NR115; New rules will help protect lakes, rivers

Janesville Gazette Op-ed


...Enter NR115, a set of proposed rules governing everything from setbacks for buildings to shoreline buffers and types of vegetation. The rules have undergone numerous rewrites. Large crowds have offered the Department of Natural Resources feedback at public hearings.

...The apathetic can ignore the debate and let the DNR enact whatever rules it wants. Yet if you own shoreland property or enjoy time on the water, we urge you to pay attention.

...After all, many people criticize the DNR-some for being too protective of resources, others for allowing environmental damage. You don't have to look any further than the Rock-Koshkonong Lake District, where a majority of residents voted July 30 to fight the DNR's limits on the lake's water level.