Fall is here and with it came a dizzying array of conferences and gatherings that brought together professional and other key audiences for learning and knowledge exchange among peers. Events like these provide opportunities for Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA) staff to promote wetlands as solutions, to share examples of what that can look like from WWA’s work, and to help participants see how wetlands conservation might help address the issues they face where they live and work.
We’re providing a roundup of these recent appearances—five events in eight days, to illustrate the breadth of audiences WWA currently works to engage:
Wisconsin Towns Convention | October 14th, Wisconsin Dells
WWA collaborated with the Wisconsin Towns Association and Trout Unlimited to facilitate a workshop for town road managers focused on opportunities to identify and restore degraded hydrology to protect vulnerable roads, culverts, and bridges.
National Association of Wetland Managers | October 14th, Virtual
WWA presented an overview of an EPA-funded collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to an audience of state and local wetland program managers working across EPA’s Region 5. The presentation highlighted a series of trainings developed and delivered to help build capacity for hydrologic restoration as an agricultural management practice.
Wisconsin Land Information Association | October 14th (yes, that’s three events on one day!), Madison
WWA staff attended this annual meeting for continuing education on spatial analysis tools and methods, to learn more about WLIA’s policy priorities, and to hear about challenges encountered in their role as the developers and distributors of spatial data critical to land and water managers.
Wisconsin Association of Floodplain, Stormwater, and Coastal Managers | October 15-16, Eau Claire
WWA staff attended and presented at this gathering of engineers representing private sector consultants and local units of government. We co-headlined an invited plenary panel (pictured above) focused on navigating regulatory challenges associated with beneficial projects, where we shared details of the federally proposed Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act. We also hosted a break-out session promoting the availability of, and eligibility requirements for, the state’s new General Permit for Hydrologic Restoration.
Midwest Climate Resilience Conference | October 20-21, Milwaukee
WWA staff presented at, and helped facilitate, a workshop sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission (GLC). The purpose of the workshop was to generate input for updates to GLC’s, Great Lakes Action Plan. WWA’s remarks promoted our natural flood management work in the Lake Superior Basin as an underutilized and cost-effective approach to help flood prone communities increase the resilience of transportation infrastructure.
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New Hydrologic Restoration General Permit available!
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Wisconsin Towns Association Guest Column: Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Bill