Our "Chamber-of-Commerce-mentality" DNR is planning to issue a "General Permit" that will allow a huge expansion of of dredging in our lakes. A similar proposal was shot down in the legislature last year, but doing this through a general permit would not require legislative approval
Please contact the DNR by March 3rd to oppose this short-sighted and potentially damaging proposal.
More information is available at Wisconsin Lakes.
The permit will allow the following:
- Removal of up to 25 cubic yards of material per landowner on all in land lakeshores in up to 5 feet of water, and 100 cubic yards on the Great Lakes (25 cubic yards is 2 ½ dump trucks)
- Will have limited or non-existent DNR review and oversight.
- No notification of dredging to neighbors or other lake users even though their lakeshore could be negatively impacted.
- Removal of woody debris, trees and other fish and habitat structures.
- May hasten the spread of invasive species between and across lakes.
- May destroy critical riparian habitat and spawning beds
- Deeply flawed protection of endangered species - allowing untrained homeowners to certify that there are no endangered species in the dredged area.