Regulation of wake boats: an opportunity to provide input to state regulators

The public has an opportunity to influence state regulations through the 2022 Spring Hearing online input sponsored by The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC), which is a liaison between the citizens of Wisconsin, the Natural Resources Board (NRB) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  Its purpose is to provide an avenue for public input and exchange concerning conservation issues in Wisconsin.  Pending approval by the Wisconsin Legislature, what started as a Citizen Resolution can become a Wisconsin rule/law.  To that end, WCC has submitted several proposed Citizen Resolution questions for Vilas County and Dane county. If these resolution questions pass the first step, they will follow the process toward a hazardous wake resolution at the state level.  If successful, current State boating regulations and statutes could be changed to regulate wake boats.

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Comment on VCLRA’s Wake Boats article

by Bobbie Kocim, bkocim@sbcglobal.net  

I read the Winter 2021-22 Newsletter article regarding Wake Boats. [See page 6 of the winter newsletter.] It may be of interest to readers to know WI currently has State Statutes which offer some relief from documented wake boat damage.

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Youth Conservation Poster Contest

Daryn Smolinksi, Mollie Waltz, and Clark Higley are the winners of the 2022 Vilas County Land & Water Youth Conservation Poster Contest.

The Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster Contest is held annually to promote youth awareness of local land and water conservation issues.  Vilas County Land & Water staff partner with teachers, home schoolers, and other educators to offer lessons that meet academics standards.   This year Land & Water staff were able to go into classrooms with soil samples and vegetables to teach the theme of “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life”.

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Science on Tap: Using Science to Wrangle AIS

Wednesday,  January 5, 2022 6:30 pm —
Live Event – Oakfire Pizza, Minocqua

UPDATE — due to Covid this is now a remote event.
Visit  http://www.scienceontapminocqua.org/ to connect.

Michelle Nault is the statewide lakes and reservoir ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Water Quality and is responsible for providing technical guidance to a wide variety of lake management and restoration efforts.  Michelle will discuss how the DNR and its partners use science to deal with these troubling aquatic invasive species.

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2021 Six County Lakes & Rivers Conference Video

View all presentations from the 2021 six-county lakes and rivers conference, which  was hosted by Vilas and Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Associations on July 16th 2021. Attendees were invited from Oneida, Vilas, Forest, Langlade, Iron and Lincoln counties.  Pat Goggin, lake specialist at the UW Extension Lakes, was the conference leader.  Climate change, high water, development, and less state protections can all impact water quality in the Northwoods and were some of the topics addressed during the meeting by lake leaders and experts from Wisconsin and Minnesota. 

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Izabella Mitchell of AV-W Wins Vilas County Poster Contest

The Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster Contest is held annually to promote youth awareness of local land and water conservation issues. This year’s theme was “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities,” and the winning poster was created by Izabella Mitchell. Her entry will next compete with nine other county winners in WI.

Continue ReadingIzabella Mitchell of AV-W Wins Vilas County Poster Contest