Northwest
Waters Testimony in
100’
No-Wake: NWWC testified before the Senate & Assembly Committees in favor.
This
bill is now on the Governor's desk and there is no reason to believe he will
not sign it into law.
Zero
P Lawn Fertilizer: NWWC testified in favor of the bill before the Senate. This
was signed into law.
JFC
Testimony
NWWC
spoke before the Joint Finance Committee on a variety of water-related issues
including: No more cuts to the DNR shoreland protection efforts; No more cuts to the DNR warden travel budget;
Not allowing DATCP to cut our northwest counties’ shoreland protection efforts
and staff.
Communications
NWWC
now has a website (NorthwestWaters.synthasite.com) that educates folks about
our work.
We
created a logo and letterhead and a NWWC Kiosk for display at lake events.
Lobbying
efforts
In
a conversation and follow-up letter to DNR Secretary Matt Frank, the NWWC
expressed concerns regarding the very poor results of AIS Control grants for
the northwest lake associations. We requested that, if federal stimulus funds
became available to the DNR, they should be immediately applied to our 'shovel
ready' AIS control programs. This would protect our lake and put many college
kids and retirees to work.
We
also expressed the NWWC's displeasure with the current NR 115 proposal to
Secretary Frank. It is clear that the Secretary now understands the northwest
concern. An alternative suggestion to split the state to better address the
needs of the northern lakes was proposed.
A
Northwest Waters op-ed was published in the Wisconsin State Journal and many
other newspapers in
Ongoing
efforts
Northwest
Waters is working to improve the Fish Tourney rules and policies in our region.
We expect to have a satisfactory resolution to tournament issues that will be
applicable to all NWWC counties by summer's end.
Pursuant
to conversations and correspondence with Jim Brakken, representing the NWWC, DNR
Secretary Matt Frank has agreed to speak before the 2009 Northwest Lakes
Conference.
The
Executive Committee has met 4 times and has set agenda for the
2009 Annual Meeting to be held at
The NWWC will write a small Lake Planning Grant will be written to offset the high registration fee associated w/ the Northwest Lakes Conference.
Northwest Waters will present 3 'best 2008 newsletter' awards at the '09 Northwest Lakes Conference.
On
behalf of the NWWC, Jim Brakken has asked Minn Kota to improve the design of
the Deckhand electric anchor winch to allow fishermen to easily pop the cover
off and remove trapped plants. This will help avoid transport of AIS.
Correspondence continues between the NWWC, Bayfield County Lakes Forum, Minn
Kota and parent corporation Johnson Outdoors.
NWWC’s
recruitment effort continues to move forward. The inclusion of
