Chairperson
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Senate President
October
21
, 2011
The Honorable, the Senate:
Pursuant to Senate Rule
46 (2)(c), I am writing to inform you that I have directed the following proposal(s) to be withdrawn from committee and rereferred. I have obtained the consent of the appropriate standing committee chairperson and the chairperson of the committee on Senate Organization.
Assembly Bill
229
, relating to
repealing a prohibition on certain nonessential uses of natural gas,
withdrawn from committee on Natural Resources and Environment and rereferred to committee on Energy, Biotechnology, and Consumer Protection.
Sincerely,
MICHAEL G. ELLIS
Senate President
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University of Wisconsin
Hospital and Clinics
October 1, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Attached please find a copy of the UWHC Authority report on patient care, education, research, community service activities and a draft audited financial statement required under Wis. Stat. 233.04 (1).
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or desire additional information.
Sincerely,
donna katen-bahensky
President and CEO
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State of Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
October 11, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
Aquatic invasive species threaten Wisconsin's lakes, rivers and wetlands. They disrupt the natural balance of species in our waters and can take the fun out of boating, fishing, and swimming. Getting out on the water is an integral part of Wisconsin life and lakes are the economic engines of many rural counties and urban waterfronts. I am proud to report on the hard work of many committed volunteers and partners. Wisconsin has made significant progress in its efforts against unwanted invaders during 2010-2011.
Our plan for protecting the waters of Wisconsin is straightforward, and is implemented in a variety of ways by volunteers and staff in communities across the state.
In the following pages, you will read about the state's efforts to control aquatic invasive species (AIS) along with a few highlights over the past year. To get the most up-to-date information about Wisconsin's efforts to control aquatic invasive species, please visit our webpage at
www.dnr.wi.gov/invasives.
Prevent AIS from reaching Wisconsin
When I travel around the state and listen to our partners I am constantly impressed with the passion and commitment they show in sharing the prevention message. Clean Boats, Clean Waters inspectors spend countless hours at boat launches conducting watercraft inspections. Local AIS partners post AIS boat landing signs reminding boaters of required AIS prevention steps. County and regional AIS coordinators hold monitoring and watercraft inspection trainings all in an effort to educate and encourage active participation in the fight against AIS. I feel energized by our partners and know together we are making a difference and slowing the spread of AIS.
Contain the spread of invasive species already present within the state
We owe it to ourselves, our state and our next generation to stop the expansion of AIS. We need to draw a line in the sand that says "no more"! We need to impress upon those that enjoy our waters that by following those four simple preventative steps we CAN prevent the expansion of AIS, whether it's plants, mussels, or fish. Inspect, Remove, Drain and Never Move Live Fish are known to be effective actions at stopping the spread of AIS. The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network and Project Riverine Early Detection (RED) are early detection monitoring programs key in the containment of AIS. By detecting AIS early we stand a better chance to eradicate or manage the population to minimize the chance for it to spread to other waterways or other parts of a lake or river corridor.
Control damage caused by those that become established
Sustaining control pressure on Eurasian water-milfoil (EWM) or curly-leaf pondweed with little hope of eradication may seem insurmountable. The cost and adverse impacts to native species and recreation should reinforce the importance of prevention and containment. However, we are gaining new insights into AIS control and I believe existing research will provide cause for optimism. Two areas gaining momentum are; early season Eurasian-water milfoil control and zebra/quagga mussel control.
S523
Our partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers has provided Wisconsin with information on controlling EWM that was unheard of 10 years ago. New research being conducted at the US Geological Survey in LaCrosse on a common bacteria indicates that under the right laboratory conditions it will produce a by-product that will control zebra and quagga mussels without harming other organisms. It's hard to be patient when I hear about things like this, but the immense progress we have seen in control technology in just the past five years shows the importance of good science, especially when working with our natural resources.
Making a difference:
People make the difference! Whether I'm riding with our Water Guards as they head out to the landings to talk to boaters or am listening to citizens at the Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference in Minong and the Wisconsin Lakes Convention in Green Bay, I'm constantly reminded of the dedication of our partners to protect our waters from AIS. The phenomenal success of this year's 4th of July "Landing Blitz" tells me that people feel so strongly about this subject that they are willing to volunteer their time to stand at a local boat launch and talk to boaters on a holiday weekend. There are many examples of people making the difference in this Partnership and I wish I could meet them all and say thank you! This is truly a Partnership for success.
I hope the following pages give you a picture of this Partnership's accomplishments. Yes, there is more to do, but we are all up to the challenge.
Thanks for your support!
Sincerely,
Bob Wakeman
Statewide Coordinator
Aquatic Invasive Species
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
October 18, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Maas
, Mary,
of Tomah, as a member of the State Fair Park Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2016.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Workforce Development, Small Business, and Tourism.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
October 18, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Oemichen, William,
of Madison, as a member of the College Savings Program Board, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2015.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Higher Education.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
October 18, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Schroeder, Daniel,
of Hartland, as a member of the Psychology Examining Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2015.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
October 18, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Thorman, Michele Anne,
of La Crosse, as a member of the Physical Therapy Examining Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2015.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
October 18, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Woodfill, Christopher,
of Delavan, as a member of the Sign Language Interpreters Council, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2014.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue.
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