Sen. Cowles: Earth Day in the 2021-22 Legislative Session

GREEN BAY– Senator Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) released the following statement on Earth Day:

“Sustainable natural resources policy isn’t a catch phrase – it’s a focus of some common-sense, bipartisan policies year-round in the Wisconsin State Senate. As Co-Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, I’ve had the pleasure to lead a number of these efforts, including bills that were signed into law in the 2021-22 Legislative Session which will:

1. Expand the Commercial-Property Assessed Clean Energy Program;
2. Create new voluntary agricultural programs to tackle nitrate leaching;
3. Ease the permitting burdens for beneficial hydrologic restoration projects;
4. Provide over $5 million to address backlogged water infrastructure projects in State Parks;
5. Reduce costs to remove in-building environmental hazards in redevelopment projects;
6. Create a rural electronics recycling grant program and make other recommended E-Cycle changes;
7. Provide funding to collect and properly dispose of unwanted PFAS-containing firefighting foam, and;
8. Lessen a water utilities’ administrative burdens to reduce the time and costs for clean water projects.

“These are just the bills that I’ve authored that were signed into law this session, but there’s others that didn’t quite make it over the finish line and more authored by fellow Republicans which I supported that also target sensible natural resources policy for the State of Wisconsin. A proper balance not only protects the environment, but it enhances tourism, grows our business climate, and improves our standard of living. I look forward to continuing to promote bills that achieve this balance in the next Legislative Session.”