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Updated March 12, 2026 - 10:00 a.m.
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What's Buzzing Right Now?
Red-Hot Topic
The news out of Madison this week isn’t the best for Oneida County lakes.
Assembly Bill 1033 was scheduled for a public hearing yesterday. It would establish a 200’ setback from shore for wakeboats. It did not address minimum depth or local control. This bill provided minimal protection for our shorelines, no protection for our near shore underwater habitats which are critical for fish and overall lake health, and puts at risk every enhanced wake town ordinance already on the books.
You can find Bill 1033 here: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/proposals/ab1033.
Assembly Bill 1033 was scheduled for a public hearing yesterday. It would establish a 200’ setback from shore for wakeboats. It did not address minimum depth or local control. This bill provided minimal protection for our shorelines, no protection for our near shore underwater habitats which are critical for fish and overall lake health, and puts at risk every enhanced wake town ordinance already on the books.
You can find Bill 1033 here: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/related/proposals/ab1033.
Update: 2/19/2026
Hard to keep all this straight on the wake boat bill, but here's the latest on this from Wisconsin Lakes, an organization all of us should be supporting if we aren't already:
"What Happened: On Thursday, February 19, Assembly Bill 1033 — the pro-wake sport, pro-industry bill — was amended to include provisions establishing Sandhill crane hunting permits. The amended bill was then brought to a vote and passed in the Assembly.
While the Assembly was amending and voting on AB1033, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government was holding a public hearing on Senate Bill 1024 (good bill) and Senate Bill 1025 (bad bill).
When the committee chair was asked about the impact of the amended passage of AB 1033, he stated that the action effectively ends further consideration of wake sport legislation this session, as there is no time remaining to address the changes.
So . . . for now, the bill rests in the ether, but likely not forgotten, and certainly should not be forgotten by rest of us.
"What Happened: On Thursday, February 19, Assembly Bill 1033 — the pro-wake sport, pro-industry bill — was amended to include provisions establishing Sandhill crane hunting permits. The amended bill was then brought to a vote and passed in the Assembly.
While the Assembly was amending and voting on AB1033, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government was holding a public hearing on Senate Bill 1024 (good bill) and Senate Bill 1025 (bad bill).
When the committee chair was asked about the impact of the amended passage of AB 1033, he stated that the action effectively ends further consideration of wake sport legislation this session, as there is no time remaining to address the changes.
So . . . for now, the bill rests in the ether, but likely not forgotten, and certainly should not be forgotten by rest of us.
Wake Enhanced Boating Bills SB 1025 AND SB 1024 are in the Senate and will be heard at public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 19, 11:30 a.m., Room 411 South-State Capitol Building, Madison.
SB 1025:
SB 1024 (closely aligned with Oneida County Resolution 12-2024, see attached):
NOW is the time to make a phone call, send an email, or attend Thursday’s public hearing to provide public comment. You can find your senator’s contact information here:
https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/?lat=&lon=&address= .
Please know the Oneida County Conservation & UWEX Education Committee is addressing this development as well.
Thanks for all you do for our lakes and rivers!
SB 1025:
- 300’ minimum distance from shore
- Zero depth restrictions
- No mention of local control
SB 1024 (closely aligned with Oneida County Resolution 12-2024, see attached):
- 500’ minimum distance from shore
- 20’ minimum depth
- Maintains local control
NOW is the time to make a phone call, send an email, or attend Thursday’s public hearing to provide public comment. You can find your senator’s contact information here:
https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/?lat=&lon=&address= .
Please know the Oneida County Conservation & UWEX Education Committee is addressing this development as well.
Thanks for all you do for our lakes and rivers!
Update 2/12/2026
Wakesurfing Bill AB 1033 has passed through the State Committee on Government Affairs with a vote of 7-3. It was presented to the committee with a 200’ distance from shore restriction and did not address minimum depth or local control. However, the bill was amended to 300’ minimum distance from shore at yesterday’s public hearing. AB 1033 is better than how it was 1st presented to the Government Affairs Committee, however it still makes no mention of minimum depth or local control. This means it lacks protection for underwater habitats and may put every enhanced wake town ordinance at risk. The next step for this bill is the full Assembly. If you would like to see the public hearing from yesterday go here: https://wiseye.org/2026/02/11/assembly-committee-on-state-affairs-55/
There is a counter proposal out there, ‘Preserve Wisconsin’s Lakes Bill’, but it is only designated with an LRB (Legislative Reference Bureau) number (6365) at this time, and has not been given an official bill number or hearing date. This proposal would restrict wakesurfing to 500’ from shore and 20’ depth minimum. It also permits local control. To find out more about this proposal go here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/65123098aceded4ec8820be6/t/698a66f3995bb57fbd283f77/1770678003396/90+Wisconsin+Groups+Praise+REAL+Lakes+Protection+Bill+final+%28003%29.pdf
This continues to be one of those times where citizens can make a significant impact in protecting our lakes. Now is the time to make a phone call or send an email in favor or opposition to AB 1033 or urge your representative to support LRB 6365. You can find your legislators’ contact information here: https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/?lat=&lon=&address= .
Please know the Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department is following these developments closely. We’ll keep updating our website at www.oclw.org as soon as we receive new information.
Thanks for all you do for our lakes and rivers!
Wakesurfing Bill AB 1033 has passed through the State Committee on Government Affairs with a vote of 7-3. It was presented to the committee with a 200’ distance from shore restriction and did not address minimum depth or local control. However, the bill was amended to 300’ minimum distance from shore at yesterday’s public hearing. AB 1033 is better than how it was 1st presented to the Government Affairs Committee, however it still makes no mention of minimum depth or local control. This means it lacks protection for underwater habitats and may put every enhanced wake town ordinance at risk. The next step for this bill is the full Assembly. If you would like to see the public hearing from yesterday go here: https://wiseye.org/2026/02/11/assembly-committee-on-state-affairs-55/
There is a counter proposal out there, ‘Preserve Wisconsin’s Lakes Bill’, but it is only designated with an LRB (Legislative Reference Bureau) number (6365) at this time, and has not been given an official bill number or hearing date. This proposal would restrict wakesurfing to 500’ from shore and 20’ depth minimum. It also permits local control. To find out more about this proposal go here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/65123098aceded4ec8820be6/t/698a66f3995bb57fbd283f77/1770678003396/90+Wisconsin+Groups+Praise+REAL+Lakes+Protection+Bill+final+%28003%29.pdf
This continues to be one of those times where citizens can make a significant impact in protecting our lakes. Now is the time to make a phone call or send an email in favor or opposition to AB 1033 or urge your representative to support LRB 6365. You can find your legislators’ contact information here: https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/?lat=&lon=&address= .
Please know the Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department is following these developments closely. We’ll keep updating our website at www.oclw.org as soon as we receive new information.
Thanks for all you do for our lakes and rivers!
Restoration Works: A Summer of Shoreline Science
by Madeline Hetland, Littoral Zones Fellow at Trout Lake Station and
Extension Lakes Student Assistant, UW-Stevens Point
Extension Lakes Student Assistant, UW-Stevens Point
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Many of you may remember Madeline Hetland, former AIS Lead Project Assistant for the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department. Madeline spent the summer at the Trout Lake Station and she has been featured in the cover article in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Lake Tides. Please read her article, "Restoration Works" by clicking the button above.
Also read "A Hunter of Dragons", by Paul Skawinski, Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Statewide Educator, Extension Lakes. |
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Are You Interested in
Helping to Reduce Light Pollution?
Did you know that 80% of Americans cannot see the Milky Way; 35% of outdoor light is wasted, costing about 3 billion dollars to literally be lost to space; and fireflies, hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, and owls are some of the animals most affected by light pollution?
Artificial light can interrupt natural body rhythms in both humans and animals. An increased amount of light at night can lower melatonin production resulting in sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress, anxiety and other problems. Studies also show that light pollution can influence animal behaviors like migration patterns, wake-sleep habits, and habitat formation. Because of light pollution, sea turtles and birds guided by moonlight can become confused, lose their way and die.
Artificial light can interrupt natural body rhythms in both humans and animals. An increased amount of light at night can lower melatonin production resulting in sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress, anxiety and other problems. Studies also show that light pollution can influence animal behaviors like migration patterns, wake-sleep habits, and habitat formation. Because of light pollution, sea turtles and birds guided by moonlight can become confused, lose their way and die.
Insect populations, a primary source of food for birds and other animals are drawn to artificial lights and instantly killed upon contact.
Safety-related dangers that come with poor visibility at night are caused by glaring lights or bad lighting design, which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky, where it is wasted instead of focusing light downward, where it does the most good. There are simple measures we can take to make our use of nighttime lighting most effective.
To watch a presentation on this important topic, go to the INSECT DECLINE page.
Safety-related dangers that come with poor visibility at night are caused by glaring lights or bad lighting design, which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky, where it is wasted instead of focusing light downward, where it does the most good. There are simple measures we can take to make our use of nighttime lighting most effective.
- Install useful light only
- Aim the light down
- Remember that brighter isn’t always better
- Choose LEDs wisely – color does matter
- Use motion sensing lights or timers to help reduce illumination levels and save energy
- Turn off unnecessary indoor lighting at night, particularly empty office buildings
- Outdoor light fixtures that shield the light source can minimize glare and help prevent light pollution
To watch a presentation on this important topic, go to the INSECT DECLINE page.
EPA Recognizes Air Quality
In Rhinelander;
Entire State Now Meets Latest Sulfur
Dioxide Air Quality Standard
Contact: DNR Office of Communications
[email protected]
MADISON, Wis. –
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the Rhinelander area will be formally redesignated to attainment of the most recent federal air quality standard for sulfur dioxide.
Analyses of air monitoring and modeling data show that air concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the area meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard set to protect human health and the environment. The Rhinelander area also meets all other standards for all air pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
“People in the Rhinelander area are breathing cleaner, healthier air due to EPA’s partnership with the state of Wisconsin,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Reducing sulfur dioxide pollution in the air is especially helpful for vulnerable populations.”
This designation officially recognizes that the air quality in the Rhinelander area is meeting this health-based air quality standard. As a result, the entire state of Wisconsin now meets the latest sulfur dioxide air quality standard.
“Meeting the 2010 sulfur dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard has been a complex process involving many areas of the DNR’s Air Management Program, EPA and facilities in Wisconsin,” said Gail Good, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Acting Environmental Management Division Administrator.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an air pollutant regulated under both the federal Clean Air Act and Wisconsin state law. The largest source of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities. Exposure to sulfur dioxide can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult. Sulfur dioxide emissions can also damage foliage and crops, form acid rain and increase haze.
Based on monitored air quality data, a portion of Oneida County near Rhinelander was designated as nonattainment of the sulfur dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard in 2013. Following this designation, the DNR’s Air Management program worked closely with the Ahlstrom-Munksjö Rhinelander paper mill, the facility primarily responsible for sulfur dioxide emissions in the area, to identify and implement new emissions control measures. As a result of these actions, the monitored sulfur dioxide concentrations decreased by over 75%, and the area’s air quality began meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standard in 2018.
“This widespread improvement in sulfur dioxide levels across the state is an air quality success story,” Good said. “Emissions of sulfur dioxide from Wisconsin sources are approximately 90% lower than 2002 levels, with most of this decline attributable to the use of cleaner-burning fuels at power plants and industrial facilities, along with the introduction of low-sulfur diesel fuels.”
[email protected]
MADISON, Wis. –
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the Rhinelander area will be formally redesignated to attainment of the most recent federal air quality standard for sulfur dioxide.
Analyses of air monitoring and modeling data show that air concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the area meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard set to protect human health and the environment. The Rhinelander area also meets all other standards for all air pollutants regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
“People in the Rhinelander area are breathing cleaner, healthier air due to EPA’s partnership with the state of Wisconsin,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “Reducing sulfur dioxide pollution in the air is especially helpful for vulnerable populations.”
This designation officially recognizes that the air quality in the Rhinelander area is meeting this health-based air quality standard. As a result, the entire state of Wisconsin now meets the latest sulfur dioxide air quality standard.
“Meeting the 2010 sulfur dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard has been a complex process involving many areas of the DNR’s Air Management Program, EPA and facilities in Wisconsin,” said Gail Good, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Acting Environmental Management Division Administrator.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an air pollutant regulated under both the federal Clean Air Act and Wisconsin state law. The largest source of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities. Exposure to sulfur dioxide can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult. Sulfur dioxide emissions can also damage foliage and crops, form acid rain and increase haze.
Based on monitored air quality data, a portion of Oneida County near Rhinelander was designated as nonattainment of the sulfur dioxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard in 2013. Following this designation, the DNR’s Air Management program worked closely with the Ahlstrom-Munksjö Rhinelander paper mill, the facility primarily responsible for sulfur dioxide emissions in the area, to identify and implement new emissions control measures. As a result of these actions, the monitored sulfur dioxide concentrations decreased by over 75%, and the area’s air quality began meeting the National Ambient Air Quality Standard in 2018.
“This widespread improvement in sulfur dioxide levels across the state is an air quality success story,” Good said. “Emissions of sulfur dioxide from Wisconsin sources are approximately 90% lower than 2002 levels, with most of this decline attributable to the use of cleaner-burning fuels at power plants and industrial facilities, along with the introduction of low-sulfur diesel fuels.”
Deer Donation Program
Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR
Hunters Encouraged To Participate in DNR's Deer Donation Program,
"Deer Donations Help Wisconsinites in Need"
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages hunters to donate Wisconsin-harvested deer through the DNR’s Deer Donation Program. The program helps stock food pantries for the upcoming holiday season and supports residents in need throughout the state.
Since the program began in 2000, hunters have donated 98,000 deer, totaling over 3.9 million pounds of venison, to help Wisconsinites in need.
Wisconsin has a network of venison donation partners, including county land and water conservation departments, food pantries, charitable organizations, USDA - Wildlife Services, and participating meat processors, who all help implement and administer the program.
“This is a great opportunity for hunters to showcase their sportsmanship and help individuals in their local communities facing food insecurity,” said DNR program administrator Grace Nugent. According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, more than 900,000 Wisconsin residents received food assistance in 2022. “There is a big demand for venison provided through the Deer Donation Program, and we are hopeful hunters will continue to donate their deer and help those in need.”
Hunters interested in donating a Wisconsin-harvested deer to the DNR’s Deer Donation Program should follow these steps:
Visit Wisconsin’s Deer Donation Program webpage to learn more about the program.
"Deer Donations Help Wisconsinites in Need"
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages hunters to donate Wisconsin-harvested deer through the DNR’s Deer Donation Program. The program helps stock food pantries for the upcoming holiday season and supports residents in need throughout the state.
Since the program began in 2000, hunters have donated 98,000 deer, totaling over 3.9 million pounds of venison, to help Wisconsinites in need.
Wisconsin has a network of venison donation partners, including county land and water conservation departments, food pantries, charitable organizations, USDA - Wildlife Services, and participating meat processors, who all help implement and administer the program.
“This is a great opportunity for hunters to showcase their sportsmanship and help individuals in their local communities facing food insecurity,” said DNR program administrator Grace Nugent. According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, more than 900,000 Wisconsin residents received food assistance in 2022. “There is a big demand for venison provided through the Deer Donation Program, and we are hopeful hunters will continue to donate their deer and help those in need.”
Hunters interested in donating a Wisconsin-harvested deer to the DNR’s Deer Donation Program should follow these steps:
- Field dress the deer.
- Register the deer through GameReg. Please note the registration confirmation number and keep it on hand when dropping off the deer.
- Test the deer for CWD before taking the deer to a processor if harvested from a CWD-affected county. A list of CWD sampling locations is available on the DNR’s Sampling For Chronic Wasting Disease webpage.
- Call ahead. Contact a participating processor before dropping off the deer to make sure they have space to accept it. More processors may be added later in the season, so check back if you don’t see one currently in your area.
- Bring the deer to the processor. If donating a deer being tested for CWD, inform the processor and provide the CWD barcode number. The processor will not distribute the deer until the results are known.
Visit Wisconsin’s Deer Donation Program webpage to learn more about the program.
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