The results of the conservation Congress are in! The results reinforce what we already know—the majority of Wisconsinites who enjoy hunting fishing and otherwise enjoying our natural areas, support protecting those areas. 
Historically the conservation Congress has asked for suggestions on very direct impacts to our natural resources, like fishing bag limits or the minimum size of a fish. More recently, however, the results have been demonstrating a broader interest in protecting the area's people we hunt, fish, and otherwise recreate from larger, broader issues. This year there were a handful of questions on the ballot that included things like enforcing clean water protections, opposing the proposed tar sands pipeline, and more.
The geographically-diverse crowd that attended the hearings all supported the safeguards. Regardless of whether it was the 400 people in Dane County, the 60 people in Jefferson or La Crosse County, or the 75 in Sawyer County, the results were the same. Wisconsinites value safe drinking water and protecting our natural areas.
Overwhelmingly, the Congress voted to support the measures that would protect clean drinking water including questions 68 and 69. Respondents also supported protecting access to water and creating safeguards on high-capacity wells.
66. Do you support the department’s continued efforts to address the 75 issues in the WPDES permit program? | PASSED 72/72 counties 89% statewide |
67. Would you support Conservation Congress efforts to work with the department and the Wisconsin Legislature to take actions needed to address the remaining issues? | PASSED 72/72 counties 91% statewide |
70. Do you support legislation which would require public notice be sent to area residents within a two mile radius upon application of any high capacity wells? | PASSED 72/72 counties 95% statewide |
71. Do you support legislation which would include the authority to suspend a high capacity well approval for a well that has caused impact or impairment to area wells, wetlands or surface waters? | PASSED 71/72 counties 95% statewide |
Despite recent decisions by the DNR and the Legislature, people recognized decisions were being made without sound analysis and assurance that clean air and water would be protected. This included a moratorium on frac-sand mining permits until safeguards are in place.
63. Do you support legislation which would impose a moratorium on the issuance of new DNR storm water or air permits related to frac sand mining and processing until implementation of any recommendations developed through the Strategic Analysis of Industrial Sand Mining? | PASSED 71/72 Counties 80% statewide |
69. Do you support the Legislature giving the DNR authority to suspend any application when pollution matters need to be studied by tribes, local governments, or other governmental entities? | PASSED 71/72 counties 83% statewide |
People also valued protecting their natural areas from destructive practices that could have permanent impacts, like the proposed taconite mine in Northern Wisconsin and the proposed tar sands pipeline through Wisconsin, and oil being transported by rail through Wisconsin.
68. Do you support legislation which would repeal Act 1, the iron mining law from 2013? | PASSED 70/72 counties 71% statewide |
72. Do you support the Wisconsin Conservation Congress taking an official position to oppose the Enbridge Pipeline expansion? | PASSED 67/72 counties 75% statewide |
84. Working to create safeguards for transporting oil by rail | PASSED 72/72 counties 93% statewide |
Resolutions were also submitted about topics including preserving the Prove-It-First Mining Moratorium law and other current issues, like funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
INTRODUCED RESOLUTION: |
|
Preserve the intent of the Mining Moratorium Law (Introduced in Chippewa, Dane, Douglas, Jefferson, Sawyer, Juneau, La Crosse, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oneida, and Rock counties) | PASSED 12/12 counties 88% overall |
Replace politics with science in natural resource management (Clark) | PASSED 91% |
Preserve funding for Great lakes Restoration Initiative (Milwaukee) | PASSED 99% |
Require pipelines to be at least 5 miles from lakes or river banks(Milwaukee) | PASSED 86% |
DNR conduct public hearings and full EIS on Enbridge Pipeline 61(Polk, Vernon, Wood) | PASSED 3/3 counties 81% |
Support climate change science (Sawyer) | PASSED 81% |
The results show what we’ve already known. Wisconsinites, especially those that spend time in nature, want our clean air, water, and our public places to be protected. Now it's time for the legislature to listen.