April 11, 2013
1:30-2:30 pm

No Child Left Inside

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

Today’s youth are spending less time outdoors and more time in front of electronic screens. Without regular exposure to nature, young people are deprived the opportunities to understand ecology first-hand and may lack the knowledge and capacity to make sound decisions about natural resources and pollution in the future. Lake organizations and lakefront homeowners can play important and powerful roles in helping young people to get outside and connect with nature. In this special session, you will hear from regional leaders who have been designing, implementing, and promoting effective programs that provide nature-based learning opportunities for all youth, regardless of their background or access to the outdoors. Their lessons should inspire anyone who thinks that it is too difficult to help youth get outside and enjoy nature.

 

 

 

Guiding for Tomorrow: The Changing Climate, Changing Culture Initiative

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

The Guiding for Tomorrow Changing Climate, Changing Culture Initiative is a unique approach to increasing climate change literacy by integrating scientific research with real-world evidence of how climate change is affecting traditional Ojibwe culture. The project uses Native perspectives to help people of all cultures better understand how climate change is affecting their community and what they can do about it. This presentation will share the project’s educational outreach strategies including development of a web-based service learning curriculum, teacher professional development program, and the Changing Climate, Changing Culture interactive learning center at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland, WI. The presentation will highlight the emerging climate change and culture outreach partnership between UW-Extension, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, U.S. Forest Service, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the Wisconsin State Historical Society with funding from Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program-NOAA.

 

 

Nonconforming Structures and the Impact of 2011 WI Act 170 on Shoreland Zoning Ordinances

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

On April 2, 2012, Governor Walker signed 2011 Wisconsin Act 170, which modifies the regulation of nonconforming structures under s. 59.69(10) and s. 59.692 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Act 170 represents a significant change in statewide policy governing nonconforming structures, and reduced the flexibility counties had in the development of a shoreland ordinance that more stringently regulated nonconforming structures and substandard lots in shoreland zones. The presentation will describe the legislation, its impact on shoreland zoning ordinances.

 

 

My Healthy Wetlands

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

Learn about the land stewardship resources that are available to wetland landowners, and share your thoughts on new tools that would help better protect wetlands in your communities.

 

 

Lessons Learned: The AIS Budget Initiative and How to Mobilize Locally

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

This session will increase your understanding about how to influence public policy and mobilize locally by examining the lessons learned in researching, developing, and advocating for an ambitious statewide AIS budget initiative.

 

Decontamination Recommendations for Aquatic Invasive Species

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

Come and learn about the latest thinking on decontamination of recreational equipment to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Wisconsin has a well-established set of effective prevention steps to stop the spread of AIS (Inspect, Remove, Drain, and Never Move plants or live fish). However, there are some situations when additional precautions are recommended. In the fall of 2012, an ad-hoc committee was assembled to develop statewide guidance on when, where, and how to decontaminate recreational equipment to help stop the spread of AIS. This session will introduce the draft AIS decontamination guidelines developed by the committee and will collect public comments on the topic.

 

Bad River Watershed & Mining Concerns

Thursday, 1:30-2:30 pm

A proposal is in development to create an open pit iron mine between Upson and Mellen in the coming years. As this mining proposal develops, we are following closely to gauge how a project like this will affect our watershed community. Like many of you, we are interested in the potential economic benefits this may bring. And also like many of you, we are greatly concerned about how this could affect our groundwater, streams, fish, wildlife, forests, and many other resources we have come to rely on. There is no doubt that this potential development will bring a big change to our watershed, and there are many unanswered questions as to what these changes will look like and how they will affect all of us and our water resources. As we would with any other local issue, the BRWA is working to provide local people with facts and important information to consider as we all deliberate and form our opinions about this issue. Additionally, as we would with any other local issue, we are working to ensure that local people have a voice in what happens to their watershed. We provide some information here to educate citizens on the watershed and the impacts a project of this scale could have on our local resources.

 

 

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