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White throated sparrow takes first place in fattest bird competition

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Clara Lincolnhol, Great Lakes Echo

A very round white throated sparrow is the heavyweight champion of the 2025 Wisconsin Fat Bird Week contest.

The bird, coined the “spherical white-throated sparrow,” won by a landslide, receiving 72% of the vote in the final round against its nearest competitor, a “rotund ruby-throated hummingbird.”

The winner made it through eight rounds in the single-elimination, March Madness-style bracket competition against seven other birds.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/white-throated-sparrow-takes-first-place-in-fattest-bird-competition/

Great Lakes Echo

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Hundreds of fish killed by manure runoff in Monroe County

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Manure runoff from a dairy farm in Monroe County killed hundreds of fish in nearby waterways, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The agency first received notice of the spill Saturday from a call to its violation hotline.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/hundreds-of-fish-killed-by-manure-runoff-in-monroe-county/

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It’s ‘all hands on deck’ as hot temps and strong winds bring high risk of wildfires to the Northwoods

 

By Katie Thoresen, WXPR

This story was originally published by WXPR. WXPR is a community-licensed public radio station serving north central Wisconsin and adjacent areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Listen to their stories here.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/its-all-hands-on-deck-as-hot-temps-and-strong-winds-bring-high-risk-of-wildfires-to-the-northwoods/

WXPR

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Wisconsin sees record start to the fire season as climate change drives more blazes

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Wisconsin saw a record number of fires in January and February this year due to a lack of snow as climate change has set the stage for more wildfires.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/04/wisconsin-wildfires-record-climate-change-drought/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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Susan Crawford’s Wisconsin Supreme Court win could be a win for PFAS

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

On Tuesday, April 1, Susan Crawford won Wisconsin’s contentious Supreme Court election.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/04/susan-crawfords-wisconsin-supreme-court-win-could-be-a-win-for-pfas/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

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In: Forests and Plants, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Latest News, manoomin, Michigan, News, Science, Technology, Research, wild rice, Wisconsin
Groups fight to preserve future of Michigan’s indigenous wild rice

By Jena Brooker, BridgeDetroit

This article was republished here with permission from BridgeDetroit.

An origin story, a teacher of life, a relative, and a source of crucial nutrition, manoomin now has a new protector.

Once covering much of Michigan’s inland lakes and streams, the wild rice (also known as mnoomin or mnomen) is indigenous to the Great Lakes region but has largely disappeared due to colonization, environmental degradation, and climate change.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/04/groups-fight-to-preserve-future-of-michigans-indigenous-wild-rice/

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The post Protected: What Drives Lake Winnebago’s Water Levels—and How to Read the Graph Everyone Talks About appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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https://fwwa.org/2025/04/02/reading-the-lake-winnebago-graph/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reading-the-lake-winnebago-graph

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The NFL Draft is coming to Titletown! But before the picks are made… we’ve got some picking of our own to do. This Earth Day—Tuesday, April 22—join the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance and NFL Green for the Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup Preseason Pick-Up, a trail cleanup along Green Bay’s Fox River Trail. We’re getting it ready [...]

The post The NFL Draft Is Coming to Green Bay. Let’s Clear the Field (of Trash). appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2025/04/01/preseason-pick-up-nfl-draft-cleanup-green-bay/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preseason-pick-up-nfl-draft-cleanup-green-bay

Dan Beckwith

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What would the Great Lakes region be like with bullet trains?

A few months ago, I was riding on Amtrak’s new Borealis line from St. Paul, Minn., to Chicago. The train was packed that day, and the new line has proved popular.

My coach seat was much nicer than any airline. Plus, I didn’t have to go through security.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/what-would-the-great-lakes-region-be-like-with-bullet-trains/

Sean Ericson, Great Lakes Now

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The post Protected: Lake Winnebago Ice Out: The Last Ice Is Gone—Here’s What It Means appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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https://fwwa.org/2025/03/25/lake-winnebago-ice-out/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lake-winnebago-ice-out

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In: certification, class, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, Lake Winnebago, Winnebago Waterways, Wisconsin

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The post Protected: Lake Winnebago: Keeping Everyone Afloat appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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https://fwwa.org/2025/03/19/lake-winnebago-water-level-management-stakeholders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lake-winnebago-water-level-management-stakeholders

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The post Protected: Why Does Lake Winnebago’s Water Level Change in Winter? appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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https://fwwa.org/2025/03/12/lake-winnebago-winter-water-level-management/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lake-winnebago-winter-water-level-management

Dan Beckwith

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In: Lake Superior, Latest News, National Parks, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Recreation and Tourism, Tourism, trump, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Wisconsin
National parks see a record number of visitors, including in Wisconsin

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Wisconsin saw more visitors at sites managed by the National Park Service last year, and America’s national parks had a record number of visitors.

News of the growing demand at the parks comes as the Trump administration has cut staff to manage them.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/national-parks-see-a-record-number-of-visitors-including-in-wisconsin/

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The post Protected: Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin: A Powerhouse Waterway with a Changing Past appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2025/03/06/lake-winnebago-history-dams-impact/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lake-winnebago-history-dams-impact

Dan Beckwith

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In: Feature Homepage, Forests and Plants, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Latest News, Michigan, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, tribal relations, trump, U.S. Forest Service, Wisconsin
US Forest Service firings decimate already understaffed agency: ‘It’s catastrophic’

By Katie Myers, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, & Izzy Ross

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, BPR, a public radio station serving western North Carolina, WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region, and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/us-forest-service-firings-decimate-already-understaffed-agency-its-catastrophic/

Grist

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Trump administration seeks to fast-track projects in the Great Lakes and Wisconsin

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Permits for hundreds of energy projects may be fast-tracked by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Trump administration, including plans for a pipeline project in the Great Lakes and a fossil fuel plant in Superior.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/trump-administration-seeks-to-fast-track-projects-in-the-great-lakes-and-wisconsin/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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In: Event - FWWA, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, Wisconsin

Ready to roll up your sleeves and make a real impact? Registration is live for Northeast Wisconsin’s largest volunteer trash cleanup, and we’re calling on you to help protect our beautiful waterways. Let’s come together and transform our local environment—one cleanup at a time! Event Snapshot When: Saturday, [...]

The post Fox-Wolf Watershed Cleanup: Registration Now Open – Join Your Community Today! appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

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Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2025/02/24/fox-wolf-watershed-cleanup-2025-join-the-movement/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fox-wolf-watershed-cleanup-2025-join-the-movement

Dan Beckwith

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, PFAS, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Wisconsin is still sitting on $125 million for PFAS cleanup

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

A year and a half after Wisconsin lawmakers earmarked $125 million to clean up toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, the funds have yet to flow to contaminated communities.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/wisconsin-is-still-sitting-on-125-million-for-pfas-cleanup/

Wisconsin Watch

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An ecosystem engineer’s vision: mock beaver dams to restore Wisconsin wetlands

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

Jay Dee Nichols stamped and packed stiff willow branches between maple wood posts, with muffled crunches.

At 63, the semi-retired handyman from the Wisconsin city of Black River Falls has trapped beavers before.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/an-ecosystem-engineers-vision-mock-beaver-dams-to-restore-wisconsin-wetlands/

Wisconsin Watch

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In: Climate change, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
Study finds winter days on the Great Lakes growing shorter due to climate change

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

A new study builds on previous research that shows winters on the Great Lakes are growing shorter due to climate change.

The Great Lakes have been losing an average of 14 days of winter conditions each decade since 1995 due to warming air temperatures, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/study-finds-winter-days-on-the-great-lakes-growing-shorter-due-to-climate-change/

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Latest News, Milwaukee, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Fertilizer from Sewage, a Utility Money Maker, Faces Uncertain Future

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/fertilizer-from-sewage-a-utility-money-maker-faces-uncertain-future/

Circle of Blue

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Cargo tonnage lagging at Great Lakes ports as shipping season nears its end

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

The amount of cargo moving through ports on the Great Lakes is trailing behind shipments at the same time last year as the shipping season nears its end.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/cargo-tonnage-lagging-at-great-lakes-ports-as-shipping-season-nears-its-end/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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Energy transition sees small wins, major uncertainty in the Upper Midwest

Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups. 

 

Chicago’s commitment to using 100% renewable energy at city-owned buildings went into effect Jan.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/energy-transition-small-wins-uncertainty-upper-midwest/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
After a dramatic decline, lake trout have recovered in most of Lake Superior

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

After decades of work, fishery managers say lake trout have fully recovered in most of Lake Superior after the invasive, fish-killing sea lamprey decimated their numbers.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/after-a-dramatic-decline-lake-trout-have-recovered-in-most-of-lake-superior/

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Environmentalists, Industry Divided Over Energy Permitting Bill

Melting ice. Wildfire smoke. Crop losses. Climate change is already having an impact on the Great Lakes region. According to a 2022 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in order to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, humanity would have to reach net-zero emissions by the 2070s.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/environmentalists-industry-divided-over-energy-permitting-bill/

Sean Ericson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Climate change, History and Culture, Latest News, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research, Tourism, Wisconsin
Pressed for powder, study finds ski areas are relying more on snowmaking

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Ski hills in Wisconsin are relying more on snowmaking and other strategies to adapt to changing snow conditions due to climate change, according to a new study.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/pressed-for-powder-study-finds-ski-areas-are-relying-more-on-snowmaking/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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Public hearing draws on big questions about Upper Peninsula copper mining

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

In Gogebic County, on the western end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, towering old-growth evergreens carpet the landscape as it rolls down toward the deep blue of Lake Superior.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/public-hearing-draws-on-big-questions-about-upper-peninsula-copper-mining/

Interlochen Public Radio

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Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Isabella Figueroa, Great Lakes Echo

Student researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of an Environmental Protection Agency contest for innovations in sustainability.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/students-at-michigan-state-and-wisconsin-win-epa-funding-for-environmental-health-innovations/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: Climate change, Latest News, News, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Science, Technology, Research, The States, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments, Wisconsin
Climate change isn’t a top issue in this election. Some Wisconsin voters say it should be.

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Outside a September rally with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, Ashland business owner and Democrat Will Pipkin set up signs with a cavalcade of slogans, including “Another cat lady for democracy” and “Without a healthy climate, there’s no freedom.”

Pipkin said he’s backing Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz in the presidential race because they’re the most progressive choice, and he thinks they would continue President Joe Biden’s work on green initiatives and climate change.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/climate-change-isnt-a-top-issue-in-this-election-some-wisconsin-voters-say-it-should-be/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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Environmental groups and industry at odds over plan to conserve old-growth forests

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Some Wisconsin groups are urging the Biden administration to do more to protect mature and old-growth forests under its proposal to conserve those trees as logging interests are pushing back against changes.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/environmental-groups-and-industry-at-odds-over-plan-to-conserve-old-growth-forests/

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Wisconsin towns are trying to limit CAFO growth. Big Dairy is fighting back.

By John McCracken, Investigate Midwest

Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public interest by exposing dangerous and costly practices of influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism. Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/wisconsin-towns-are-trying-to-limit-cafo-growth-big-dairy-is-fighting-back/

Investigate Midwest

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Midwest States Struggle to Fund Dam Safety Projects, Even as Federal Aid Hits Historic Highs

By Kristoffer Tigue, Inside Climate News

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

MINNEAPOLIS—A record amount of federal aid will soon flow to states to help fix, replace or demolish their aging dams, many of which are under increasing pressure as climate change fuels more frequent and severe extreme weather events.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/midwest-dam-safety-projects-funding/

Inside Climate News

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In: Chicago, Climate change, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Lake Michigan, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Joliet, Illinois, Plans to Source Its Future Drinking Water From Lake Michigan. Will Other Cities Follow?

By Nina Elkadi, Inside Climate News

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

The aquifer from which Joliet, Illinois, sources its drinking water is likely going to run too dry to support the city by 2030—a problem more and more communities are facing as the climate changes and groundwater declines.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/joliet-illinois-lake-michigan-drinking-water/

Inside Climate News

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In: Authors, Lisa John Rogers, Minnesota, News, Ohio, PFAS, PFAS News Roundup, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
PFAS Roundup: Minnesota PFAS regulation said to be the strictest

In a few months, many products with “forever chemicals” will be officially banned in Minnesota. Known as Amara’s Law, starting January 1, 2025 resident’s won’t be able to sell or distribute products with intentionally added PFAS from cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstruation products, textile furnishing, ski wax, upholstered furniture, cleaning products, or carpets and rugs — accirding to Vice Magazine.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/pfas-roundup-minnesota-pfas-regulation-said-to-be-the-strictest/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

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In: Algae Blooms, Feature Homepage, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Wisconsin officials ask the public to report algal blooms in Lake Superior

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Anna Barnes, Great Lakes Echo

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is banking on public oversight of the largest Great Lake to help gauge the threat of increasingly common algal blooms.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/wisconsin-officials-ask-the-public-to-report-algal-blooms-in-lake-superior/

Great Lakes Echo

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Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear case with broad implications for PFAS cleanup

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a case that could have sweeping effects on state environmental regulators’ authority to force businesses to clean up PFAS pollution under the state’s spills law.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/wisconsin-supreme-court-to-hear-case-with-broad-implications-for-pfas-cleanup/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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Farmers turn to ‘predator-proof’ fences to deter wolves in northern Wisconsin

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

For at least the last decade, Dustin Soyring and his family have struggled with wolves on their farm in the northern Wisconsin town of Maple.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/farmers-turn-to-predator-proof-fences-to-deter-wolves-in-northern-wisconsin/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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How many manure spills is too many? St. Croix County residents scrutinize big farm’s new owner

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

Gregg Wolf vows “to put a new step forward” on “a new day” at a northwest Wisconsin dairy.

Appleton-based Breeze Dairy Group, where he serves as CEO, purchased Emerald Sky Dairy in March, shortly after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources approved the St.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/how-many-manure-spills-is-too-many-st-croix-county-residents-scrutinize-big-farms-new-owner/

Wisconsin Watch

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In: Drinking Water, Latest News, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Former state toxicologist says nitrate drinking water standards are too lax

By Henry Redman, Wisconsin Examiner

A former Wisconsin state toxicologist who was involved in creating the state’s nitrate standards for drinking water in the 1980s alleges the science that has informed those standards for decades is deeply flawed and the standards should be stricter.

Dave Belluck, who worked as a toxicologist for multiple states and the federal government, says that “the science is the science” and regulating agencies, including the U.S.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/former-state-toxicologist-says-nitrate-drinking-water-standards-are-too-lax/

Wisconsin Examiner

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In: Collaboration, Detroit, freighters, History and Culture, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, shipwrecks, Wisconsin
Ship doomed on Lake Michigan now moored on National Register of Historic Places

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Eric Freedman, Great Lakes Echo

A Detroit-built sailing ship that sank in Lake Michigan during an 1864 storm has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The three-masted Mojave, only 1 year old at the time, went down in heavy weather while northbound on the route from Chicago to Buffalo with a load of grain.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/07/ship-doomed-on-lake-michigan-now-moored-on-national-register-of-historic-places/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: Authors, Climate change, Feature Homepage, History and Culture, Kari Lydersen, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research, Tourism, Wisconsin
Disappointed dogs, sad skiers, frustrated fishermen

Hayward, Wisconsin got its first snow of the season on Halloween. But then Thanksgiving came, and Christmas, with no more white flakes. The new year started equally warm and snowless, and the organizers of the iconic American Birkebeiner ski race began to really worry. The February 24, 2024 race would be the 50th anniversary of the country’s most famous (and largest) cross-country ski event, and it would also be a World Cup competition, drawing top competitors from around the globe.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/disappointed-dogs-sad-skiers-frustrated-fishermen/

Kari Lydersen

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In: Feature Homepage, Indiana, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, Minnesota, News, Pennsylvania, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Wisconsin
Energy News Roundup: Key figure in Ohio bribery scandal dead by suicide

In yet another shakeup in the Ohio energy bribery saga that first came to light in 2020, a former state utility regulator was found dead by suicide last week. Sam Randazzo, 74, a longtime lobbyist who was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to chair the Ohio Public Utilities Commission, had been charged with taking a $4.3 million bribe from FirstEnergy Corp.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/energy-news-roundup-key-figure-in-ohio-bribery-scandal-dead-by-suicide/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Latest News, News, Recreation and Tourism, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
Points North: Not always the apex predator

By Daniel Wanschura, Interlochen Public Radio

Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes. This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.

On November 11, 2023, Ben Karasch is up in his treestand, waiting for a deer.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/points-north-not-always-the-apex-predator/

Interlochen Public Radio

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In: certification, class, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, FWWA, habitat, Lake Management, native plants, vegetation, Wild Ones, Winnebago Waterways, Wisconsin

Take your passion for native plants to the next level with the Wild Ones Fox Valley Area 50-hour Native Plant Certification! This unique program offers a comprehensive education in Wisconsin’s native flora, perfect for home gardeners, students, teachers, conservation professionals, and nature enthusiasts. Click here to learn more! Certification Program Highlights: Earn [...]

The post Earn Your Native Plant Certification with Wild Ones! appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.

Original Article

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance

https://fwwa.org/2025/02/17/wi-native-plant-certification-program/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wi-native-plant-certification-program

Katie Reed

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In: Feature Homepage, Forever Chemicals Featured, Latest News, News, PFAS, Policy, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts, Wisconsin
Efforts to thwart regulation of PFAS polluters move down parallel tracks

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

Last week, a divided Wisconsin Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that limited the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ ability to regulate PFAS and other emerging contaminants under the state’s long-standing spills law.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/efforts-to-thwart-regulation-of-pfas-polluters-move-down-parallel-tracks/

Wisconsin Watch

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In: Agriculture, Climate change, Collaboration, Feature Homepage, Forests and Plants, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
The Northwoods is now a month into unusually early maple tapping season

By Katie Thoresen, WXPR

This story was originally published by WXPR. WXPR is a community-licensed public radio station serving north central Wisconsin and adjacent areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Listen to their stories here.

Bright blue tubes web between the trees that run to the little red pump house that sits in the woods on the edge of 10 acres full of maple trees at Whataview Farm in Phelps.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/the-northwoods-is-now-a-month-into-unusually-early-maple-tapping-season/

WXPR

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In: Feature Homepage, Forests and Plants, Lake Superior, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
Ottawa National Forest creates shaded fuel brakes to help protect communities from wildfires

Driving through the Ottawa National Forest north of Land O’Lakes towards Dinner Lake you’ll see snow-covered piles stacked up every few feet in the woods along the road.

Many of the piles are wood debris and branches left over from logging operations on the Ottawa.

Some of the piles have been waiting there for two years as the Forest Service let them dry out.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/ottawa-national-forest-creates-shaded-fuel-brakes-to-help-protect-communities-from-wildfires/

WXPR

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In: Feature Homepage, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Latest News, News, Recreation and Tourism, Wisconsin
Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Winter Games go on despite little snow on the ground

This story was originally published by WXPR. WXPR is a community-licensed public radio station serving north central Wisconsin and adjacent areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Listen to their stories here.

Lac du Flambeau 6th Grader Gertie Moustache pulls a wooden, dulled spear from a bin.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/lac-du-flambeau-ojibwe-winter-games-go-on-despite-little-snow-on-ground/

WXPR

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, James Proffitt, lake erie, Lake Michigan, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s state fish tops the food chain

The long, fast, toothy muskellunge (also known as muskie or musky) is nicknamed the “Fish of 10,000 Casts” due to its notoriously elusive nature. It is the apex predator in all waters where it’s found, known to hide in underwater cover, aggressively ambushing prey. They eat fish almost exclusively, though they have been known to consume just about anything they can swallow including birds, small mammals, and their own kind.   

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/wisconsins-state-fish-tops-the-food-chain/

James Proffitt

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In: Feature Homepage, lake erie, Latest News, Milwaukee, News, Ohio, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research, Wisconsin
Teachers and scientists work together on the Lake Guardian 

The Lake Guardian is currently in its winter home, nestled along the docks in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In warmer months, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses this ship to gather data on water quality, and has for over forty years. And each year since 1991, a group of lucky educators has squeezed on board and, for nine days, also called this ship home. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/teachers-and-scientists-work-together-on-the-lake-guardian/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now