Conservationists Urge Legislative Support of Groundwater Protection Bill 3-8-2010
gengberg March 8th, 2010
For Immediate Release: March 8, 2010Conservationists Urge Legislative Support
of Groundwater Protection Bill
Madison - Today, conservationists are urging their state legislators to show support for the just-released Groundwater Protection Bill by signing-on to the measure as a co-sponsor. The Groundwater Protection Bill is one of four Conservation Priorities supported by more than 80 sporting, conservation, and environmental organizations for the 2009-2010 legislative session.
In 2004, the Groundwater Protection Act was passed as a first step to understanding what demands were being placed on our groundwater resources and how that was impacting our surface waters. However, the current law does not fully ensure responsible and equitable use of groundwater resources and does not address how we resolve conflicts among competing water-users if pumping causes nearby wells and/or surfaces waters to go dry.
The Groundwater Protection Bill announced today serves as the logical next step by providing avenues for addressing potential groundwater shortages before wells run dry and it encourages all Wisconsin communities to have a plan to wisely use their limited water supplies.
“Because the Groundwater Protection Bill picks up where the Groundwater Protection Act of 2004 left off, it enjoys the broad and enthusiastic support of Wisconsin’s conservation community and voters. It takes a pro-active approach to ensure that there will always be plentiful water resources for Wisconsin’s businesses, farms, recreational waters, and communities,” explained Anne Sayers, Program Director for Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters.
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Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to electing conservation leaders, holding decision makers accountable and encouraging lawmakers to champion conservation policies that effectively protect Wisconsin’s public health and natural resources.
