– Editorial – - Don’t roll back environmental protections

Wisconsin has a strong tradition of environmental stewardship, that transcends political ideology. Coalitions of hunters, anglers, outdoorsmen and environmental activists, have worked together for generations, to ensure that Wisconsin’s waters, woods and air are clean. The safeguards put in place to ensure that Wisconsin stays this way, are under attack, in a misguided attempt to roll back environmental protections, in pursuit of more money for CEOs and corporate bottom lines. Pres. Donald Trump’s proposed EPA budget was published in May. It proposed to zero out federal funding that supports the supervision of most environmental protection programs in Wisconsin. If the proposal goes through, this would be devastating to programs that rely on federal support to continue to enforce the rules, to keep the waters clean and the air clear. While the president can set a course, it is up to Congress, with the power of the purse strings, to give or take away the money to get the job done. The House of Representatives has proposed a budget that calls for a 15 percent cut, to the Clean Water Act Non-point Section 319 and has proposed cuts of 31 percent, to the Clean Water Act Pollution Control Section 106. These proposed cuts could affect implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, among many other state and federal laws. Stewardship organizations are already bracing for cuts, by scaling down workforces, through attrition and implementing spending cuts, as a way to remain viable and focus on essential programs. Much like state troopers enforcing speed limits on freeways, environmental rules get a bad rap, by those who want to speed through and take shortcuts. Wisconsin is a long way from the time when rivers and wetlands were seen as handy dumping grounds, for trash and industrial waste. Rivers and wildlife areas have been restored, one load of old tires and broken bottles at a time. Drastic cuts to enforcement of environmental regulations could quickly undo the decades of backbreaking labor, and incremental improvements. Beyond the aesthetics of having clean rivers, lakes and woods, there is a very real economic impact to maintaining strong environmental protections. According to the The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, in 2024, Wisconsin’s outdoor recreation industry hit new records, contributing $11.2 billion to the state’s economy – a 9.4 percent increase from 2023. Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) reports that growth outpaced the national average of 9 percent. Even Wisconsin manufacturing gets a boost from outdoor recreation. Manufacturing of outdoors equipment, including boats, motorcycles, ATVs, fishing equipment and others, contribute 96,000 jobs to the Wisconsin economy, and feed billions of dollars into the state’s economy. Rep. Tom Tiffany knows the importance of clean air and waters in Wisconsin. Call on Tiffany and others in Congress, to be strong stewards and resist rollback of common-sense environmental protections. Members of the Courier Sentinel editorial board include publisher Carol O’Leary, general manager Kris O’Leary and Star News editor Brian Wilson.