There has been good news for those organizing for responsibility on the part of large animal feeding operations (CAFOs.) The conference in early April was a terrific success with good attendance from the concerned as well as ag industry. From this lift there is a new blog on the block Wisconsin_CAFO_Watch that will help organizers network and get news out to state and national environmentalists. Watch some video there from the April Conference.

And perhaps most importantly the DATCP Siting Review Board last Friday reversed the decision of the Crawford County Land and Water Board to give a siting permit to a hog confinement facility expansion planned near the Wisconsin River. The issue was decided because the plan for where the manure would go was not adequate to protect water resources. A press release that was prepared by Midwest Environmental Advocates is below the fold.

While all those pressing for responsible agriculture need to take a moment for a pat on the back, this is just one step on a very long campaign. Keep your eye on that new blog for future developments.

A friend of mine, so miffed by a phone message left by a Gableman supporter (Coalition for America's Families,) got me this recording of the "loophole Louie" rhetoric coming from supporters of Gableman. JSonline doesn't_like the ads from this group. Some_outlets won't run the ads. Of course using telephone messages gets their point across without anyone watching.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check website has a page that finds fault on both sides. This independent source ends with a fairly disgusted opinion of Wisconsin Judicial politics. Listening to the telephone message against Butler, I have to agree.

[press release from Midwest Environmental Advocates

via WisPolitics]

Once again, factory farms get a pass from a major environmental law 2/27/2008

If you live downwind from a mega-farm, don't put away those gas masks just yet.

The Natural Resources Board voted today to approve a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rule that grants "sources of hazardous air pollution associated with agricultural waste" (read: manure) yet another exemption from state requirements concerning toxic air emissions. Now, these sources of pollution won't have to meet state requirements until July 31, 2011.

In these times of political attacks, we now even have Nietzsche joining the fray.

[This in from Peter McKeever]

There has been discussion of an opportunity for activists concerned about factory farms to meet and perhaps consider forming in informal network across the state.

One opportunity to do this will be at Fighting BobFest, September 8, in Baraboo at the Sauk County Fairgrounds.

At noon, there is a breakout session entitled
A Place at the Table: Food, Agriculture and Democracy with Curt Meine, facilitator; Will Allen, Jeanne Merrill and Paul Johnson.

See  http://www.fightingbobfest.org/schedule.htm

This might be an opportunity to begin to collect names and email addresses on a list, meet one another, and quickly consider next steps.

You might want to pass this invitation on to others across the state with whom you have been in touch on this important issue.  This forum should be a good opportunity to raise some questions with the speakers and those in attendance and invite others to participate.

Incidentally, Paul Johnson is an Iowa farmer, former DNR head in Iowa, and former Chief of the NRCS under President Clinton. He is an outstanding agriculture progressive, well worth hearing.

I will be there, standing to one side or the other of the venue, and we perhaps can meet quickly and see if there is interest in a longer discussion.

The Governor's Task Force on Global Warming will hold its first round of public input sessions on August 6, 2007 from 4 to 7 p.m. The session is planned to be held simultaneously in Green Bay, Milwaukee, La Crosse and Madison and is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

If possible, pre-register here. A pdf is at that link that has all the location information for each site.

The task force is made up of "prominent" people - so this is a chance for us non-prominent people to speak. Take this opportunity to speak out on an important issue.

Remembering Hiroshima/Nagasaki August 2007 marks the 62th anniversary
of nuclear weapons use

Sunday evening, August 5, 7-8 PM,
at Cameron Park:
Memorial Service and Remembrance
Bring a candle to light from the Hiroshima flame.
Sponsored by:
The Interfaith Justice and Peace Group;
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration;
Lutheran Office for Justice and Peace;
Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Committee;
Nukewatch.
For more information, call 786-2816.
pdf of the flier attached to this story

There has been much public outcry and last minute action by county committees on the entry of the swine industry into Vernon County Wisconsin. A 999 animal unit swine operation is in the process of getting approval in the area of Retreat, WI. At one public meeting our State Senator Dan Kapanke made these statements about our loss of home rule (from: Vernon County Broadcaster)

Anita Zibton asked State Senator Dan Kapanke about state regulations that seem to prevent local units of government from controlling operations like the one being proposed. Kapanke said the state animal siting regulations in DATCP 51 were developed with many public hearings that took into account many points of view.

"Everybody had a say," Kapanke said. "The whole idea behind the agriculture siting rule is to grow agriculture in Wisconsin. We are an agriculture state. If someone like Jeff wants to put in hog or dairy or chicken operation there are rules and regulations that apply, that are very strict by the way. If they follow the rules as stated, they can do it, and Jeff is doing that."

And yet James_Rowen points out a different story in Manitowoc (covered by the Journal_Sentinel). A story of a DNR unable to act, unwilling to study the situation and in this case a large dairy getting away with polluting Lake Michigan.

So much for "very strict" regulations--by the way.

Climate Change, Our Actions, Our Spiritual Journeys

Intergenerational Retreat sponsored by Waysmeet Quaker Center

5PM Friday May 4 through 1PM Sunday May 6, 2007

Beaver Creek Reserve, Fall Creek WI (near Eau Claire).

We know that our physical sustenance depends on ecosystems that have developed and are dependent on stable climate systems. We are learning how greatly our daily lives and habits affect those systems. The frightening extent of predicted changes deeply affects our emotions and our spiritual lives.

This weekend retreat for families and individuals of all ages will be an opportunity to examine all these facets of climate change and to identify ways we can move forward with positive actions. The program will include a mix of presentations & discussion; art, music, and hands-on activities; and time for self-examination and reflection.

Schedule below the fold...

Hate anyone to miss Daniel Bice's piece at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Brew City Brawler covered_it, but buried it under the Georgia problem)

The mystery is solved.

For weeks, it was unclear who whined to the White House last year that not enough voter fraud cases were being prosecuted in Milwaukee.

Now we know.

The state Republican Party went straight to the top in its efforts to make voter fraud an issue in Wisconsin.

Sources tell No Quarter that Rick Wiley, then the executive director of the state GOP, directed a staffer in 2005 to prepare a 30-page report on election abuses in Wisconsin so Wiley could pass it along to a top White House official.

That document, entitled "Fraud in Wisconsin 2004: A Timeline/Summary," turned up last week in the horde of White House and U.S. Justice Department records released by the House Judiciary Committee, which is investigating the firing of eight U.S. attorneys.

"The report was prepared for Karl Rove," said a source with knowledge of the situation. "Rick wanted it so he could give it to Karl Rove."

Yeah, that Karl Rove, President Bush's political mastermind and his deputy chief of staff.

The same guy who was knee-deep in helping decide which U.S. attorneys to keep or to boot.

Rest at JS