Going Green: Sustainable Communities and Farms

Wisconsin Association of RC&D's Annual Conference hosted by Town and Country Resource, Conservation & Development THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 AND FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 at the Olympia Conference Center in Oconomowoc, WI 53066.

Do you want to learn more about a green lifestyle -- healthier for you and for the planet? Join this conference for an invigorating two days of discussion, learning, networking, and great local food! Whatever your focus -- urban or rural, local food or sustainable agriculture, conservation or preservation, individual or community -- connect with other Wisconsinites working towerads a more sustainable future, for us all.

Session Themes:

• Green Your Home & Work
• Conserving Natural Resources
• Fresh Local Food
• Green Energy
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Sustainable Communities

full registration available at www.townandcountryrcd.org or by calling 414-774-6562

Port Cities Blue Bike Program

Stay tuned! The new Port Cities Blue Bike program is slated to debut this fall. Blue bikes will be provided at various locations around the city for residents and visitors to use for short trips.

Bicycle Friendly Community

Encouraging bicycling is an effective way to increase physical activity, improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion and oil dependence, and tackle climate change and obesity. To find out more about creating a bicycle friendly community visit http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/
1 World
2 Wheels

Bikes Belong Coalition:

• Bicycling improves quality of life. it gets you outside, relieves stress, makes you feel better, and creates a way to spend time with family and friends. Best of all, it's convenient, flexible and free. Whether for recreation, transportation, or competition, bicycling offers a lifetime of health and fun.
• Bike paths boost property values. Properties next to the Mountain Bay Trail in Wisconsin sell faster and for an average of 9% more than similar lots away from the trail.
• Someone who bikes four miles round-trip to work instead of driving keeps 51 punds of carbon monoxide out of the air each year and burns 36,000 calories - the equivalent of 10 pounds of fat.
• Just three hours of bicycling per week can redcue a person's risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%.
• Bicycling is an inexpensive, convenient way to stay fit and healthy. The annual operating cost of a bike is just 2.5% that of a car.
• Bicycling promotes healthier lifestyles; creates jobs and supports independent businesses; lowers healthcare costs; strengthens family bonds; provides a recreational outlet for youth; builds closer-knit communities; reduces polluting emissions; decreases road congestion; and lessens our dependence on foreign oil.

"When we make biking and walking safe and accessible, I believe millions more Americans will choose them ... thereby making us a healthier, trimmer, more fit nation." --Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN) of the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Don't get 'TIRED' of Recycling

The Manitowoc County Recycling Center will be holding the annual tire collection September 8 through September 20. This program allows Manitowoc County residents and businesses to properly dispose of their tires at a reduced rate. Through the years a significant amount of tires have been collected. In 2007 over 60 tons were collected and in 2006 over 67 tons were recovered.

Waste tires can be reused in a number of beneficial ways. They can be shred into rubber chips and used as artificial turf or as a groundcover in playgrounds. Tire rubber can be incorporated into asphalt roads, running tracks and used in other rubber products. Depending on what other materials are in the tire they may also be used as a fuel source.

The DNR estimates that Wisconsin produces 5 million waste tires a year. Tires have been banned from landfills since 1995 because they take up too much space and their bulky size makes them hard to keep buried. Unfortunately, tires have often been illegally dumped along roadways or in illegal stockpiles. Aside from looking like a mess this can cause environmental problems. Burning tires can release large amounts of pollutants into the air, water and soil.

Before those wear bars even begin to show you can help reduce the amount of tires being disposed of. Taking proper care of your tires can prolong the life of the tire. Following the scheduled rotation and maintaining proper air pressure can help you get more use out of them. Fixing alignment problems early can also save tire wear.

A few guidelines should be noted for this collection. When bringing in your tires please check in at the Main Office prior to dropping tires. Tires with rims will be accepted and charged at the weighed rate of 11 cents a pound or $220 a ton. Residents and businesses with large amounts of tires should call the Recycling Center prior to bringing them in. For more information you can call the Recycling Center at 920-683-4333 or visit www.manitowocrecycles.org.

Cost of Our Choices in Methods of Manipulating Lake Ecosystems

Lake management has not escaped the debate over chemical use. Small-scale chemical treatment of aquatic plants is common in Wisconsin and thee seems to be a growing demand for larger scale applications. In meetings across the state, citizens concerned with large-scale chemical applications are gathering to express their apprehension.
The widespread use of chemicals that serve all parts of our society began in earnest with the close of WWII. The payback for chemical use seemed to far outweigh any side effects. However, grim discoveries have come to light making more and more people suspicious, afraid and nervous about accepting the tempting promises over the environmental risks of chemical use.
The main way to chemically control aquatic plants on Wisconsin lakes through the 1950’s and 60’s was the use of sodium arsenite (which contains inorganic arsenic that can be fatal if swallowed) with over 2 million pounds used in 167 Wisconsin lakes. Another common treatment was copper sulphate. An accumulation of copper in bottom sediments can adversely affect important food chain organisms. Between 1959 and 1969, over 1.5 million pounds of copper sulfate were used in our lakes to kill snails thought to cause swimmers’ itch. With current knowledge, the idea of applying some of the chemicals used in the 50s and 60s as treatments would be unthinkable. Yet, back in the day it was thought of as a state-of-the-art practice.
Each year in Wisconsin there is growing pressure to do large and even whole-lake treatments to limit the growth of nuisance plants such as Eurasian water milfoil. We need to weigh the benefits and cost of our choices in methods of manipulating lake ecosystems to make sure the decisions we make today leave options open for those that will care for our lakes in the future.

—excerpt from Robert Korth, UW-Ex Lakes Specialist as published in ‘Lake Tides’