— The Madison-based Clean Lakes Alliance says climate change is offsetting efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution in the Yahara lakes system.
The environmental advocacy group yesterday released its 2022 State of the Lakes report, which covers the latest findings on conservation practices, shifting weather patterns and their impact on phosphorus runoff in the five-lake system in south-central Wisconsin.
Phosphorus is responsible for the growth of blue-green algae, which can pose a threat to human health and reduce biodiversity. The group says one pound of phosphorus entering a body of water can lead to 500 pounds of algae growth.
While the amount of concentrated phosphorus per gallon of water entering the Yahara watershed has declined, according to U.S. Geological Survey data, higher levels of rainfall linked to climate change are causing more phosphorus overall to enter the lakes.
“The good news is that if runoff and streamflow volumes had not changed, modeling indicates a significant decline in phosphorus loadings would have occurred over the last 30 years,” Matt Diebel, a scientist with the USGS, said in the report. “This is due, in part, to increased adoption of conservation practices that have decreased the concentration of phosphorus in runoff.”
The report references figures from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, showing a “region that is getting wetter and warmer.” The last 20 years have been the warmest on record for the state, while the last decade has seen the most rainfall. Per the report, average annual precipitation has increased about 17 percent since 1950.
“Increasing rainfall volume and intensity represent an unwelcome trend that can negatively affect the performance of many conservation practices,” report authors wrote. “In addition, warmer winters are leading to greater runoff and phosphorus delivery as liquid precipitation falls across frozen soils, especially where winter manure spreading occurs.”
The group also highlights a positive trend in land conservation, as more farmers and other landowners in the area are adopting practices aimed at reducing soil erosion and preserving water quality. That includes promoting grasslands and natural growth by limiting conversation to “row crop” production or urban development, planting more cover crops on farm fields and more.
“Considerable progress has been achieved to-date with the adoption of conservation practices throughout the watershed … the cumulative effect of these actions is largely holding the line against several growing headwinds described in this report,” report authors wrote.
See the full report: https://www.cleanlakesalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2023-Lake-Guide-SOTL-spreads-compressed.pdf
See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/clean-lakes-alliance-clearest-water-in-years-shown-in-state-of-the-lakes-annual-report/
— State officials have announced $32 million in new state and federal tax credits for affordable housing developments.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority yesterday said 23 multifamily housing projects in the state are getting tax credit support.
The guv’s office says the credits will support adding 1,587 new units across urban and rural parts of the state. Of that number, 1,474 low- to moderate income units are reserved for residents earning 60 percent of the area median income or less.
WHEDA CEO and Executive Director Elmer Moore, Jr. notes the housing shortage is unique, but not exclusive to Wisconsin. He said tax credits are a “powerful resource” to provide more housing resources for communities large and small.
“We are working diligently with developers to push housing developments over the financing finish line,” he said in the release. “Together we realize that advancing affordable housing helps our communities and the people we serve thrive and prosper.”
According to the release, $15.9 million in federal 9 percent housing tax credits have been awarded for 13 developments, while $7.9 million state tax credits will fund 10 projects. Due to the state credits being awarded, another $8.4 million in federal 4 percent tax credits was made available as well.
See the release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/gov-evers-wheda-announce-32-million-in-housing-tax-credits
See the full list of funded projects: https://www.wheda.com/developers-and-property-managers/tax-credits/htc/allocating/2023/2023-program
— Representatives of the German state of Hessen are meeting with state leaders this week as part of a delegation hosted by WEDC.
The 14-member group is led by Kristina Sinemus, Hessen’s first minister for digitalization. According to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Wisconsin and Hessen have been sister states since 1976.
Members of the delegation are slated to meet with Gov. Tony Evers and tour facilities at UW-Madison, Madison Area Technical College, Epic Systems and MilliporeSigma, a WEDC release shows.
“Hessen is a valued trade partner for Wisconsin and we’re looking forward to the new opportunities digitalization can create,” WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes said in a statement.
See more: https://wedc.org/blog/wedc-hosts-delegation-from-german-state-of-hessen/
— Republican lawmakers are circulating a bill that would allow the Department of Health Services to fine hospitals up to $10,000 per day if they don’t follow price transparency requirements.
The bill mirrors federal price transparency requirements but would add penalties for non-compliance and require DHS to provide the public with a list of hospitals that have violated transparency requirements. The measure would require hospitals to provide a list of standard charges for certain items and services they provide and a list of standard charges for shoppable services, which can be scheduled by patients in advance.
It would also allow DHS to provide a written notice, request a corrective action plan or fine a hospital between $600 and $10,000 per day depending on the number of beds.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association has called the bill unnecessary, while co-author Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, during yesterday’s Capitol press conference argued more needs to be done to enforce price transparency.
“You know, somebody put a really interesting book on my desk about two months ago — it says stop waiting for Washington. So that’s what we’ve decided to do in this state,” Felzkowski said.
WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding in a statement said the legislation is “unwarranted” because hospitals are already complying with federal transparency law. Borgerding said the new penalties would “complicate and confuse” compliance with existing federal regulations and penalties enforced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Bottom line, our hospitals are ahead of the curve and new, publicly available price and quality transparency tools are emerging every day making this legislation unneeded in a leader state like Wisconsin,” Borgerding said.
CMS had issued four fines against hospitals for violating federal price transparency requirements as of Friday, none of them Wisconsin hospitals, according to a WHA fact sheet. The fact sheet also notes price transparency company Turquoise Health rates Wisconsin hospitals 4.5 out of 5 stars for compliance.
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce is backing the legislation, arguing it would create a more competitive market. Rachel Ver Velde, senior director of workforce, education and employment policy for WMC, said in a statement “it is vitally important for employers and their employees to have access to transparent and easily understood” data on medical costs.
See the bill: https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230503LRB29222.pdf
See the fact sheet: https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230503WHAfactsheet.pdf
See WMC’s release: https://www.wmc.org/wmc-news/coalition-of-free-market-advocates-support-price-transparency-act/
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#TOP STORIES#
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#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
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# CONSTRUCTION
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# EDUCATION
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# ENVIRONMENT
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http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=463&yr=2023
# FOOD AND BEVERAGE
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# LABOR
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# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery: Board Member named 2023 Wisconsin Master Agriculturist
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