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Policy News AFT Announces Campaign for Wisconsins Farm & Forest Lands — 06/17/2008 American Farmland Trust (AFT) announces the start of the Campaign for
Wisconsins Farm and Forest Lands initiative designed to complement the recommendations of the
Working Lands Steering Committee convened by Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilsest... Full Article at Press Release »Protect more prime farmland — 06/16/2008 Wisconsin has been losing its cropland to other uses faster than any other state in the Midwest.
That 's why the state should beef up its policies to protect farmland from development.
Toward that end, state Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »Farmland gets new advocate — 06/14/2008 One of the nations largest and most vocal organizations advocating farmland preservation has joined state agriculture officials in a new push to enact policies designed to protect Wisconsin farms from development.The American Farmland Trust has hire... Full Article at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel »Preserving Wisconsin's Working Lands — 06/11/2008 The Wisconsin Working Lands Steering Committee met last week to discuss ways to preserve farmland. After nine, Kathleen Dunn talks with the Secretary of Agriculture and others about their recommendations.
Guests:
9:00 - Rod Nilsestuen, Secretary,... Full Article at Wisconsin Public Radio »Revival afoot to preserve farmland — 06/08/2008 Nearly two years after a state task force issued comprehensive recommendations on how to stem further loss of Wisconsin's dwindling agricultural fields, a new effort is being launched to win approval of legislation needed to preserve farmland."There'... Full Article at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel »Great Lakes pact preserves state's future — 05/28/2008 Wisconsin became the fifth state Tuesday to ratify the Great Lakes Compact.Gov. Jim Doyle signed in Green Bay what he called a historic, bipartisan agreement that will preserve the state's future.
"The Great Lakes define our economy, define our re... Full Article at Appleton Post-Crescent »Great Lakes Compact is historical opportunity — 05/28/2008 The Great Lakes are one of the world's most precious natural resources. From the majestic shores of Lake Michigan to the brutal and beautiful waters of Lakes Superior, the Great Lakes are not just part of our heritage, but part of who we are.
They... Full Article at Small Business Times »WI Land Trusts Praise the Legislature for Passage of the Great Lakes Compact — 05/15/2008 Gathering Waters Conservancy and the Lake Michigan Shorelands
Alliance commended the State Senate and Assembly for their bipartisan approval of the
Great Lakes Compact. The Compact will be critical for the long term health of the Great
Lakes and w... Full Article»People want choice on whether Managed Forest Lands are public or private — 04/30/2008 Dick Hall said his family has owned their 160 acres of land in Columbia County for 49 years.
This year, Hall, 78, of Oshkosh, entered his land under the Managed Forest Law program. As part of his contract, he makes sure that he manages his propert... Full Article at Oshkosh Northwestern »Crops winning out over conservation for some landowners — 04/30/2008 A portion of Ernie Roehrich's farm hasn't been plowed for two decades: It's part of a federal program that pays landowners to idle land for conservation.
Payments from the Conservation Reserve Program have helped during lean times. And wildlife - ... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »New CRP Enrollment Sign-Up Begins May 1 — 04/22/2008 Wisconsin landowners in five environmentally sensitive areas will soon have the opportunity to enroll up to 13,000 acres of land in a new Conservation Reserve Program practice called SAFE, which stands for State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement. Sign-... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Special session called to OK Great Lakes compact — 04/09/2008 Gov. Jim Doyle on Wednesday called a special legislative session to ratify an interstate treaty designed to prevent parched states from sucking water out of the Great Lakes.
Four states and two Canadian provinces have approved the Great Lakes Comp... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »Wisconsin Watershed Eligible for Conservation Security Program — 03/25/2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service announced that the Milwaukee River Watershed will be eligible for the Conservation Security Program in 2008. CSP is a voluntary program that supports stewardship and conservat... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Development rights program sought to protect farmland — 01/30/2008 James Servais retired from dairy farming a few years ago, but he didn't like the trend he saw taking place around him, developers eating up prime farmland.
Servais, a Vernon County Board supervisor, held an informational meeting with La Crosse Cou... Full Article at Vernon County Broadcaster »Farm Bill important to birds and wildlife — 01/23/2008 The Farm Bill, which is renewed every five to seven years, includes programs that provide important wildlife habitat, and the proposed 2008 Farm Bill is still being discussed in a conference committee in Washington, D.C.
Scott Hull, upland wildlif... Full Article at Capital Times »Timber sales provide state with nearly $2 million — 01/03/2008 Wisconsin is slated to receive $1.9 million for rural schools and roads, thanks to federal funds from timber sales revenue. According to State Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen, the funds are part of a total $389 million in Forest Service revenue... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Keeping farm land for farming — 12/31/2007 A landmark in conserving farmland was reached Dec. 20 when the Dane County Board approved a new tool for communities and landowners to manage growth. This program, called "transfer of development rights," was more than 10 years in the making.
The ... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »Wisconsin Farmers Are Good Stewards of the Land — 12/28/2007 Wisconsin's State Conservationist says farmers can be very proud of their stewardship of the land as she looks back at the final year of the previous Farm Bill. Pat Leavenworth of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has released a summ... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Federal tax incentives sunset at years end — 11/26/2007 In August 2006, President Bush signed into law a temporary increase in the federal tax incentives available to landowners and farmers who voluntarily protect their land from development through legal agreements called conservation easements. But the ... Full Article at Dunn County News »Program could benefit farmers who want cash for land — 11/25/2007 Its too soon to know if it will work, but Rock County is mulling over a new option for farmers who are looking to get cash for farmland but keep control of the farm.
The land conservation committee is talking about a purchase of development right... Full Article at Janesville Gazette »Secretary Nilsestuen offers Thanksgiving message — 11/19/2007 Our national Day of Thanksgiving provides us all with the opportunity to pause and take stock of our blessings. We also face many challenges, but before we press on, let us mark the tradition begun so many years ago by expressing thanks for the many ... Full Article at Dunn County News »Tax breaks for land conservation to sunset — 11/14/2007 In August 2006, President Bush signed into law a temporary increase in the federal tax incentives available to landowners and farmers who voluntarily protect their land from development through legal agreements called conservation easements.
But t... Full Article at Coulee News »Federal Tax Incentives for Land Conservation to Sunset at Year's End — 11/13/2007 In August 2006, President Bush signed into law a temporary increase in the federal tax incentives available to landowners and farmers who voluntarily protect their land from development through legal agreements called conservation easements.
But t... Full Article»Harkin Unveils Deal on Farm Bill — 10/18/2007 The long Senate nightmare on the farm bill appears to be ending with committee action scheduled next week on a deal that Chairman Tom Harkin described Wednesday as drawing "broad bipartisan support." He reported the deal has been agreed to by the com... Full Article at Wisconsin Agriculturist »State Losing Farmland; Farmers Search For Solutions — 10/05/2007 Tricia Hoesly and her husband, Todd, own a small farm near Brodhead that she said stays alive because of the niche they've found.
"We have really high-type cattle so we are able to merchandise and sell embryos and animals quite a bit," Hoesly said... Full Article at WISC TV Channel 3000 »Report: State losing 30,000 acres of farmland per year — 10/03/2007 A new report says Wisconsin is losing 30,000 acres of farmland a year.
The study by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters looked at multiple aspects of rural life in the state.
It found Wisconsin had 24 million agricultural acres ... Full Article at WBAY-TV »Report Outlines Course for Healthy Agriculture and Rural Life — 10/03/2007 The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin Project is releasing a wide-ranging report on the changing face of agriculture in Wisconsin. The report, a product of 2 years of study, offers recommendations for healthy and sustainable agriculture... Full Article at WisBusiness.com »Wisconsin Farms Selected for Preservation Protection — 09/18/2007 More than 1,100 acres of Wisconsin farmland will be protected from development through the USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program this year. Five working farms, on prime agricultural soils and under development pressure, have been selected, an... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Let pact protect Great Lakes — 09/14/2007 The state Legislature has an opportunity to take an important step toward better protecting one of North America 's most valuable assets -- the Great Lakes.
Lawmakers should seize that opportunity by swiftly ratifying the regional Great Lakes-St. ... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »Nilsestuen Honored for Land Conservation Leadership — 09/13/2007 A statewide service center for Wisconsin's non-profit land trusts are honoring Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen for his efforts to improve conservation. Gathering Waters Conservancy has named the DATCP head as 'Policy Maker of the Year.' The awar... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Great Lakes compact hits snag in state — 09/11/2007
A legislative study committee formed last year to consider approval of a regional compact to manage the use of Great Lakes water has disbanded after failing to reach consensus on the issue.
Wisconsin remains the only state in which a bill to a... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »Secretary Nilsestuen Honored for Land Conservation Leadership — 09/11/2007 Secretary Rod Nilsestuen has been named Policy Maker of the Year by Gathering Waters Conservancy, a statewide service center for Wisconsins 50 non-profit land trusts.
As the state Secretary of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Rod Ni... Full Article»Farm bill needs shift to be better for environment — 08/27/2007 Congress is currently debating the 2007 farm bill, the omnibus package that will set the direction for federal farm and food policy for the next several years. "Why should we care?" you may ask. The farm bill presents an important opportunity to addr... Full Article at Capital Times »A farm bill that supports conservation — 08/23/2007 Congress will soon be debating the 2007 farm bill, the omnibus package that will set the direction for federal farm policy for the next several years. The bill presents an important opportunity for addressing our country's most pressing environmental... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Towns face development pressure as farmlands disappear — 08/19/2007 Karen Szep has lived the good life all her life. She was born and raised on a farm and later married a farmer. She and Richard are raising their three daughters on their 150-acre dairy farm on Ninth Street Road.
She has never wanted any other life... Full Article at Oshkosh Northwestern »Farm Subsidies Seem Immune To an Overhaul — 07/26/2007 For the many critics of farm subsidies, including President Bush and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, this seemed like the ideal year
for Congress to tackle the federal payments long criticized as enriching big farm interests, violating trade agreements and
... Full Article at New York Times »The Anti-Reform Farm Bill — 07/25/2007 American farmers have seldom been as prosperous as they are today. Yet the House is poised to approve a subsidy-laden
farm bill more nearly suited to the Great Depression.
The bill would perpetuate an outdated and hugely expensive -- $70 billion ov... Full Article at New York Times »Town of Holland residents debate county's development plan — 06/28/2007 On the outskirts of Holmen, people are worried.
About subdivisions and shopping centers, about traffic and taxes.
But theres also concern about steps local governments might take to control that development if its at the expense of property o... Full Article at La Crosse Tribune »Fitchburg ought to limit urban growth — 05/31/2007 Dear Editor: Climate change is real. We've read the science -- greenhouse gases trap heat -- and our goose is cooked if we don't cut fossil fuel consumption.
We also need to preserve farmland for growing our own food. Contaminated dog food and vit... Full Article at Capital Times »Landowners are lining up to keep their acres green — 05/29/2007 Funded by a $20 million bond referendum in 2002, a Dakota County program to protect farmland and natural areas has proved so popular that, four years later, nearly all the money has been spent. For Ray Taylor, selling the development rights to his S... Full Article at Minnesota Star Tribune »Jefferson County races to preserve farmland — 05/23/2007 Dairy farmer Daphne Holterman is concerned about the future of agriculture as more houses and businesses sprout on land that once held crops in Jefferson County.
Sandwiched between the Milwaukee-Waukesha and Madison metropolitan areas, Jefferson C... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Walz authors bill to help new farmers — 05/18/2007 New and potential farmers would have more access to training programs and an easier time securing loans under legislation introduced this week by U.S. Rep. Tim Walz and others.
The bill, known as the Beginning Rancher and Farmer Oppor-tunity Act, ... Full Article at La Crosse Tribune »Who should pay to preserve farmland? — 05/17/2007 It will be controversial and unpopular with some people, a County Board member says, but Sauk County should develop a program to buy development rights on farmland and keep it in crop production rather than subdivisions.
Sauk County Land Conservat... Full Article at Baraboo News Republic »Good hosts — 05/13/2007 New Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Kelli Trumble was in Beaver Dam Monday, extolling the virtues of tourism spending during a Rotary Club meeting at China Palace.
Tourism spending in Wisconsin jumped 7.3 percent in 2006, the highest spi... Full Article at Beaver Dam Daily Citizen »2 years of work net 83 proposals — 05/09/2007 Citizen involvement has been an underpinning of the two-year Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin Project. People from around the state had a hand in fashioning the list of recommendations released last week and featured on the front page of... Full Article at Capital Times »Change priorities in federal farm bill — 05/08/2007 When Wisconsin has weighed in on the federal farm bill, it has usually been to defend the crop and dairy subsidies worth nearly $3.2 billion to state farmers and landowners over the past decade.
But as Congress prepares the 2007 farm bill, Wiscons... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »Future of Farming Project Releases Recommendations — 05/06/2007 The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin project has issued recommendations for taking actions to help assure healthy and sustainable agriculture and rural life in the state.
The recommendations address health care, land use, rural labor ... Full Article at WisBusiness.com »Environment dominates Legislative Days agenda — 05/02/2007 A clarion call-to-action on environmental issues will soon sound in Madison when volunteer lobbyists travel to the capitol for Door County Legislative Days, May 8 and 9.
A contingent of about 100 delegates has descended upon Madison twice before f... Full Article at Door County Advocate »'Rural renaissance' urged — 05/01/2007 Accessible health care, the purchase of development rights from farmers and economic help for middle-sized family farms are among the key recommendations announced today following a two-year study on the future of Wisconsin farming.
The Future of ... Full Article at Capital Times »Policies to preserve farmland fall short — 04/25/2007 Dear Editor: Thanks to Sarah Botham for her recent column about the loss of farmland. Here in Dane County we are losing farmland -- some of the most productive in the nation -- at a fast rate. According to a University of Wisconsin study, 39,000 acre... Full Article at Capital Times »Ag land preservation session topic — 04/23/2007 Those interested in preserving Jefferson County's agricultural economy and working lands should plan to attend a listening session May 3 hosted by the Jefferson County Farmland Preservation Commission.
The May 3 session will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m... Full Article at Watertown Daily Times »Prestigious Presenters Highlight Future of Farming Conference — 04/19/2007 Agricultural leaders from many walks of life will be among presenters at the Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin Conference, “Our Future, Our Heritage,” May 14-15 at Monona Terrace in Madison.
Presenters include:
Ø ... Full Article at Press Release »Farmers optimistic, but health care is a huge issue — 04/16/2007 Affordable health care and overall profitability are the top concerns of Wisconsin's farmers. The majority of state farmers say they are strongly optimistic about the future. Farmers are looking to renewable energy as one of the ways to keep agricult... Full Article at Capital Times »Confusion killed land measure — 04/14/2007 The recent vote in Washington County not to proceed with farmland preservation reflects a great deal of confusion about the future of agribusiness in the region and even the state.
By a 2-to-1 margin, voters in the county sent a negative message a... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Lost Wisconsin — 04/14/2007 Wisconsin is losing farmland faster than all but seven other states, according to a recent survey conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for Enterprise Development. At a loss rate of 24,000 acres per year, this is destroying rural landsc... Full Article at Beaver Dam Daily Citizen »Farmland Preservation Funding Remains Elusive — 04/12/2007 With a dairy farm that's been in his family 110 years, Daniel Stoffel knows the past and fears for the future of agriculture in the lush hills and valleys 40 miles north of Milwaukee.
"It's a little scary," Stoffel said of what he sees for the years... Full Article at Wisconsin State Journal »No end to development pressures — 04/11/2007 Wisconsin is losing farmland faster than all but seven other states, according to a recent survey conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Corporation for Enterprise Development. At a loss rate of 24,000 acres per year, this is destroying rural landsc... Full Article at Capital Times »Johanns Highlights USDA's Conservation Proposals in Farm Bill — 04/11/2007 Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns highlighted the Administration's farm bill proposals related to conservation. Johanns pointed out that a key theme throughout the conservation title is simplification and streamlining of programs, while increasing f... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »As Wis. farmland declines, 2 preservation plans fail to pass — 04/10/2007 With a dairy farm that's been in his family 110 years, Daniel Stoffel knows the past and fears what's coming for agriculture in the lush hills and valleys 40 miles north of Milwaukee.
"We see the future and it's a little scary," Stoffel said.
A... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Don't Forget About Conserving Farmland — 04/07/2007 Dear Editor: I was reading recently, in a Capital Times article by Tim Eisele and other stories, of concerns about agricultural land coming out of the Conservation Reserve Program. There is great concern about this expressed by many, including myself... Full Article at Capital Times »Farmland preservation plans rejected — 04/04/2007 Voters in both Washington County and the Town of Mukwonago in Waukesha County defeated separate referendums Tuesday proposing to preserve farmland by creating purchase-of-development rights programs.In Washington County, a plan that would have spent ... Full Article at Journal Sentinel » Washington County voters soundly reject farmland plan — 04/04/2007 Washington County voters may claim they support land preservation efforts but they refused to put their money where their wishes are, soundly defeating the purchase of development rights proposal Tuesday by just under a 2-1 margin.
The first bindi... Full Article»State election, PDR should draw voters — 04/02/2007 With a nastily partisan nonpartisan statewide race for Supreme Court justice and a binding referendum that could create the state’s first county-run purchase of development rights (PDR) rural land preservation program here, suspicions are voter tur... Full Article at GM Today »Next step for farming project is May conference — 04/02/2007 The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin project has dedicated two years to inquiry and discussion, but our work isn't finished.
As spring ripples across our rural landscapes, we're inviting people from across the state to a May 14-15 sta... Full Article at Capital Times »Making a pitch for preservation — 03/31/2007 The reliever who stopped Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak in 1978 made a pitch to Washington County last week to stop the urban sprawl that is putting farmers out of business.
I'm a member of the group - Washington County Citizens for Farmland &... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Realtors say ‘no’ to PDR plan — 03/29/2007 An advocacy group started by the Wisconsin Realtors Association is campaigning against the proposal Washington County create a purchase of development rights (PDR) rural land preservation program.
Called the Wisconsin Homeowners Alliance, the Madi... Full Article at http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2007/March_07/03292007_10.asp »Rep. Ron Kind to Keynote Future of Farming Conference: Register Now — 03/26/2007 U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, a national leader on federal farm policy, will deliver the opening-day keynote address at the Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin statewide conference May 14-15 at Monona Terrace in Madison.
Registration informa... Full Article»Vote for preservation — 03/25/2007 Editorial:Voters in Washington County and in the Town of Mukwonago in southwestern Waukesha County will be asked in referendums on April 3 whether they're willing to spend taxpayer money to help protect farmland from development. Future voters and ot... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Jefferson County leader meets with the governor — 03/22/2007 Jefferson County Board Chairwoman Sharon Schmeling met with Gov. Jim Doyle and Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen at the governor's mansion Wednesday during an evening reception celebrating Wisconsin agriculture.
Doyle said he believes Wisconsin... Full Article at Watertown Daily Times »Bill introduced to conserve America's open spaces and farmland — 03/20/2007 California U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D) and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) have introduced a bill to help landowners conserve our country's precious agricultural land and open spaces.
The bill would permanently extend an important tax incentive for farmers ... Full Article at Western Farm Press »New farm bill has plenty riding on it — 03/19/2007 It's possible for one person to change the course of history. To make a difference. To move us one step closer to sustaining the planet.
Just look at Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, who started the Greenbelt Movement in Kenya in 1970. By... Full Article at Capital Times »Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act Unveiled by Rep. Kind — 03/16/2007 Wisconsin Congressman Rep. Ron Kind unveiled the first major bill in Congress dealing with the reauthorization of the 2007 Farm Bill. On Thursday, the La Crosse Democrat and several other lawmakers introduced the Healthy Farms, Foods, and Fuels Act ... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Kind's proposal would help farmers, local communities — 03/15/2007 Farmers would be encouraged to be active land stewards, communities would get access to locally grown foods and development of renewable energy would be boosted on farms under a proposal by La Crosse Democrat Ron Kind and 70 other legislators. At a ... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Hunters and anglers are environmentalists — 03/15/2007 I was encouraged to see Jim Lee's opinion piece, "Environmentalists discover allies in hunters, anglers." As an outdoorsman who enjoys fishing the lakes and streams of our area, and deer hunting up North, I think it's high time we address the stereot... Full Article»Does bell toll for: Farmland Preservation Program? — 03/14/2007 As a boy, Joe Peters remembers his aunt ringing the bell that rested atop the summer kitchen at the family’s homestead farm. All hands came running.
If the wind was blowing just right, bells at neighboring farms could also be heard, signaling th... Full Article at GM Today »County OKs development rights panel — 03/14/2007 With six supervisors dissenting Tuesday evening, the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors agreed to creation of a Farmland Preservation Commission that will work toward developing a “Purchase of Development Rights Program” for land in the county... Full Article at Watertown Daily Times »Conservation Reserve Program must not be whittled away — 03/14/2007 Farm the best, protect the rest. That is an old adage that many conservationists believe is the reason for improved wildlife populations.
And, if there was one program that perfectly describes that adage, it would have to be the Conservation Reser... Full Article at Capital Times »Options available for preserving state land — 03/13/2007 Advertisement
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Letters: Options available for preserving state land
I recently attended a seminar with more t... Full Article at Appleton Post-Crescent » Time to ‘Rock the House’ and the Senate — 03/08/2007 The state Capitol won’t be quite the same after April 18, at least not if we have anything to say about it! Because that’s the day we hope to fill the building with over 500 REALTORS® from every corner of the state to lobby lawmakers on issues t... Full Article at Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine »Farmland preservation moves ahead — 03/06/2007 La Crosse County is moving slowly toward preserving farmland by buying development rights.
Monday, the county board voted to start work on a pilot program for 2008. Based on the results, the county could ask voters for permission to raise taxes to... Full Article at La Crosse Tribune »Working lands - Initiative calls for protection of state’s farms, forests — 03/05/2007 An agricultural preservation plan should be part of every land use plan.
That was one of the messages from Keith Foye of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection during a break-out session on the Wisconsin Working Lan... Full Article at Dunn County News »Protect endangered species, get a tax break? — 02/28/2007 Landowners frustrated by the Endangered Species Act might get a carrot instead of the stick under a proposed revision of the law that would offer them tax incentives to give the critters a home. That approach is emerging as a narrower alternative to ... Full Article at Associated Press »Future of Farming Leaders Applaud Year of Ag Proclamation — 02/26/2007 Leaders of the Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin Project are applauding Gov. Jim Doyle’s proclamation of 2007 as the Year of Agriculture in Wisconsin. The project’s statewide conference May 14-15 will focus on several of the issues ci... Full Article at Press Release »Gov. Doyle's proposed budget is good for state's land, air, water — 02/26/2007 Gov. Jim Doyle's budget proposal includes five key environmental initiatives that will strengthen or establish signature programs benefiting Wisconsin's water, air, and public lands while boosting the state's economy.
Although some may ask how we ... Full Article at The Sheboygan Press »Doyle's re-election made a 'green' budget possible — 02/26/2007 The Doyle budget would bring a smile to Wisconsin's greatest environmental legend.While Gov. Jim Doyle defeated Rep. Mark Green for re-election in November, it turns out that "Green" was the biggest winner after all. At least "green" policies are the... Full Article at The Capital Times »Bill Berry: Our working lands need protection too — 02/20/2007 Gov. Jim Doyle's budget bravely breathes new life into the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, and that's good.
But the budget does not boldly proclaim a meaningful state commitment to working land preservation, and that's not good.... Full Article at The Capital Times »Gov. Doyle unveils Stewardship Fund reauthorization plan — 02/13/2007 Gov. Jim Doyle's call to reauthorize the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program as part of his 2007-09 Budget is drawing applause from the state's land trust community.
"On behalf of Wisconsin's 55 land trusts and our 45,000 members across the state,... Full Article at Business North »Some Gems in Doyle's Budget — 02/13/2007 Right wing radio talkers and their blogger buddies will go crazy over Gov. Doyle's 2007-'09 proposed budget because it contains some targeted fee and tax increases.
But let's start the budget analysis by praising the Governor for his proposal to f... Full Article at The Political Environment Blog »Session to focus on land use planning — 02/07/2007 When Wisconsin's farmers retire, their choices are to sell the land to another farmer for about $2,818 an acre or sell to a developer for about $10,916 an acre.
In the first choice, the retiree loses. In the second, the neighboring farmer not only... Full Article at Appleton Post-Crescent »Budget would halt some land conservation — 02/07/2007 President Bush's proposed budget would put a land conservation program that protects some 35 million acres on hold in favor of boosting corn production to meet the growing demand for ethanol.
While the proposal might help lessen the country's depe... Full Article at Associated Press »Discussion Begins Over Another Round Of Land Protection — 02/07/2007 The path towards another state land-buying program wends its way through the DNR Board beginning this morning(2/7).
Wisconsin is a couple years away from the end of the second edition of the Stewardship Program that has protected hundreds ... Full Article» Tax Break With a View — 02/07/2007 Muscoe R.H. Garnett Jr.'s farm in Loretto, Va., hasn't changed much since the family acquired it in the 1600s. Now, the retired insurance executive has made sure it will stay that way.
Encouraged by recent tax legislation, Mr. Garnett has placed a... Full Article at Wall Street Journal »Editorial: Vanishing croplands — 02/06/2007 Preserving farmland could pay off for Wisconsin with the nation's new interest in ethanol and other biofuels.
Drive on rural roads through southeastern Wisconsin on a chilly February day, and you can still find acres of windblown fields of white str... Full Article at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel »Dick Cates: Farmers program instills land ethic — 02/05/2007 n his latest book, "Collapse," Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond examines how, throughout human history, societies make choices that cause them to fail or succeed. We may, he suggests, have reached such a tipping point in our own history.
... Full Article at Capital Times »Sen. Baucus Introduces Conservation Incentive Bill — 02/01/2007 Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced legislation yesterday to ensure that a temporary tax incentive for conservation by family farmers and ranchers keeps on working. The 2006 law, which allowed modest-income landowners to bene... Full Article at Press Release »Losing land, opportunity — 01/28/2007 Wisconsin is losing cropland faster than any other state in the breadbasket of the nation, the Midwest, jeopardizing not only the state's farm economy but also its profitability in the emerging biofuels industry, agriculture and land use, officials s... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Workshops to Highlight Innovative Tools to Sustain Working Lands — 01/25/2007 If you missed the chance to join the Ultimate Land Use Study tour last year, when participants traveled to Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to learn how growth management and farmland protection programs have been implemented there, now's your ... Full Article at Wisconsin Ag Connection »Conservation lobby day at Madison — 01/24/2007 If you are a member of the Fish & Game Club, you found this message from the executive Director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, George E. Myer, on the front page of the January issue of the Wisconservation, the federation’s monthly newsletter... Full Article at Dunn County News »Development issue to go before voters — 01/09/2007 Washington County voters will decide April 3 whether to establish the state's first countywide purchase-of-development rights program that would pay landowners not to develop agricultural land.
The Washington County Board today agreed to place a r... Full Article»Future of Farming Project Reviews Findings, Enters “Phase Two” — 01/03/2007 More than 700 Wisconsin citizens have spoken up in 2006 to help shape a vision for healthy and sustainable agriculture and rural life in the state.
Citizens participated in six regional forums of the Future of Farming and Rural Life Project of the... Full Article at Press Release »Guest column: People have strong opinions on sustainable farming, rural life — 01/03/2007 What would happen if citizens from across the state were asked to develop a vision for healthy and sustainable farming and rural life?
The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters' Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin project did j... Full Article at Green Bay Press-Gazette »Conserving state's natural heritage made strides in 2006 — 12/30/2006 As the year draws to a close, it is time for the inevitable year-end list-making and stock-taking.Here at The Nature Conservancy, we thought we'd add another list - a green list - celebrating some of the great natural resource conservation work acros... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Letters: Conservation must be priority for Legislature — 12/25/2006 In a few short weeks, a new session of the Wisconsin Legislature will begin and the people the voters chose in November to represent them will begin their new terms.
During the campaign, candidates were asked many questions, some good dialogue was... Full Article at Sheboygan Press »Editorial: Preserving the disappearing Wisconsin farm — 12/23/2006 Few industries are as relentlessly productive as America's farmers.A new report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance makes the point: Wisconsin farmers are using more than 20% less farmland than they did in 1970, but yields for major crops - corn, mil... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Editorial: Let the voters decide — 12/17/2006 We felt it was a mistake in June when the Washington County Board rescinded a program aimed at helping farmers resist the pressures of development and at preserving some of the prime agricultural land in the county. But the board could act soon after... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »County could pony up to save farmland from development — 12/13/2006 La Crosse County in the future could buy development rights to farmland so it won’t be plowed under for subdivisions or shopping centers.
The La Crosse County Board has given planner Charlie Handy three months to work up a purchase of developmen... Full Article at La Crosse Tribune »Garter snake won't lose protection — 11/28/2006 The Butler's garter snake - the spitting image of the garden-variety garter snake - is to remain a protected species in Wisconsin.
A legislative committee voted Tuesday to rescind a vote that would have removed protections for the snake.
The vo... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Election results may help DNR — 11/25/2006 In recent years, the state Legislature and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have disagreed over everything from air pollution to protections for a cousin of the garter snake.
But this could be changing.
In January, the state Senate r... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »A 4-year economic forecast — 11/11/2006 Now that the political hands have been dealt for the next four years in Wisconsin, we can only hope that the vitriol of the campaign gets corked and that our newly appointed political leaders get to the business of making the economy stronger.
The... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Tom Hunt: It's time to reinvent conservation legacy — 10/30/2006 What is the status of conservation on our working landscape?
We've managed to feed the nation while tenuously keeping intact the country's rich natural resource legacy, those deep prairie soils and limpid waters. But only barely.
We cannot and ... Full Article at The Capital Times »Wisconsin Working Lands Initiative one step closer — 10/24/2006 Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary, Rod Nilsestuen, has just concluded a series of eighteen listening sessions around the state, gathering opinions on the Working Lands Initiative. The Secretary says he heard a lot of concern about the fact the state is... Full Article at Brownfield »Zoning code to control river land — 10/21/2006 The city of the Dells wants more control of land along the river, not less, in its new zoning code, the Wisconsin Dells Plan Commission indicated Oct. 11.
The commission spent about 90 minutes reviewing the proposed zoning code being rewritten by ... Full Article at WiscNews.com »County plans big spending to aid parks — 10/16/2006 Dane County leaders are prepared to spend the most ever in one year on land acquisition for park and conservancy space to preserve and protect the local landscape of Wisconsin's fastest-growing county.
Two plans, one tried and true and the other b... Full Article at The Capital Times »Proposed tax would protect farmland — 10/12/2006 Town property owners could pay an additional 85 cents per $1,000 of equalized property value to fund a proposed program to permanently protect farmland and open spaces from development, a town official said Thursday.
Rob Schuett, a member of the t... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Margaret Krome: Establishing the right to farm is foremost in saving the land — 10/12/2006 Eternity is a very long time. It's humbling to stand and watch a process that will last, for all practical purposes, forever. And that's the experience that this generation witnesses every time we see farmlands that support our nation and rural commu... Full Article at The Capital Times »Ag secretary takes input on 'working lands' proposal — 10/11/2006 Much of the wealth of Wisconsin comes from its millions of acres of productive land. Land that is used for farming, grazing, recreation and forestry.
This wealth of productive land is under attack from unchecked development, says Wisconsin Secreta... Full Article at The Daily Press »Editorial: Preserving what sustains us — 10/11/2006 State Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen says he is looking for a way to finance a proposed state grant program that would help communities protect farmland from the encroachment of development. Wisconsin should wish him luck but, more than that, h... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Preservationists push state to fund farmland protection — 10/08/2006 A proposal to use state money to help local communities permanently preserve farmland has considerable support around Wisconsin, but state Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen says he still has to figure out a way to pay for it.
The Working Lands ... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Harvesting advice on saving farms — 10/06/2006 It seemed surprising at first that dairy farmers from Wisconsin - where land is plentiful and agriculture remains a top industry - traveled to Maryland this week to learn about farm preservation.
But Maryland's farm conservation efforts are almost... Full Article at Baltimore Sun »Future of Farming Forum in Wausau Is Final in Series — 10/03/2006 The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin project is coming to Wausau Oct. 24. A day-long forum at Northcentral Technical College will be the final of six regional forums presented across the state by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts a... Full Article at Press Release »Politics Put Status Of Snake at Risk — 09/30/2006 The slender brown-and-yellow Butler's garter snake is a mild-mannered creature that spends its time sheltering in burrows and eating earthworms. But it has sparked a heated dispute between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and state legis... Full Article at Washington Post »Platteville Future of Farming Forum Focuses on Energy, Conservation — 09/29/2006 Two topics of vital interest to Wisconsin residents will be the focus of a Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin Forum Oct. 13 at the UW-Platteville Center for the Arts Theater. Domestic renewable energy and conservation on working lands are ... Full Article»Land for the future: State, local and business leaders look at ways to preserve rural areas — 09/23/2006 Drive only a little way beyond the borders of Racine, or Waterford, or Union Grove, or Burlington and you see the issue. What were farm fields are graded flat for subdivisions. Other farms are cut into 5- or 10-acre parcels for enormous homes with a... Full Article at The Journal Times »Milwaukee's ecological duty — 09/19/2006 We are facing an ecological crisis. It is becoming apparent all too quickly that if civilization does not deal with climate change and the contributing polluting factors, other concerns will pale in comparison regarding their impact on the quality of... Full Article at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel »Final Two Future of Farming Forums Offer Citizens Chance to Participate — 09/01/2006 Wisconsin citizens have two more opportunities this year to help shape a vision for healthy and sustainable agriculture and rural life in public forums Oct. 13 in Platteville and Oct. 24 in Wausau.
The forums are part of the Future and Farming and ... Full Article at Press Release »State agriculture finds itself caught in land use quandary — 08/30/2006 oe Brantmeier's grandparents began farming 80 acres near Sherwood in 1920. Today, the village surrounds the farm.
A housing subdivision, golf course and commercial district ring the Brantmeier farm, separating the original 80 acres from another 32... Full Article at Oshkosh Nortwestern »New law benefits farmers donating conservation easements — 08/25/2006 New tax benefits for family farmers and ranchers who engage in land conservation easements are included in pension reform legislation, signed by President Bush recently. Proponents said the law will allow landowners with modest incomes to get greate... Full Article at Wisconsin State Farmer »Federal conservation easement tax incentives passed — 08/17/2006 Today the President signed into law a tremendous expansion of the federal tax incentive for conservation easement donations!... Full Article »More to debate than protecting — 08/08/2006 The threatened Butler’s gartersnake in Washington County and the rest of Southeast Wisconsin pits legislators against environmentalists. Legislators expressed concerns over unnecessarily impeding development in part 1 Monday.
The debate over the... Full Article at GM Today »Editorial: Let science decide — 08/01/2006 We understand the frustration that some legislators feel toward the pesky but apparently rare Butler's garter snake, which has proved on several occasions to be an impediment to development in parts of southeastern Wisconsin. We sympathize with their... Full Article at Journal Sentinel »Submit a news article to Gathering Waters Conservancy. |
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