Green Bay—Today and tomorrow, in 6 locations across the state, representatives of over 50 groups from across the state, ranging from businesses, sporting clubs, and non-profit organizations, will join together to remind candidates running for office not to forget their hometown conservation priorities if they successfully make it to the Capitol after Tuesday’s elections. The groups are united around three pressing conservation issues, but have one single message for candidates to remember in Madison: Be Our Voice.
Over the last two months, groups have been mobilizing their members and supporters around three issues that impact their health, livelihoods, and hobbies, including improving the rules that manage manure on large, factory-style farms; finding solutions to reduce out-of-state waste; and creating protections for the Great Lakes waters.
This undertaking not only aims to educate the public, it also aims to educate candidates running for office. Already, the groups have delivered hundreds of public comments to candidates; today, they want to remind candidates one last time to remember their priorities, and to remind other Wisconsinites to take their conservation values to the voting booth.
“We are here today to ask candidates to Be Our Voice in Madison,” said Larry Freitag of the Sheboygan Area Great Lakes Sports Fishermen. “For so many of us, living in Sheboygan and Manitowoc counties means being able to enjoy the lakes, rivers, and land all around us. We can’t afford to sit by while they are threatened by manure runoff, diversions, and landfill toxins. Our candidates need to be strong advocates for protecting these natural resources so we can continue to enjoy the quality of life they provide.”
Kent Mayfield, a member of Grassroots Wisconsin out of Dodgeville, said, “Too often during elections, candidates tell you what you want to hear but forget what they said when they get into office. Today, our message to them is loud and clear: Protect our land, our water, and our future. Be our voice.”
Hunters and anglers, hikers and bikers, and others who value Wisconsin’s natural resources have seen attacks on natural resource protections in the last several years, like the Dirty Air Bill. The groups are calling on candidates from all political parties to protect natural resources.
According to Marc Schultz, Mississippi River conservationist, “Clean water, clean air, and open spaces are concerns that cross all party lines. All of us drink the water and breathe the air, and we all worry about pollution making our children sick. A well-managed landscape is important, and we need all of our decision-makers to make this a priority.”
“It’s clear to me that spending time enjoying the outdoors is no longer enough,” said Don Camplin, President of the Waukesha County Conservation Alliance. “I need to make sure my legislators take my love of Wisconsin’s natural resources to Madison. I plan to vote my conservation values on Tuesday, and I expect whoever wins to represent those values in the state legislature.”
For More Information: Jessica Garrels, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Institute, 920-429-9008
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