Officials with 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, the Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin noted the good things for conservation and green policy-making in Gov. Jim Doyle's 2007-'09 proposed budget in today's Madison Capital Times.

These leaders rightly suggest Doyle should be praised for Stewardship program land purchase increases, re-introduction of the office of public intervenor, and other initiatives aimed at wetland and river restorations.

In fact, I'll throw in his Grow Milwaukee initiative, because a strong big city helps the environment as an attractive alternative choice to suburban sprawl.

By the same token, Doyle's budget would be even better if it had more funding for transit and less for new highway construction, but give Doyle his due: his budget is one of the better for Wisconsin's environment in many years.

I blogged on this topic and several related recently at http://thepolitcalenvironment.blogspot.com/