Environmental groups are reacting against a proposal that restricts county shoreland zoning power.
Language within the state budget passed by the Joint Finance Committee says counties can’t employ stricter standards than those the state requires for what’s built on lakefront properties.
Republican Senator Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst says it will create uniformity.
“To make sure that we’re protective of people’s private property rights, besides being protective of the water resource," he said. "This puts that certainty in place, where this is the standard that we’ll follow in the state of Wisconsin.”
But lake groups and other environmental advocates say looser rules degrade water quality and impact tourism.
Laura Macfarland, Northern Organizer for the River Alliance of Wisconsin, says it will create muddier waters and poor fish habitat.
“One cabin here, one cabin there, one mowed lawn down to the lakeshore, isn’t a big deal," she said "That’s not going to impact our lakeshore. But unfortunately all the cabins on the lake do, they begin to have a cumulative impact. And we need zoning to help us manage that.”
The Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association is calling on the county board to pass a measure asking for the provision to be reversed. The group meets Friday to further discuss the issue.
Shoreline protections aim to prevent erosion and runoff into lakes, as well as maintain shoreline habitat for wildlife. But they mean property owners must follow rules about where and what they can build.
The state budget must pass the legislature, and be signed by Governor Scott Walker.
