March 2008This is a featured page

3/31/08 - Fossil bones were found near Manitowoc while scientists were excavating caves. The purpose of the dig is to understand why the caves are still there and what the interaction with the groundwater is.

3/31/08 -The city of Madison is considering lowering Lake Mendota to prevent flooding. Public hearings will be held to discuss this issue.


3/31/08 - Wisconsin residents have themselves in a sticky power situation. Despite increasing demand for energy, many are opposed to new coal-fired plants that would be the most cost-effective way to meet that demand. Such is the story, and the obstacle, that Wisconsin Power and Light faces as it tries to build a new coal-fired plant to meet demand outside of Madison.

3/31/08 - Farmers are expected to plant less corn this year, with an 8% decrease nationally and 10% decrease in Wisconsin. This is expected to keep food prices high and also hit the ethanol industry through higher fuel prices.

3/30/08 - This weekend Madison residents will be turning off the lights of their homes
to participate in “Lights Out America,” part of a worldwide event to conserve electricity.

3/30/08 - Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger claim that the Army's plan to clean up toxic waste at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant does not go far enough to protect groundwater. The Wisconsin DNR, having approved the plan, says it is too soon to know if more protections are needed.

3/30/08 - Non-native, invasive zebra mussels have been discovered in Lake Wisconsin near the Prairie du Sak Dam. The DNR will post "exotic species advisories" to alert lake-users to take caution in preventing the further migration of the damaging mussels.

3/29/08 - A new phase to an existing project in Wisconsin has been initiated to help citizens clean up and dispose of hazardous wastes such as corrosives, aerosols, batteries, and products containing mercury.

3/28/08 - UW-Madison students criticized the university for not being as environmentally responsible as it should, citing issues concerning the Charter Street coal plant which has been sued over allegations that it violated the Clean Air Act.

3/28/08 - Female business owners are embracing sustainability. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council surveyed 1,200 members and found that 71 percent are working to make their businesses greener.


3/28/08 - EPA boss Stephen Johnson is delaying response to a Supreme Court ruling that the EPA had to evaluate whether greenhouse gas was a threat to public health. This means the Bush Administration will likely end without regulating carbon emissions.

3/27/08 - Godfrey and Kahn law firm named an Eco Challenge Partner, a designation created by the The American Bar Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to encourage law offices to take practical steps to become better environmental and energy stewards by reducing the amount of paper and energy used, and increasing recycling and the use of renewable energy.

3/28/08 - Governor Doyle announced plans to increase the use and production of renewable energy in Wisconsin.

3/27/08 - PCB clean up charges assessed to Appleton Papers have been ruled the liability of eight insurance companies, but the decision is likely to be appealed.

3/27/08 - Heckrodt Weltand Preserve in Menasha will be offering day camps this summer.

3/27/08 - The presence of Zebra mussels has been detected in Lake Wisconsin, raising concerns the foreign species will upset the natural ecology of the lake and spread into nearby Devil's Lake.


3/27/08 - Leaders of the Wisconsin non-profit Family Farm Defenders are voicing concerns over Wisconsin's crazed rush to develop and fund ethanol. The concerns include environmental degradation from excess growing, increased food prices, and the lack of any comprehensive analysis on the costs and benefits of rapidly encouraging ethanol production.

3/26/08 - According to the Rice Lake Chronotype, The UW-Barron County offers the Bio-Energy and Beyond: Local Solutions in our Backyard forum on Saturday, March 29.

3/26/08 - Tests confirm that a cougar spotted in Milton, WI is wild and not escaped from captivity. While DNR officials are not certain of anything at this point, the fact that the cougar was determined to be wild could mean a revival of cougar populations in Wisconsin, which has been absent for the past 100 years.

3/26/08 - Governor Jim Doyle discussed his Clean Energy Wisconsin plan, in which he said he hopes to make Wisconsin the "Saudi Arabia of alternative fuels."

3/26/08 - Potawatomi State Park is adding two new large group camping areas - this has many people in the area upset at the cutting of a significant amount of trees.

3/26/08 - The Door County Beach Contamination Source Identification Final Report has data of beach contamination available to the public. Those looking for info on particular beaches can easily find it within the report. It summarizes data, including physical features, E.coli identities, pathogen testing, and more, on a beach-by-beach basis.

3/26/08 - Eco-Explorers is a summer day camp at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve. The camp is for children in preschool to grade 6 to learn about the natural environment through interactive activities. Activities take place in June, July, and August.

3/25/08 - Sauk County's Annual Tree Sale is taking orders until April 8. The sale offers native woodland and prairie trees and shrubs, as well as indigenous wildflowers and grasses.


3/25/08 - Naturalists are using the journals of Aldo Leopold to demonstrate the effects of global warming in the Midwest.

3/25/08 - Forty Baraboo-area hunters gathered to voice frustration over the Wisconsin DNR's restrictive deer-hunting rules related to chronic wasting disease.

3/25/08 - The DNR will once again have their Earn-a-Buck program for the 2008 Deer Hunting season.

3/25/08 - Despite concerns over budget shortfalls, Governor Jim Doyle announced that his administration will go ahead funding a renewable energy program that will award research and development firms $15 million per year over the next 10 years. This amount may be lower initially, to compensate for budget issues, but the governor reiterated his commitment to developing renewable fuels and energy in Wisconsin.

3/25/08- The income tax checkoff to donate money to protect endangered species in Wisconsin turns 25 this year after raising $13 million over the years. Donations on the steady decline. Madison Capital Times


3/24/08 - If you live in the LaCrosse area, now is the time to see one of the estimated 200 bald eagles that have nested in the area as they migrate north.

3/23/08 - Companies like Digital Printing Innovations along with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh are helping the city of Oshkosh become one of Wisconsin's greenest.

3/23/08 - The Calm Lake Elk herd is growing, but not as fast as DNR would like.

3/21/08- Heavy doses of salt on Wisconsin's streets and highways have lead to sodium chloride pollution in waterways this year. Wisconsin is turning to Illinois -based company SNI Solution, Inc. for safe, organic de-icing alternatives.

3/21/08 - Can Governor Doyle really reduce mercury levels 90% by 2015?


3/21/08 - First test wind tower went up to research if there is enough wind power to collect to produce energy in Wisconsin.

3/21/08 - " It's a no-win situation, "says Mayor Jack Breault." But the deer most go!! Thinning of the deer was a success or was it???

3/21/08 - Xcel plant up and running today following an explosion earlier this month. So no official cause of the explosion at this coal powered plant.

3/21/08 - How do we prevent a fresh water trout from going endangered again?

3/21/08 - Merrimac has increased its water testing due to trace levels of DNT found in the water thought to be from the Badger Army Ammunition Plan.

3/19/08 - New Auburn Village looks to earn $2,500 grant from energy audit participation.


3/18/08 ATC goes 'green' with their new headquarters. American Transmission Co. in Pewaukee will be one of the first buildings in the city to go 'green'

3/18/08 An explosion at a chemical plant in Spooner, known for making aerosols and paint solvents, injured two people. Tests for chemical contaminants in the air have been done by officials who concluded that the air posed no immediate threat to people. Soil and water tests are planned to be performed.

3/17/08 - The DNR is looking into cougar tracks in Walworth county. Cougars disappeared from Wisconsin in the early 1900s. They are a protected animal so a permit is needed to shoot this animal if it is deemed dangerous.

3/17/08 - Energy audits at a discounted price are available to homeowners in select Wisconsin counties for a limited time. The energy auditing company is additionally offering a community challenge with great prizes.

3/17/08 - Chippewa site with famous pollution history may be up for redevelopment.

3/16/08 - The effects of 100,000 gallon manure spill could be minimal due to the below average temperatures.

3/16/08 - The damage caused by a 4,000 gallon spill in February in still unknown and could stay that way until Spring hits Wisconsin. 3/14/08 -Fitchburg, already Wisconsin's recycling leader, announced plans for a sustainable village where residents can not only live in a sustainable setting, but also learn more about what goes into sustainability and how other cities can adopt sustainable practices.

3/13/08 - The Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit continues this week at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee.

3/13/08 - The EPA will be tightening ozone standards - a move criticized as too conservative - but nine Wisconsin counties will likely still fail to meet the minimum standards.

3/12/08 - Wisconsinites encouraged to become "guardians of wildlife."

3/12/08 - Concern over buried waste affecting ground water prompts the town of Bloomer in Chippewa County to host a public hearing.

3/11/08 - Chippewa County's Drug Task Force plans to keep prescription drugs out of the water supply by setting up a safe disposal program.

3/11/08 - Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson says that the resources committee will not vote on the
Great Lakes deal before its session ends this week.

3/11/08 - UW-Oshkosh has implemented the program
RecycleMania which appeals to the competitive nature of college students as a fun and productive way to get campuses involved in reducing waste.

3/10/08 - This year's Presidential race has placed significant concern on environmental issues and, specifically, alternative fuels and global warming. A shift in greenhouse gas emissions policy, due to a new President, could result not only in a better America environmentally, but also could make the U.S. an international hotspot for research and development for environmental issues.

3/10/08 - Eau Claire is not required to test drinking water for medicine. It is testing for more contaminants than before, and will possibly test for pharmaceuticals in the future. However, pharmaceuticals are present in water supplies, particularly surface water, which are a source of drinking water for Milwaukee and communities around Lake Winnebago. Antibiotics, mood stabilizers and sex hormones are a sample of the range of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water supplies all across the nation the serve over 41 million Americans.


3/10/08 - The director for communication and strategy for the National Commission on Energy Policy spoke at UW-Milwaukee last week urging students to be a part of pursuing alternative sources of energy to combat global climate change, which he said even hunters and outdoorsmen in Wisconsin are starting to notice the impacts of.

3/10/08 - Following suit with a recent Associated Press report about pharmaceutical products in water supplies, Dane county investigations revealed the presence of acetaminophen (common brand name: Tylenol) and two unspecified hormones in septic water supplies. Evidence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (such as those used in drugs such as birth control pills) were also found at Madison's water treatment plant, which does not test for the presence of pharmaceuticals.

3/8/08- Burning wood for heat could mean savings of $75,000 annual for Lake School District, according to studies financed by Focus on Energy. Other schools districts are also considering cleaner, cheaper, more energy efficient alternatives to natural gas, especially with increasing energy costs.

3/7/08 - The Wisconsin State Senate passed a bill in support of the Great Lakes Compact, but concerns are now being raised that it will not be allowed to come to a vote in the Republican-controlled State Assembly. Wisconsin now joins 3 other states in the compact who have ratified a bill in support of the compact in at least one house of their legislatures. 4 others have successfully passed bills.

3/7/08 - 20,000 gallons of ethylene glycol leaked from a tanker near Prescott, damage still being assessed. The chemical ended up in the frozen river and could be seen miles away. All effects of this spill are not yet known.

3/7/08 - Green Team to audit energy usage to establish benchmarks with the goal to reduce energy consumption through the River Falls community.

3/7/08 - The Blue Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Rice Lake is helping shoppers make the transition from plastic and paper bags by offering a reusable "Ecosilk Bag."

3/6/08 - For the sixteenth year in a row, Baraboo has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to community forestry.

3/6/08 - Low levels of DNT, a chemical associated with explosives, have been found in the groundwater near the Badger Army Ammunition Plant near Merrimac. State and federal agencies will monitor the contamination.

3/6/08 - A different way to enjoy Wisconsin's outdoor trails is receiving attention. Forest County's ATV trails will be featured on Discover Wisconsin on March 8th and 9th.


3/6/08 - Menasha decides to create an $8 million grant to improve their storm water runoff system to reduce pollutants going into waterways.

3/6/08 - UW-Madison will have a student chapter of the "We Conserve" campaign that targets college freshman to increase the growing trend of energy conservation.

3/6/08 - Prentice High School in Phillips, WI will be hosting a Land Stewardship Conference with 25 available sessions on Saturday April 5. Topics range from animal identification to climate change. Early registration begins March 14th.

3/5/08- The village board trustee's of Rockton are making accusations towards the owner of Chemtool for several illegal activities including polluting and disposing certain chemicals in the sewer systems.

3/5/08- Possible cougar sighting in Beloit, WI. The last known wild cougars in Wisconsin have disappeared since the early 20th century.

3/5/08- A manure spill on a Holland, WI farm from a 20 million gallon manure pit has contaminated the East river and is expected to reach the Fox river as well.

3/5/08 - Many department stores are starting to see an increased demand for environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies. One line of products in particular are Method cleaning products - they are safe and reasonably priced.

3/5/08 - The US Environmental Protection Agency has released reports over-viewing the harsh effects of salt (on roads) on the environment. In Milwaukee, the levels of salt in waterways have been reported high enough to be detrimental to aquatic life.

3/4/08 - Kaukauna is asking for input from citizens on plans to create a stormwater pond to ease flooding that has met some friction already.

3/4/08 - Disputes are breaking out in Madison over regulations to protect fish against a virus during their spawning season.

3/4/08 - After a long delay the Barron City Council approved a grant for the development of the industrial park with sewage and water facilities. Although construction will not likely begin until 2010.

3/4/08 - Beekeepers in the state are optimistic about Wisconsin's bee population this year despite national concerns over colony collapse disorder. Bees are absolutely critical to Wisconsin's cranberry crops, of which Wisconsin is the top producer in the nation.

3/4/08 - The city of Madison proposed an ordinance targeting large events, like art fairs and concerts, by requiring event organizers to have a plan to accommodate recyclables. It is proposed following frustration over a lack of organization when it comes to making recycling available at large events, unfortunately resulting in most of the recyclable trash being place into landfills.

3/3/08 - Wisconsin takes steps in increasing the biodiversity in Kettle Moraine State Forest.


3/3/08 - Wisconsin U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is advocating new provisions to the final Farm Bill that would promote farmers to supply healthy foods directly to their communities. To read the press release from his website, click here.

3/3/08 - A two-headed sturgeon was registered at Lake Winnebago on the first day of the Wisconsin spearfishing season. The DNR reacted by arguing that this fish was an "anomaly of nature" that is "nothing to worry about." To view a picture of the fish, click here.

3/3/08 - Nagawicka lake in Delafield, Wisconsin, estimates the
Nagawicka Restoration Project to cost more than three million dollars.

3/2/08 - There is a state deer herd status meeting in Hertel on March 18 from 7pm-9pm.


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