June is pollinator month, and some Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced a package of bills to protect our bees, butterflies and other insects. The bills would prevent the DNR from using a class of pesticides of called neonicotinoids which are known to harm pollinators. They would also prevent retailers from labeling plants as pollinator-friendly if they’ve been treated with high levels of pesticides.
Great Lakes fisheries could struggle under budget cuts.
President Trump is pushing Congress to eliminate the entire biological research program at U.S. Geological Survey. The Ecosystem Mission Area monitors and conducts research on fish and wildlife populations in the Great Lakes and beyond. If passed, federal wildlife and fisheries research centers across Wisconsin would be shuttered.
Knowledge is power. For a deep dive into environmental issues across Wisconsin, check out my Defender Podcast at cleanwisconsin.org or wherever you get your podcasts.