The River Alliance is a staff of 10, two consultants, some eager interns and a board of directors of 13, and using about a million dollars a year to do our work.  There are 5.7 million people in Wisconsin and over 84,000 miles of streams and rivers.  We are not daunted by the apparent enormity of our task, given our humble resources.   

Indeed, we are inspired by the great people we meet every day in our work - the thousands of good souls across the state who suffer boring meetings, endure the wrath of their neighbors, burn through many tanks of gas, burrow into the minutiae of rules and policies, and yank on invasive species, all in the cause of defending their favorite river.  

Their reward?  The satisfaction of knowing that their river and the state of Wisconsin are better places for their efforts, and they get a few minutes of fame under the warm glow of River Alliance's spotlight.  You'll hear from a few of our river friends in these stories.     

You can also read all about these folks and more in the latest issue of our print newsletter The FLOW, available online as a pdf. 

Our lawmakers are back at work with their figurative pickaxes, prospecting for a shiny new mining law. What exactly they will eventually dig up remains a mystery to everyone. Last week the Senate Select Committee on Mining held another public hearing on an alternative bill to Assembly Bill 426, the disastrous ferrous mining bill that was defeated by a single vote in the Senate last session. Since the last set of hearings in October, the political landscape has shifted in Wisconsin.  

No surprise then, that the intrigue level at the hearing was high, with the Wisconsin Mining Association (WMA) representatives, on record criticizing AB426, choosing their words carefully beneath the watchful eye of WI Manufacturing and Commerce (WMC), who is championing the very same bill. Add to that Monday's announcement that the head of WMA, Tim Sullivan, has accepted a board position on a rival company to Gogebic (for whom AB 426 was written). You confused yet? You're not alone. Here's what we do know: 

1. The republican majority in Senate has grown, and it's likely that a version of AB426 will be introduced early next year. Unless Sen. Dale Schultz finds allies within his party, the bill will pass the Senate.

2. Federal agencies and tribal interests have testified that AB426 is incompatible with federal timelines and with federal trust responsibilities to First Nations. Even though this bill was supposed to streamline the permitting of ferrous mines in WI, it may have just the opposite effect.

3.There is talk of then opening up our existing sulfide mining law to changes as well. This is likely what the Senate Mining Committee will tackle in today's hearing (You can see the outline of their major issues posted at The Wheeler Report.). Expect to hear lots of talk about the mining moratorium and about how much the public should have a say in the permitting process.     

We will continue to fight hard to protect clean water and prevent the rollback of environmental protections and public involvement in the permitting of mines. Stay tuned for how you can get involved.

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