Brown trout being measured by a DNR creel clerk.  Photo: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will hold a virtual public meeting later this month to discuss the management of Lake Superior’s unique resources.

The virtual meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 23. Members of the public can access the meeting via Skype or by calling 1-866-715-6499 and entering the passcode: 8395854504#.

The virtual meeting will include:

• Creel survey results

• Bycatch monitoring during commercial fishing

“Creel surveys and commercial bycatch results were topics that were routinely asked about during the development of the Lake Superior Fisheries Management Plan, and we felt that this was a good time to talk about the results of our recent surveys,” said Brad Ray, DNR Lake Superior Fisheries Supervisor. “This meeting will also allow us to update the public on the surveys we use to monitor trout and salmon populations.”

Participants will also have the opportunity to give input on any fisheries management topic they are interested in.

Due to the significant, community-wide impacts of the Lake Superior fishery, the DNR actively engages with diverse stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate management goals and activities as outlined in the Lake Superior Fisheries Management Plan. This plan was approved by the Natural Resources Board on May 27, 2020.

Additional meeting information can be found on the DNR’s public meetings calendar and information on Lake Superior fisheries management is available on the DNR’s fisheries website.

Enbridge Energy Proposed Pipeline Reroute

Virtual Public Hearing July 1

The Wisconsin DNR will host a virtual public hearing on July 1 relating to Enbridge Energy’s application for a waterway and wetland permit for the proposed reroute of the Line 5 pipeline in Ashland, Bayfield, and Iron Counties. The hearing will also cover the proposed scope of the Environmental Impact Statement that will be prepared for the overall project.

The proposed Line 5 reroute would involve construction of approximately 42 miles of new 30-inch pipeline needed to relocate the existing Line 5 pipeline outside of tribal lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Construction of the proposed reroute would affect 109 acres of wetland, result in the conversion of 29.5 acres of wooded wetland to non-wooded wetland, and permanent fill of 0.06 acres of wetland. Of the 186 waterways that exist within the proposed project area, 185 would be temporarily bridged for vehicle access and 87 would have the new pipeline installed via open-cut trenching or dredging.

The DNR has determined to follow the Environmental Impact Statement process to inform decision makers and the public about the anticipated environmental and socio-economic effects of the proposed reroute as well as alternatives.

The virtual hearing will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Due to COVID-19, the public can participate in the hearing online via Zoom, which is accessible by computer or phone. Register in advance here. Registrants will receive a meeting invite link by email. To join by phone, call either of the following phone numbers: (301) 715- 8592 or (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter the following passcode ID: 990 3811 0941.

The public is encouraged to attend the online hearing to provide oral comments on the permit application and the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement. Members of the public can also submit written comments on either the waterway and wetland permit application or the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement to the DNR through July 11, 2020.

Written comments on the waterway and wetland permit application and the scope of the EIS can be sent by email to [email protected] or by U.S. mail to Line 5 Comments, DNR (EA/7), 101 South Webster Street, Madison, WI 53707. All electronic and hardcopy comments must be submitted or postmarked by no later than Saturday, July 11, 2020.

To read the orinigal article and related stories, follow this link.  https://www.hngnews.com/waterloo_marshall/article_d722d82c-297e-5d6e-ab1e-62737abe215c.html