Environment
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Lands & Wildlife | Clean
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Lakes | Climate Change
Issues
Environment Public Lands & Wildlife
The commitment to wilderness and public lands runs deep in Wisconsin. Our state has produced many great leaders in the land conservation movement including former Senator and Governor Gaylord Nelson, Sierra Club founder John Muir, writer and conservationist Aldo Leopold, and Wilderness Society co-founder Sigurd Olson. In the Senate, I am a founder of the bipartisan Wilderness and Public Lands Caucus, and worked with Senator McCain (R-AZ) and 24 of my colleagues to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
Wisconsin's Natural Treasures
From the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Wisconsin is home to several nationally recognized natural treasures. Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a jewel of the Great Lakes and I helped lead successful efforts to designate almost 80 percent of it as federally protected wilderness. The National Wildlife Refuge System is also of great importance to preserving Wisconsin's natural heritage and I am leading Senate efforts, along with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), to address severe funding shortfalls. I was pleased to receive recognition for my efforts in a ceremony at Wisconsin's Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. I have also fought to ensure that forested public lands in Wisconsin receive adequate funding for effective management and to combat invasive species. Wisconsin is home to two national trails, Ice Age National Scenic Trail and the North Country National Scenic Trail, and I have worked to ensure these trails are completed.
Wildlife Habitat
Wisconsin's wildlife is important to our state's strong outdoors tradition. I support important grant programs, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund, North American Wetlands Conservation Act and State Wildlife Grants, that are crucial to conserve and sustain the wildlife and habitats important to preserving Wisconsin's natural heritage for future generations. Given Wisconsin's role as a habitat and refuge for several species of cranes, I introduced the Crane Conservation Act, along with Senator Crapo (R-ID), to promote conservation of crane species within Africa, Asia, Europe and North America through a competitive grant program.
Mining Reform
My Control Spending Now Act (CSNA)—a package of spending cuts and reforms that would reduce federal spending by roughly one half trillion dollars over ten years—includes two provisions targeting our badly outdated mining laws. These laws need to be revamped in order to promote fiscal responsibility and protect our public lands. I introduced the Elimination of Double Subsidies for the Hardrock Mining Industry Act to end the "percentage depletion allowance" for hard rock minerals mined on federal public lands. This antiquated tax deduction method allows mining companies to avoid paying taxes on up to 22 percent of the income that they made from mining public lands, which they are allowed to mine for free.
CSNA also includes a provision that would impose an eight percent royalty on gross mining income produced on federal lands and grant the Department of the Interior permanent authority to collect claim maintenance and location fees, as have historically been paid by miners. Under the current Mining Law, the hardrock mining industry does not pay royalties to the federal treasury for minerals taken from our public lands. By contrast, royalties are paid to the federal government for oil, gas, coal and other leasable minerals.
Reforming the Corps of Engineers
While the Army Corps of Engineers does important work, the tragic failure of Corps-constructed levees during Hurricane Katrina, along with years of government reports showing stunning flaws in Corps projects, demonstrate the need for Corps reform. I have long advocated modernization of the Corps' planning guidelines and independent review of Corps projects to save taxpayer money, prevent potential dangers to public safety, and minimize environmental impacts. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and I led a successful effort to include important Corps reforms in the Senate version of the Water Resources Development Act in 2007, and I was disappointed that the final bill, which I opposed, weakened those reforms. I will continue working to improve the way the Corps operates.
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