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Encourage Wetland Restoration in Agricultural Landscapes

Property tax concerns taken up by Conservation Congress

April 4, 2006

 

The 2006 Conservation Congress Spring Hearing Ballot includes an important advisory question (#68) encouraging the Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to work with other state agencies to evaluate and remedy economic disincentives to wetland restoration and other conservation practices on Wisconsin’s farms. Read below and in the adjacent sidebar for more information about this issue and how you can help eliminate property tax penalties imposed when wetlands are restorated in agricultural landscapes.

In This Alert

·  About the Conservation Congress

·  About the Wetland Restoration Tax Concern Advisory Question

·  View Wetland Tax Concern Advisory Question

·  How You Can Help



About the Wetland Restoration Tax Concern Advisory Question

(photo by NRCS)

As reported in previous issues of Wetland News and WWA’s quarterly membership newsletter Wisconsin Wetlands, one of Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s (WWA) current policy priorities is to encourage the state to remove economic barriers to wetland restoration and conservation. These barriers are most evident in agricultural landscapes where per acre property taxes on lands in agricultural production are often substantially lower than on adjacent lands set-aside to improve water quality, soil-erosion control and other features (e.g., restored wetlands and buffers). WWA research suggests that tax concerns discourage enrollment in the Wetlands Reserve Program and other federal programs, and also discourage other voluntary on-farm conservation practices.

Advisory question #68 on this year’s Spring Hearing ballot encourages the Natural Resources Board to endorse an inquiry to remedy this problem. A strong show of grassroots support for this resolution will also provide much needed visibility on this important issue.

Click here for more information on WWA’s Wetlands and Taxes project



View Wetland Tax Concern Advisory Question

Click on the link below to view advisory question #68 on Farm Use Value (wetland taxes in agricultural landscapes) and the other questions on the 2006 Conservation Congress Spring Hearing Ballot.

Click here to see the 2006 Conservation Congress Spring Hearing Ballot



How You Can Help

We hope you’ll attend and vote at the Spring Hearing in your county and will forward this alert to friends and family who may also wish to appear in support of this advisory question.

Beyond that, we are looking for one or more representatives from each county to stay through the hearings until this question is heard in the event that more information on the issue is needed from the floor. WWA will provide additional talking points regarding wetland tax concerns for anyone who volunteers to serve in this capacity. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact WWA’s Wetland Policy and Conservation Specialist Erin O’Brien at 608-250-9971.

Thanks in advance to all who attend the Conservation Congress Spring Hearings and cast a vote in support of advisory question #68.

About the Conservation Congress

 

Spring Hearings Details

What
Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Hearings

When
April 10th at 7:00 pm

Where
One location per county (see link below)

The Conservation Congress meets once per year to provide Wisconsin citizens the opportunity to be heard on issues of natural resources concern. You do not need to be a member of the Congress to attend the hearings and vote on issues that matter to you, nor do you need to sit through the entire hearing before you can cast your vote. Please see "About the Wetland Restoration Tax Concern Advisory Question" (at left) for information on an important wetland issue appearing as an advisory question on this year’s ballot. Click here for more information on the Conservation Congress (then click on the "2006 Spring Hearings" links on that page to view the full set of questions on this years’ Spring Ballot).

Click here to find the location of the Conservation Congress hearing in your county.




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phone: 608-250-9971