MADISON – Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association (WI Land+Water) applauds and strongly supports the recommendation in LRB-3915/1 from the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality to increase county conservation department funding by nearly three million dollars. The Task Force announced their recommendations at a press conference on Wednesday, following a statewide tour that collected input from hundreds of citizens across Wisconsin.

“We heard overwhelmingly at the Task Force hearings throughout the past year that Wisconsin’s county conservation department staff are undisputedly our state’s greatest asset in protecting water quality,” said Matt Krueger, Executive Director of WI Land+Water. “At every hearing, county conservation staff and supervisors presented pragmatic solutions that demonstrated their unique role in helping landowners achieve management goals, while meeting conservation standards at the same time. These folks are the trusted, boots-on-the-ground professionals whose efforts to get conservation practices on the landscape prevent groundwater contamination and improve drinking water conditions. We commend the Task Force for recommending a much-needed increase in funding that will more adequately provide resources for local conservation departments to protect and improve water quality.”

WI Land+Water provided direct testimony to the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality last April, illustrating how, despite funding shortfalls, county conservation departments are making a difference in addressing water quality issues, working with farmers to promote healthy and productive soils, and responding to severe weather events and patterns.

“It is clear that the status quo is not working for water quality and the recommendations by the Task Force are good steps toward helping us change course,” said Krueger. “Wisconsin needs to make a serious commitment to funding conservation and water quality initiatives, which are bipartisan issues – all Wisconsinites need clean water.”

Launched on February 11, 2019, the Task Force is a bicameral, bipartisan effort by the Wisconsin Legislature to determine the extent of statewide drinking water contamination, identify information gaps, and investigate statewide, regional, and local solutions.

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Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association is a nonprofit organization that supports the local and statewide efforts of all county Land Conservation Committee supervisors and conservation staff across Wisconsin. WI Land+Water’s members work directly with landowners, farmers, and citizens to improve land and water management. This boots-on-the-ground approach provides all Wisconsinites with direct access to public assistance and expertise.

It is our mission is to protect, conserve, and enhance Wisconsin's natural resources by advocating for and supporting county conservation efforts, for current and future generations.

Click here watch the full press conference.