Environmental groups and policy analysts in the Mississippi River basin have looked to a regional cleanup program in the Chesapeake Bay as a model.
Author Archives: Bennet Goldstein / Wisconsin Watch
Bennet Goldstein reports on water and agriculture as Wisconsin Watch’s Report for America representative on the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk — a collaborative reporting network across the Basin. Before this, Goldstein was on the breaking news team at the Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska. He has spent most of his career at daily papers in Iowa, including the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Goldstein’s work has garnered awards, including the Associated Press Media Editors award for an explanatory feature about a police shooting in rural Wisconsin, and an Iowa Newspaper Association award for a series that detailed the impacts of the loss of social safety net programs on Dubuque’s Marshallese community. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch
Why couldn’t a southeast Wisconsin town hold an advisory referendum on ATV/UTV use on local roads?
After a change to state law in June 2023, local county and municipal governments are now limited in the types of advisory questions they can ask voters.
Posted inEnvironment
Midwest maple syrup producers adapt to record warm winter, uncertainty as climate changes
Human-caused climate change is having varied and unpredictable effects on maple harvests in Wisconsin, Iowa and elsewhere, experts say.
Posted inReporter's Notebook
Efforts to thwart regulation of PFAS polluters move down parallel tracks
A divided Wisconsin Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that limited the DNR’s ability to regulate PFAS and other contaminants. The case is one of two efforts to weaken the spills law.
Posted inEnvironment
Poopspotting: How AI and satellites can detect illegal manure spreading in Wisconsin
Applying manure atop snow or frozen soil heightens the risk of runoff. Researchers are using aerial photographs — snapped by satellites orbiting the globe — to teach computers to recognize winter spreading.
Posted inBill Watch
New rules for Great Lakes lakefront property development head to governor again
A largely GOP-backed bill that would enable private waterfront development on public lands that were once submerged in Wisconsin’s Great Lakes waters has passed both state houses and now heads to the governor’s desk.
Posted inEnvironment, Government
Wisconsin bill would limit local control over animal welfare
Proponents cite a need to “protect our farms.” Opponents worry the legislation will reach further — eroding environmental and health safeguards.
Posted inBill Watch, Government
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation wants to offer health coverage. Critics say it undercuts Obamacare.
Proposed legislation would enable the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation to provide health care coverage to members outside traditional insurance regulations.
Posted inNews & Announcements
A ‘meaty’ year in environmental & agricultural reporting at Wisconsin Watch
Welcome to Wisconsin Watch’s Year in Review series. In this series, we’re looking back on Wisconsin Watch’s reporting and impact in 2023. Throughout the week, you’ll be hearing directly from reporters and editors and get exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at our biggest investigations of the year, along with some sneak peeks at what we have planned […]
Posted inEnvironment
Kohler Co. golf course plans along Lake Michigan dealt another setback. Here’s what to know.
The fate of Kohler Co.’s decade-long effort to build a championship golf course atop wetlands and forest in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, remains in question following a court ruling applauded by the project’s opponents.
Posted inEnvironment
The watchdogs: After Wisconsin landowners discover plans to spread pig manure without permission, critics call for stronger oversight
State leans on citizens to scrutinize big farms’ manure plans. Opponents fear serious environmental harm.
Posted inEnvironment
The businessman: Pig farm developer gains little trust in Wisconsin town. He doesn’t particularly care.
Critics accuse a developer of disregarding local concerns in his push to construct the state’s largest pig farm. He calls himself the victim of “selfish” residents.