​Agriculture and Natural Resources

Mining

Wisconsin is in the midst of a sand mining boom, with many out-of-state and in-state companies developing new sand mines and expanding others.  The state has lots of sand - and the right kind of sand for hydraulic fracturing or fracking.  This fact sheet focuses on the planning and zoning aspects of sand mining in Wisconsin.  The following factsheets take a closer look at each of these tools. 

This fact sheet takes a closer look at county comprehensive plans to see how well they are addressing non-metallic mining.  

This fact sheet takes a closer look at county zoning ordinances to see how well they are addressing non-metallic mining.

Last in the series, this fact sheet looks at non-metallic mining in the context of both comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances.  

 

Agriculture

Center for Land Use Education. 2012

This publication is intended for local government officials and others interested in investigating the connections between agriculture and land use. Statewide trends for various agricultural sectors are explored together with economic impacts, environmental and human health impacts, and state and local policies to manage agriculture.

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
            This publication describes how you can make strategic food choices to reduce or eliminate your pesticide exposure through food and 
            drinking water. Research findings about the human health effects correlated with pesticide consumption including birth defects, reduced 
            learning abilities, hormone disruption and reproductive difficulties are discussed. Cancer risks of top agricultural chemicals used in
            Wisconsin are discussed in the Wisconsin Land Use Megatrends: Agriculture online feature: Cancer Risks of Pesticide Exposure

Center for Land Use Education. 2005 CropScape data from USDA was multiplied by the 2005 Wisconsin average pesticide use per acre for each crop from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Center for Land Use Education. Data from  the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and 2005 CropScape data from USDA.

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Green Infrastructure

This report describes a GIS process for identifying green infrastructure service levels within a community and making comparisons across communities. 

Owning Waterfront Property

  • Impervious Surfaces: How They Impact Fish, Wildlife and Waterfront Property Values

    How do impervious (hard) surfaces impact lakes and streams? This publication was developed for waterfront property owners and local officials to help answer this question. It does not discuss all of the potential impacts of impervious surfaces; rather, it primarily focuses on impacts to: waterfront property values, fishing, and wildlife. Healthy lakes, rivers, and streams are truly the basis for creating fond memories of time spent near the water, like walleye fishing on a crisp fall morning, swimming with the kids in the afternoon, and entertaining friends on the evening shoreline. Healthy fish, abundant wildlife, and clear, clean water all depend on the individual decisions that we make on our waterfront properties. When we develop waterfront lots, trees, and native plants are replaced by impervious (hard) surfaces. Driveways, rooftops, and other hard surfaces decrease the ability of the shoreland area to serve its natural functions. 20 pages. Condensed version of Impervious Surface publication also available. 6 pages. To order your free copy today, call 715-346-2116 or email uwexlakes@uwsp.edu.
  • The Magic Goggles: Discovering the Secrets of the Lake - Maggie and her little brother Tate are visiting their grandparents’ lake cabin when they discover two pairs of really weird, old goggles with leather straps in a dusty old trunk in the attic. Down at the lake with their goggles, the kids discover the magic goggles make them as light as a damselfly and let them see right through lily pads to the underwater forest below.

    When a mother wood duck befriends the duo and sees how they like exploring the shoreline, she takes them for a flying ride around the lake to get a bird’s-eye view. From this viewpoint they see that the deep blue jewel of a lake is surrounded by a forest of green, a summer camp, and a few houses located way back from the water. Based on what they’ve seen, Mama Duck explains how all the trees make the lake a good spot to raise a family.

    This book’s descriptive text and rich, detailed illustrations will boost readers’ understanding about the importance of forests around lakes, while luring them into discovering their own magic at the lake. A single copy costs $8 including shipping and handling. To order, call 715-346-2116 or email uwexlakes@uwsp.edu.
If you are thinking about buying waterfront property in Wisconsin, this guide is meant for you. A little time
invested in learning about waterfront living will pay back sizable dividends in matching your expectations to the realities. This guide provides:  
  • Ideas to consider before you start your property search
  • Considerations to help you decide on the right lake or river
  • Factors to help you choose just the right property
Healthy watersheds make healthy lakes and higher property values -- this booklet show how property owners can take simple steps to curb pollutants, cut runoff, and capture and cleanse pollutant-carrying runoff before it reaches a waterway.

How we manage our lawns affects the health of our children, pets, wildlife and water quality. Here are three simple steps for creating a lawn that’s healthy for all.

This volume of the guidebook serves as a 'how-to' guide for County Zoning Administrators and local groups that want to educate shoreland property owners about shoreland stewardship practices and related regulations.

This volume provides shoreland educational plans for 10 Wisconsin counties and the process they went through to develop them.

  • The purpose of the River Owner’s Handbook and the Conservation Easement brochure is to educate landowners living along river corridors on the benefits of conservation easements and to describe the best conservation methods developed for riparian lands.   These publications also address issues on the long-term benefit of various types of preservation techniques, and frequently asked questions concerning shoreland protection

The River Owner's Handbook 

The River Owner's Handbook References

Conservation Easement Brochure

This publication can be printed and redistributed to any individual who is concerned and/or interested in learning about protecting the aesthetic beauty, water quality and overall landscape in and around a water resource.

Shorelands, Wetlands and Floodplains

This fact sheet describes how shoreland development density and impervious surfaces affect the quality of our lakes and streams.

This fact sheet describes how streams and fisheries are affected by impervious (hard) surfaces and land use.

This fact sheet describes the results of increased impervious surfaces and community actions that can be adopted to address them.

This fact sheet explores the existing road system in Wisconsin and its cost per person, and specific tools for minimizing pollutant sources and pollutant delivery to lakes and streams.

UW-Extension Publications.

Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission.
Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc., and the Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force.
Wisconsin Wetlands Association.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  • Water Classification CD. This CD of educational materials includes fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations and decision matrices which have been used by local communities involved in water classification or related issues such as buffer protection and the effects of impervious surfaces on water quality. This free CD is available by contacting the Center for Land Use Education by email at landcenter@uwsp.edu or phone at 715-346-3783.

Groundwater

Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council.
 
University of Wisconsin-Extension and the U.S. Geological Service, Wisconsin Water Science Center.

Forests

Center for Land Use Education.
 
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
 

Energy

The Land Use Tracker. Vol. 4, Issue 3. Winter 2004. pp. 6-11.