalf. We and addressing our concerns. tions from drainages and roadside Unfortunately, the bill was not are incredibly humbled by your ef- ditches, which serve as fish spawning successful this session. However, forts and we are very proud to rep- AB 600/SB 459 – Dredging habitat, or passages to fish spawning sporting groups’ efforts did congeal resent your interests. in lakes, etc. habitat. In short, the amendment around these bills during this last made clear that unregulated dis- session, and it is our hope that simi- AB 600/SB 459 is a very large DNR land sales charges into such areas are not per- lar legislation will appear next ses- bill, which ultimately passed both mitted. Wisconsin TU thanks the sion, such that we will be able to 2013’s Act 20, and policies and houses of the Wisconsin Legislature, legislature for creating this amend- discuss it with legislators during the procedures approved by the Natural and which is available for signature ment, and for working to protect “off-season,” and convince them of Resources Board (NRB), required into law. This bill makes changes re- critical fish areas. the merit of removing restrictions the DNR to make 10,000 acres of garding the title to certain filled which prevent hunters, trappers and state-owned land available for sale. navigable waters, allows DNR to set AB 876/SB 734 – Crossing anglers from crossing railroad tracks As part of that process, the DNR the level and flow of navigable wa- in the pursuit of their sports. identified parcels of land around ters, allows DNR to create a general railroad tracks Wisconsin which could be sold. On permit allowing riparian owners to In 2005 a large railroad bill pack- that list were numerous spring pond remove up to 30 cubic yards of ma- age was passed. Within that bill, un- AB 823/SB 660 – Dredging parcels located in northern Wiscon- terial from inland lakes, and up to fortunately, was a seemingly simple behind impoundments in sin, notably in Langlade County, 100 cubic yards of material from change which made it illegal to cross rivers and other parcels adjacent to trout outlying waters, deals with piers and railroad tracks at non-designated AB 823 and SB 660 were aimed streams. boathouses in lakes, and further crossings. As to sportsmen, this at allowing a person who owns wa- Wisconsin TU actively engaged deals with seawalls, riprap and boat change had a large impact, however, terfront property adjacent to a wa- in efforts to convince DNR to re- shelters. In addition, the bill deals as it made it illegal to cross tracks in ter effected by a man-made move such parcels from its list of with utility permitting procedures the pursuit of hunting, trapping and impoundment to dredge unconsoli- land for sale. To that end, our chap- and non-point water pollution. fishing activities. dated sediment from the impound- ters, members and leadership ac- Of the greatest concern within Information about what prompt- ment without being required to tively worked with the DNR to this large bill to Wisconsin TU, how- ed this change is scarce, but it does obtain any manner of permit. In express the incredible value of such ever, was that as proposed it would not appear to be aimed at protecting short, this bill would have allowed parcels, given their unique status on have exempted discharges which re- fisherman from train-versus-angler the unregulated dredging of mill a truly worldwide basis, and given sult from sedimentation or storm- accidents, as there does not appear ponds and other water impound- the economic engine that they help water detention basins, and to be any recorded instance of such ments caused by dams. fuel. Wisconsin TU’s leadership, as associated conveyances from per- an event occurring. well as our Legislative Committee, mitting requirements. Such unregu- AB 876 and SB 734 were intro- Please see LEGISLATION, Page 27 spent hours on the phone with DNR lated discharges could then duced late in the session in order to PagePage 2 Wisconsin Trout SpringJuly 2016 2006 Wisconsin TU Chapters, Presidents, and Websites Aldo Leopold (#375): Scott Allen, E4835 N Stoney Ridge Road, Reedsburg, WI 53959; (608) 495-1482; [email protected]; aldoleopold.tu.org Antigo (#313): Scott Henricks, 213 Mary St., Antigo, WI 54409-2536 (715) 623-3867; [email protected] WILD RIVERS Blackhawk (#390): Terry Vaughn; 4710 E. Creek Road, Beloit, WI 53511; (608) 362-4295; [email protected]; Bayfield Douglas NORTHWOODS www.BlackhawkTU.org Central Wisconsin (#117): Michael San Dretto; 467 Hawthorne St., Iron Ashland Neenah 54956 (920) 722-8478; [email protected]; cwtu.org, Vilas Coulee Region (#278): Curt Rees; W5190 Birchwood Lane, La- Burnett Washburn Crosse, WI 54601; [email protected] Sawyer Price Florence www.CouleeRegionTU.org Oneida Forest Fox Valley (#193): Tom Lager, 1700 Spring Hill Ct., Neenah, WI MARINETTE Polk Rusk 54956 (920) 540-9194; [email protected]; Barron Marinette www.foxvalleytu.org ANTIGO GREEN BAY Lincoln Frank Hornberg (#624): Matt Salchert, 1800 Minnesota Ave., Ste- Taylor Langlade WOLF vens Point, WI 54481 (715) 321-1394; [email protected]; RIVER St. Croix Chippewa www.Hornberg-TU.org Dunn WISCONSIN Menominee RIVER VALLEY Oconto Green Bay (#083): Adrian Meseberg, 315 South Michigan Street, OCONTO WI CLEAR Marathon DePere, WI 54115 (920) 562-6129; [email protected]; green- Shawano RIVER Clark WATERS Door baytu.org Pierce Eau Claire SHAW-PACA Kewaunee Harry & Laura Nohr (#257): Tim Fraley, 2 Pagham Court, Madison, Pepin Wood Waupaca WI 53719; hm:(608) 271-1733; c:(608)220-0762; Portage Buffalo Outagamie Brown FOX [email protected]; www.NohrTU.org Jackson FRANK HORNBERG VALLEY Kiap-TU-Wish (#168): Tom Schnadt, 2174