Budget Passes the Legislature

This week, both houses of the Wisconsin State Legislature passed the 2015-17 state budget. The State Senate passed by a vote of 18-15 and the State Assembly passed by a vote of 52-46. The budget has been delivered to Governor Walker and awaits his signature to pass the budget into law.

I am proud that we were able to pass a budget that has invested so much in education, seniors, the disabled, and hardworking Wisconsin taxpayers. While this budget was tight, we were able to hold the line on taxes and reduce borrowing.

This state budget is a product of compromise. Since the Governor introduced his budget last February, I have worked with my colleagues on the Joint Finance Committee to do our due diligence on crafting a final version of the budget that reflects our constituent feedback. We heard early on from school districts and parents that the number-one priority was to invest in our schools; the Legislature has answered that call by committing nearly $200 million of additional funds to K-12 education. That $200 million includes the restoration of per-pupil funding in the first year of the biennium and increased funding by $100 per-pupil in the second year.

I am proud that many of the recommendations from last session’s Rural School Task Force were included in this budget, including additional funds for broadband and digital learning in our classrooms. I am also grateful to see the Legislature unite behind additional investments in “Fab-Labs”, the high-tech workshops for K-12 students and small businesses that are helping drive economic activity in northern Wisconsin.

We have reduced the cut to the UW System by $50 million and extended the tuition freeze for in-state undergraduates for an additional 2 year in order to protect and preserve the quality of our state's university system. Through these budgetary actions we have helped to ensure our students and workforce can get the training they need to succeed.

We have also kept our promises to seniors, both by protecting the popular SeniorCare program and by holding the line on property taxes which are the single biggest fixed-cost for seniors across the northwoods. We listened and responded to the calls from concerned citizens and advocacy groups all across the state on the need to maintain high-quality health services our most vulnerable residents depend on for daily quality of life.

We reduced our transportation bonding, making it the lowest it has been in nearly 30 years and we made sure that all areas of the state are held equal to ensure that road projects in outlying districts and rural communities remain on track.

Lastly, we have successfully held the line on taxes. This biennium there won’t be any property, income, or sales tax increases. We’ve simplified and streamlined the tax code, making it easier for the hardworking middle class families across the state of Wisconsin.

It is our duty as elected representatives to advocate for the best interests of our constituents.

 After listening to comments and concerns from residents around the state, I believe we have made numerous improvements to the governor’s budget recommendations. While there is no such thing as a perfect budget, the overall product reflects the priorities and feedback of our district and I am proud that we have a budget that continues to move Wisconsin forward.

DNR Northern Report

Superior DNR Service Center area

Brule River State Forest - Rains early on in the week brought River levels above average for this time of year according to the USGS stream flow rates for the Brule River. Weather faired out to be absolutely spectacular for the Fourth of July weekend and we are expecting yet another gorgeous week ahead. We have had a record number of campers staying on our property so far this year. Mosquito numbers are seemingly lower than previous years and being able to now reserve a campsite on the property has added that peace of mind for visitors wanting to know that they have a spot to stay. Anglers are hitting the river in hopes of catching a few fish on the fly. Trout are more active during the frequent insect hatches that occur throughout the summer. You can call your local tackle shop or stop in at our office if you have any questions on what types of flies may be hatching at a specific time. Birds are beginning to fledge. Various species, of warblers, nuthatches, thrushes, and other birds that have found our area a suitable place to breed, can be seen throughout the forest tops, singing and dancing their way around looking for food to feed their young. Cow parsnip, tall meadow rue, and yarrow are just a few of the plants that are currently blooming in the area. Blueberries and Juneberries are ripening so it's time to dust off those buckets, and start doing your back exercises! In preparation for berry season. Berries should be starting to ripen within the next couple of weeks. Fawns are growing fast, and you will start seeing more and more of them hanging out with mom as they are now strong enough and fast enough to move around freely and readily on their own. There will be a Barrens Fest July 15 from 3 to 10 pm at the Douglas County State Wildlife Area. Activities include: Guided hikes, trail riding (bring your horse) and wolf calling. Demonstrations and seminars on local history, Native American culture, natural history of the Barrens, furbearers and their secrets, and restoring the barren landscape in Wisconsin. Check out the Friends of the Bird Sanctuary website for more information about this and events held there in the future. - Edwin Koepp, visitor services associate

Ashland DNR Service Center area

Amnicon Falls State Park - All trails are open. Enjoy the beautiful views along the Amnicon River as you hike the Thimbleberry Nature Trail. Trails are in good condition. Pets are allowed on all trails throughout the park, but remember that they must be leashed at all times and cleaned up after. Due to some recent heavy rain, the water levels are very high and the falls are roaring! Hurry out and catch the awesome power while you can! It is illegal to jump into the waterways at Amnicon, but swimming in the river and around the falls is allowed. We ask that you use caution and keep in mind that water levels can change very quickly and they are currently high, so swimming is not advised until water levels go down. - Kevin Feind, property supervisor
Copper Falls State Park - All trails are currently open for hiking and/or biking. Due to the frequent rain, mowing has been hindered as the trails are wet in areas. Loon Lake has water temperatures in the low 70s and many people are enjoying the sandy beach. The rivers are flowing at a very good rate. Water levels are slightly up due to all the precipitation. Waterfalls are gorgeous right now.

Spooner DNR Service Center area

Governor Knowles State Forest - The ticks have slowed down; however, the mosquitos and deer flies are biting like crazy and it's just the beginning. The Trade River Equestrian Campground is now open to all campers until August 15. Hot temperatures and many bugs tend to steer the equestrian campers away. Please note we currently have an impassible spot on our Sioux Portage Route by mile marker 34. A group of volunteers have been busy with miscellaneous maintenance projects for the past few weeks and continue to do so. They have done very nice work doing projects such as, clearing trails to building boardwalks. Remember to contact the State Forest Headquarters at 715-463-2898 for a special camping permit if you are interested in camping in our primitive campsites. Permits should be obtained seven days prior to occupying the site. - Brandi Larson, visitor services associate

Woodruff DNR Service Center area

Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest - It's a bumble bee and butterfly's paradise out there! The roadsides are speckled with yarrow, daisies, trefoil, many different varieties of clover, wild roses and hawkweed. Twin flower and partridge berry are blooming if one wants to look for the tiniest of bloomers. Wild strawberries are ripe for the picking. Babies are hard to spot there since the undergrowth is so thick, moms are hiding them well. It's lush out there. Camper wildlife sightings this week: lots of deer, fawns and bucks, a beaver, and two river otters in the Musky lake campground. We've also had reports of wolves howling at night. Looks like the word has gotten out, it is a bike riding dreamland up here. Thousands of bikers are enjoying the miles and miles of paved bike trails that wind through the forest. Riders go past campgrounds, lakes, rivers, picnic areas, vistas, and through small towns, all on well-maintained paved trails that are separate from roads. Even if you are not camping, there is plenty of parking along the trail (for example, on the corner of Hwy M and N), and no trail pass is required to ride. If you are looking to camp and bike, the following NHAL campgrounds are along the bike trail: Crystal Lake, Firefly Lake, Musky Lake, North Trout Lake, South Trout Lake, Plum Lake and Big Lake. There is also a lovely seven mile paved trail that runs from the Clear Lake Picnic area (across the road from the Carrol Lake campground) through the Clear Lake campground and on to the Indian Mounds campground on the southern part of the forest. Don't forget the 18 mile Bearskin State Bike Trail is also in the area, a Wisconsin State Trail pass is required on the Bearskin. Recent rains have kept water levels on lakes and streams fairly constant. Water levels will normally go down slightly this time of year due to vegetation and trees taking up water, evaporation and evapotranspiration. Water levels for boating canoeing and kayaking are in the "good" range. Canoe sites are busy with youth camps and visitors who like to paddle to their campsite. Boat landings are also busy so we would like to remind people to avoid power loading by coasting on and trimming the motor up to greatly lesson the damage power loading can do. As expected, campgrounds were very busy for the holiday weekend, with nearly 90 percent of campsites across the forest occupied on Friday night! Campgrounds are not as busy as the holiday weekend right now, but July and early August are traditionally the busiest time of the year in our campgrounds. If you can't get a reservation, or the campground that you want to go to is full (or fuller than you prefer), know that there are always sites available in some of our outlying campgrounds. Ten of the 18 campgrounds on the forest are entirely first come-first serve and all campgrounds have some non-reservable sites. Also, some of the outlying campgrounds rarely exceed half of the sites occupied. You can check our campsite availability (updated twice daily) on our iPhone app. - Kimberly Krawczyk, visitor services associate