Recently, Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA) launched a series of projects to educate local decision-makers about the public benefits of wetlands, and to help local governments better protect local wetlands. Through this work, we have significantly improved our own understanding of the challenges local governments face when administering wetland protection land use policies, and have come to recognize that local governments need better tools and resources, and much more support, for their wetland protection efforts.
Land Use and Wetlands:
A Local Decision Makers' Guide to Wetland Conservation
The purpose of the publication is to improve wetland protection and reduce wetland controversies by providing town, village, city and county land use officials with basic information about how wetlands benefit Wisconsin’s communities and practical steps they can take to improve consideration of wetlands and wetland laws in local land use decision-making.
The target audience for the Local Decision Makers Guide is those elected, appointed, or volunteer land use officials who may not have extensive education on wetland functions and the connection between land use decisions and wetland health. Land use officials who may find the Guide helpful when evaluating projects or proposals that impact wetlands include:
- Boards of Supervisors
- Boards of Adjustments or Appeals
- Common Councils
- Planning, Zoning, and Land Conservation Committees or Commissions
In addition, local and regional administrators and staff may find the publication helpful when engaging and assisting a variety of stakeholders on wetland land use issues. The Guide can also be used by citizens and watershed organizations as a resource to help encourage open and productive communication with land use officials about the value of protecting and restoring local wetlands.
Land Use and Wetlands:
Zoning Opportunities to Improve Wetland Protection **New**
The purpose of this project was to develop detailed recommendations for how local governments can amend land use ordinances to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing wetland land use policies and programs.
By February 2012 local governments are required to update their shoreland zoning ordinances to comply with new requirements under Chapter NR 115 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
Though the new rule does not substantially change minimum standards for shoreland-wetland protection, the ordinance revision process provides an opportunity to make local land use regulations more consistent with, or even more effective than, federal and state wetlands laws.
Our recommendations are based on findings from an inventory of the zoning and subdivision ordinances of Wisconsin’s 15 Coastal Counties. Though the research was limited to coastal counties, the findings and recommendations derived from it have applications for counties, cities, villages and towns across the state.
- Click here to download a copy of the recommendations.
This publication is intended to provide a variety of recommendations, and options within each recommendation, that local governments may choose to explore, adopt, and implement at their discretion.
Click on the boxes below to learn more about wetlands, wetland laws, and practical steps local land use decision makers can take to protect and restore the ecological, economic, and social benefits provided to Wisconsin’s communities.
Questions about how to encourage better consideration of wetland concerns in local land use decision making should be directed to WWA’s Wetland Policy Specialist, Kyle Magyera at kyle.magyera[at]wisconsinwetlands.org / 608.250.9971.
