Letter to the Editor: Vote for candidate who wants clean, abundant water

By TAMARA DEAN | Viola

I’m worried about water. As a kid in Michigan, I spent my summers fishing, swimming, and paddling rivers and lakes. As an adult in Wisconsin, I still do all those things. I feel lucky to live in a state known for its abundant freshwater. But I wonder how long our water will be fresh or abundant.

In the last five years, our state government has enacted several policies that threaten our water’s quality and availability. And it’s disappointing to learn that Rep. Lee Nerison has been voting for these policies.

More than once, he voted to weaken shoreland zoning. For example, he voted to prohibit counties from deciding what kind of surfaces, structures, or vegetation can exist near their waterways. Shoreland zoning helps prevent harmful runoff, which can lead to toxic algal blooms like the one that poisoned Toledo’s drinking water sources in August 2014. Now, Wisconsin’s state rules, which are feeble compared with local ordinances, are imposed on every municipality.

More than once, Rep. Nerison voted to roll back protections for wetlands so that developments such as retail outlets could drain and fill them to build on. Wetlands guard against flooding. They provide unique habitat for many creatures who can’t thrive elsewhere. And they’re a critical filter for clean water, the kind that flows into our trout streams.

Also, Rep. Nerison introduced a bill to curtail the DNR’s ability to reassess high-capacity well permits. It would have meant that anyone with a high-capacity well (a well with a pump capacity of 70 or more gallons per minute) could keep removing the same amount of water from the ground forever, no matter how many other wells were dug nearby, how much water levels in nearby creeks diminished, or how the drawdowns affected neighbors.

I’d like to be represented by someone who thinks about the future of Wisconsin’s water. Will there be enough to irrigate our fields? Will our rivers and lakes will be clean enough to fish and swim in? Is it safe to drink from our wells?

I know that Alicia Leinberger, who has two young daughters, a strong record of public service, and a background in conservation biology and renewable energy, is thinking about the future. She’s concerned about everyone’s right to clean, abundant water. That’s why I’m voting for Alicia for the 96th District Assembly seat in November. I urge you to do the same.

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