January 6, 2012
Moving Wisconsin Forward in
2012
As the new year begins, many
of us take time to reflect
on where we have been, and
contemplate on where we may
be headed. We make
resolutions regarding our
personal or professional
lives in order to improve
ourselves and the world
around us. It is no
different here in the
Legislature, as we prepare
for the final stretch of the
2011-12 legislative
session. Looking forward,
several major items may soon
advance as a continuation of
our jobs and economy
agenda.
As Chair of the Senate
Natural Resources and
Environment Committee, I
have had the opportunity to
review various regulatory
issues under current law
which may be impeding
economic growth in
Wisconsin. Regulatory
reform is a key component to
job creation, and at times,
the bureaucracy of the
Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) along with
the various rules and
regulations it administers
can stifle job growth in the
private sector.
To address this
long-standing issue, I have
authored Senate Bill 326,
which makes revisions for
various DNR-issued permits
to streamline the review
process without jeopardizing
environmental standards.
The bill authorizes the DNR
to issue more simplified
General Permits for certain
activities in a more
expedited manner, and sets
timeframes for the
Department to act on permit
applications. It also
allows the DNR to utilize
the speed and accessibility
of the Internet in order to
post notices of permit
applications, and provide
permit status updates via
the Web so applicants have a
better understanding of
where they are in the
process.
Many times, businesses and
individuals who require
approval from the DNR to
move forward with a project
simply want a yes or no
answer. For years, many
have complained of the
amount of time it takes the
DNR to issue such permits,
or that they can not even
get an answer one way or the
other in a timely manner.
In the real world, time is
money, and sometimes getting
an answer declining a permit
is better than getting no
answer at all. Senate Bill
326 seeks to remedy this
issue and provide certainty
for both the regulators and
the regulated.
Senate Bill 326 also makes
changes to simplify
Wisconsin pier regulations.
In 2008, new regulations
were enacted, but since that
time, many pier owners have
expressed frustration of the
law, or questioned
why a pier which has been in
the water for decades needs
to be regulated. Under the
bill, any existing pier
would be considered exempt
from regulation, unless it
infringes on the navigable
rights of others. Any new
pier placed after the
effective date of the bill
is also exempt, so long as
the loading platform is no
more than 200 square feet.
The bill also eliminates a
requirement that exempt
piers be registered with the DNR, which many believed was
just another form of
unnecessary regulation.
Another significant reform
proposal I have authored
revises Wisconsin’s Wetland
Regulatory and Mitigation
Program. This new bills
seeks to change the manner
in which activities and
projects occurring in or
near wetlands are reviewed,
permitted, regulated, and
mitigated. The bill updates
the wetland mitigation
program in order to provide
more flexibility for
proposed projects, while at
the same time, fosters more
opportunities for the
restoration and creation of
high quality wetlands.
Wetland mitigation is a tool
which may be used in order
to offset any loss of
wetlands, and may actually
lead to more and better
wetlands as a result. I
believe this bill will
create both economic and
environmental benefits for
Wisconsin by streamlining
and simplifying the review
process for the DNR, and
requiring a ‘net gain’ for
any proposed wetland
mitigation project. It is
my hope this new proposal
will be a win-win for
Wisconsin’s environment and
economy.
Finally, an effort is
underway to revise
Wisconsin’s current mining
laws, as a proposed mining
project in northern
Wisconsin has generated a
great deal of discussion of
its potential economic and
environmental impacts. As
Chair of the Senate Select
Committee on Mining Jobs, I
am reviewing the state
mining laws and discussing
the issue with my colleagues
on both sides of the aisle.
New mining legislation has
been introduced in the
Assembly, and lawmakers and
the public are reviewing and
debating the merits of that
bill. The challenge and
goal is to find a balance
between economic and
environmental concerns
raised, and create an
appropriate standard of
review of any such project
proposed in Wisconsin.
As the Legislature heads
into its final months of the
2011-12 session, these three
issues are certain to be
high on the Legislature’s
to-do list, and a key focus
of mine. Being intimately
involved in all three, I
have resolved to offer due
diligence on each, and
hopefully advance sound
public policy to the benefit
of both the economy and
environment, and keep
Wisconsin moving forward in
the new year.
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Sen. Kedzie can be
reached in Madison at P.O.
Box 7882, Madison, WI
53707-7882 or by calling
toll-free 1 (800) 578-1457.
He may be reached in the
district at (262) 742-2025
or on-line at
www.senatorkedzie.com
