Environment

As an avid outdoorsman, a clean environment and strong conservation programs are of the utmost concern to me. Protecting the environment can go hand in hand with our efforts to expand our economy. One of my top priorities is that we continue to balance growth with stewardship. By reducing rates of pollution in more cost-effective manners, we can ensure that “green” policies are economically and environmentally sound.

The Fiscal Year 2013 Budget, The Path to Prosperity

Spending on programs contained in the Natural Resources and Environment portion of the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget, which includes departments and agencies like the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Fish and Wildlife Agency, and conservation orientated and land management agencies within the USDA, Department of Commerce, Corps of Engineers, and EPA, increased over 65 percent with the Administration’s stimulus funding.  The House-passed budget recognizes the importance of these activities, which includes overseeing water resources, conservation, land management, and recreational resources.  However, bigger government has not equated to better government, and it has only led to duplication, waste, and mismanagement. 

The Fiscal Year 2013 budget resolution builds on previous House-passed budget resolutions and supports the Nation’s enduring energy policy priorities— economic prosperity, lower gasoline and energy prices, and greater revenue generation from domestic energy production—while moving toward market-based solutions for sustainable energy sources.  The resolution draws on the House Republicans’ American Energy Initiative, which seeks to advance an all-of-the-above energy approach for the United States

Asian Carp

Many catfish farms began using Asian carp in the 1970s as a means of effectively removing algae and other build-up affecting overall pond function. Unfortunately, due to the large flooding in the area during the 1990s, many of the catfish farm ponds overflowed and released the Asian carp into nearby streams and the Mississippi River Basin. The carp have since made their way up the Mississippi River, competing with indigenous fish for resources and endangering local ecosystems.

Congress has already acted on this issue and is working with the Corps in association with the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration to provide funding and assistance for mitigating the effects that Asian carp are having on the Great Lakes.

Beginning in 2002, the Corps began construction on a temporary electric barrier as a means to slow the spread of the Asian carp. This barrier, which was built and activated in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, emits a pulsating current into the water that causes the Asian carp to turn back rather than continue upstream and into the Great Lakes Basin. This barrier has proven to be effective at controlling the spread of the fish, and in 2004, Congress acted with my support to authorize $6.8 million to construct a permanent barrier.

I have continued to support this important, multi-state project and have signed several letters to that extent. Protecting the Great Lakes from this aggressive invasive species is extremely important from both an ecological and economic perspective.

While the electronic barrier is a good first step, it is clear that more must be done. Knowing the importance of this issue for the Great Lakes Region, I have signed onto a Great Lakes Task Force letters asking for the U.S. Department of the Army, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to further examine the ways to ensure that Asian Carp do not make it above the electric dispersal barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Shipping Canal and eventually the Great Lakes. This letter looked at the feasibility of using piscicides, which are chemicals used to kill the fish, as part of a rapid response measure, creating a permanent hydrological separation, increasing the voltage of the current electric dispersal barrier, and closing the O’Brien and Chicago Locks if there is a reasonable likelihood that Asian Carp have migrated above the barrier.

Rest assured that as Congress continues to examine the ramifications of Asian Carp and possible solutions, I will continue to be actively engaged in this issue.

Protecting the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are one of Wisconsin’s greatest natural resources. They contain nearly 20 percent of the world’s freshwater and supply more than 30 million Americans with their daily drinking water. It is absolutely essential that we make every effort to protect this treasured resource for future generations of Wisconsinites.

In 2004, President Bush established a Great Lakes Interagency Task Force chaired by the EPA that would develop a strategy guiding federal Great Lakes protection and restoration efforts.  During debate on the FY2012 Interior Appropriations legislation, I supported several amendments restoring funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. As you may know, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is charged with cleaning up toxins and areas of concerns, combating invasive species, promoting healthy waterways, restoring wetlands and other habitats, and working with a variety of partners to protect and preserve the Great Lakes. 

Sportsman’s Issues

During the 113^th Congress, I serve as an active member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus.  I am happy to serve in this capacity and believe in supporting policies that help sportsmen and women. Consisting of more than 300 members of Congress, the Caucus promotes and helps pass legislation that affects sportsmen. This includes issues related to conservation efforts, gun rights, and other fishing and hunting-related concerns.

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