Posted May 27, 2026- The wonderful work of Trout Lake Station is highlighted in their Summer 2026 newsletter, including a July 31st open house. 

Trout Lake Station's Director Gretchen Gerrish share's her introduction letter below. The full TLS newsletter may be viewed at  Trout-Lake-Station-Newsletter-2026.pdf . If you have never visited, we recommend you attend their always educational and entertaining open house.

As I sit writing this note by the fire pit on the shore of Trout Lake (yes, many of you likely know the exact spot!), I assure you that the cool and calm depths of this water persist. 

Persistence is the guiding principle that keeps all of us at Trout Lake Station (TLS) focused on our ultimate mission to support the next generation of students pursuing water knowledge. Trout Lake students will engage in a variety of research projects this coming summer. Planned student projects include testing how forward-facing sonar changes catch efficiencies for different game fish species, evaluating aquatic plant and fish interactions in lakes invaded with Eurasian watermilfoil, testing the implications of plant succession in Manoomin (Wild Rice) waters, and measuring greenhouse gas production across lake productivity gradients. Other students will write about these projects and create art, media, educational and outreach materials to share.  

We are so grateful for everyone’s Day of the Badger support which goes directly toward these student experiences. The Center for Limnology was a top five Day of the Badger fundraiser for all of UW Madison in 2026. Your support directly translates to more student research experiences at TLS and Hasler Lab this summer and beyond At Oneida County Clean Waters Action, we are dedicated to promoting environmental awareness and protecting our planet. We believe in sustainable living and strive to help individuals and communities make more eco-friendly choices. Our organization was founded in 2005 and has since been working towards a greener future for all.

 While the federal funding landscape continues to be tumultuous, we are working hard to ensure the persistence of the North-Temperate Lakes Long Term Ecological Research (NTL-LTER) program.  Federal funding remains a possibility and alternate funding models are being considered with new partners throughout the state. We are also exploring innovative fee-for-service activities like our new community-engaged water temperature data collection service using DockSensIQTM (pages 4-5). 

The summer of 2026 is gearing up to be one of our busiest seasons yet with every cabin full of student and early career researchers. New and returning projects continue to build and grow in scope and in the number of people employed and partnering throughout the region. In addition, Trout Lake Station staff are already starting to plan for the next Intertribal Manoomin Camp in September and Science in the Northwoods in October. Keep your eye out for our Save-the-Dates for these upcoming opportunities to connect.  

And come visit this summer during our annual Open House on Friday, July 31st to see all the amazing work. While here, join me by the lake to enjoy some of that cool calm Trout Lake holds and to meet some of our young, emerging leaders. Enjoy a few of their stories shared here! 

Gretchen Gerrish, Director, Trout Lake Station 

ggerrish@wisc.edu 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology 

Posted May 21, 2026- Wisconsin Wetlands Association shares Water is Medicine video highlighting the Sokaogon Chippewa Community's efforts to protect wetlands.

Approximately 10 miles east of Oneida County's northeastern border is the home of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community, Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The community is located in the Town of Nashville, in Forest County, Wisconsin and the Reservation lies southwest of the city of Crandon, nestled among Mole Lake and Rice Lake.

The recent Wisconsin Wetlands Association video Water is Medicine: Caring for the Wetlands of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community | Videos & Movies on Vimeo sheds light on our tribal neighbors' efforts to protect wetlands and a way of life. In the 9-minute video several Mole Lake members share their insight on preserving and protecting the land and water. Also, the video shares the heartwarming history of the tribal and non-tribal unified efforts to prevent the proposed Crandon Mine. Don't pass up this unique chance to learn about these special Northwoods Water Protectors. 

Posted May 19, 2026- Town of Pelican passes Wave Boat Ordinance.

The Town of Pelican has joined other Oneida County towns in passing a Wake Boat Ordinance. As reported by The Northwoods River News on May 4th the town completed the ordinance process to the delight of residents in attendance. The excerpt below, from The Northwoods River News article recapped the meeting:    

"A round of applause from a near-roomful of residents rewarded the Pelican town board at its meeting on May 4.

There, the board completed what it had begun at its Feb. 9 meeting, when it had agreed to take the first step toward enacting an ordinance to prevent enhanced wake boating on the town’s 59-acre Buck Lake, 71-acre Fish Lake, 58-acre Hixon Lake, 443-acre Lake George and 401-acre Lake Thompson by submitting a draft ordinance and condition report to local government recreation administrator-conservation warden Robert Kneeland.

With more than 60 days having passed since the DNR received the materials for review, the board voted to enact the ordinance as it was presented, delighting the gathered crowd.

A round of applause from a near-roomful of residents rewarded the Pelican town board at its meeting on May 4.

There, the board completed what it had begun at its Feb. 9 meeting, when it had agreed to take the first step toward enacting an ordinance to prevent enhanced wake boating on the town’s 59-acre Buck Lake, 71-acre Fish Lake, 58-acre Hixon Lake, 443-acre Lake George and 401-acre Lake Thompson by submitting a draft ordinance and condition report to local government recreation administrator-conservation warden Robert Kneeland.

With more than 60 days having passed since the DNR received the materials for review, the board voted to enact the ordinance as it was presented, delighting the gathered crowd. The other Oneida County towns who have already adopted Wake Boat ordinances"

Pelican now joins Lake Tomahawk, Newbold, Cassian, and Hazelhurst as Oneida County towns who have chosen to protect their lakes from the damages of unregulated wake boating. For any other towns interested in creating their own wake boat ordinances, we recommend contacting The Last Wilderness Alliance at:  Contact 1 — Last Wilderness Alliance 

Posted May 19, 2026- OCCWA agrees with P&D Committee's action for County to consider placing a 1-year moratorium on Data Centers. 

OCCWA was in attendance at the April 29th Oneida County P&D meeting. The agenda topic that caught our attention was agenda item #9 Discussion/decision concerning data centers. The committee will be discussing placement in zoning districts and a possible moratorium of data centers. OCCWA was one of four public commentors to voice concerns with data centers' environmental impacts and zoning restriction consideration.

The P&D discussion was short and to the point with the committee deciding to have Planning and Zoning's Karl Jennrich put together a proposal for the County Board to consider and vote on placing a 1-year moratorium on data centers in the county. The purpose of the moratorium would be to allow the County time to investigate and prepare for any future data center solicitations. As stated in the meeting minutes, a Motion by Bob Almekinder, second by Michael Tautges, to put a one (1) year moratorium on data centers. With all members present voting “Aye,” the motion carried. With data centers virtually invading Wisconsin, time is of the essence. Hopefully an agenda item to approve the moratorium will be on the June County Board meeting. We will keep you posted when public comment may be given.

We commend the P&D for quickly taking action on this fast-developing issue in our state. On our homepage we have a May 14th article sharing the latest statewide data center developments and our concerns for their impacts on communities and natural resources. 

Related from our friends at Northwoods Ledger:  Oneida County WI Halts Data Centers to Protect Power Grid • Buttondown 

Posted May 16, 2026- National Forest roadless rule Town Hall to be held at Nicolet College in Rhinelander June 4th.

OCCWA representatives will be on hand for this important informational Town Hall The event is a collaboration of the League of Women Voters of the Northwoods, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, and Wisconsin's Green Fire. Come on out and speak up for our National Forests!

From Wisconsin's Greenfire:

Why should you attend this town hall meeting?

25 years ago, the US Forest Service (USFS) held more than 600 public meetings in the process to create the "Roadless Rule." This rule protects millions of acres of forests and grasslands in the USA by limiting the building of new roads and logging in these areas. The rule could soon be repealed. The USFS’s process to repeal may not include a single public meeting.

Instead, Wisconsin's Green Fire and several partners are holding our own public town hall at Nicolet College in Rhinelander.

• During the town hall, we will take public comments from attendees. We will then submit them into the Federal Register during the public comment period.
• The special guest speaker is Dr. Mike Dombeck who led the rulemaking process for the roadless rule as the chief of the USFS.

We believe in the power and importance of public input to shape public policy. Every voice matters from local to national decisions. While we find the USFS's decision not to hold public meetings on the Roadless Rule regrettable, we hold great respect for the federal employees who work to care for our forests, especially here in Wisconsin.

Join us for this public town hall and share your views on the roadless rule and our national forests. Share this invitation widely!

RSVP for the June 4th Town Hall at: Public Town Hall: The future of our wild Roadless forests 

** May 19th Update** 

Related to our May 16th post of Northwoods Ledger' article below:

Responding to public expressed outrage JCF acts to release funding for fish hatcheries.

Following yet another failed attempt to micromanage the DNR, the JCF magnanimously released funding for fish hatcheries while accepting no responsibility for the delay. The good news is the quick response to the public outcry. The bad news is that it even had to get this far. In the latest 2-minute video update from Northern News Now Wisconsin lawmakers approve funding to keep Brule Hatchery open, restore fish stocking quotas lawmakers provide direct quotes on the issue. Good luck making any sense out of them. 

Posted May 16, 2026- Our friends at Northwoods Ledger have shared an article on how the Joint Committee on Finance is blocking northern fish hatchery funds.

The article  The Slush Fund Decoy: How MacIver’s Rhetoric Ransoms the Northwoods • Buttondown shares how the blocking of state funding for fish hatcheries seems to be focused more on the hatcheries in the Northern part of the state. A quote from the article questions some of the JCF's actions and their environmental history: 

" The JCF has a documented history of using these legislative vetoes to block funding for projects such as land conservation and PFAS cleanup that the full legislature already approved"

Locally, you may recall that the JCF blocked funding for the conservation easement on the second half of the Pelican River Forest, and of course, we all know how long the process has been to finally secure state PFAS relief funding.

Another part of the article addresses methods that some legislators use to attack bureaucrats. The "Bureaucrat Rant" paints unelected government employees as evil wielders of power that the legislature is unable to control. When in fact it's simply part of the partisan power struggles that we all have become familiar with. In some cases, the DNR winds up being the target of Bureaucrat Ranters. A quote from the article supports the activity:

" Because MacIver has successfully convinced the public that the DNR is a mismanaged bureaucracy, the JCF can block the funding without taking the blame.  When sportsmen complain about the cuts, the committee points to slush fund reports as justification for protecting the taxpayer. This loop ensures public anger remains directed at the agency while the JCF holds the checkbook behind closed doors."

The Northwoods Ledger article does a good job of painting part of the legislative bickering and dysfunction in our state that's affecting our hatcheries.

Related, our own 7th District Senator Felzkowski on bureaucrats: Senator Mary Felzkowski on X: "Unelected bureaucrats are writing rules with the full force of law and no oversight. Sen. Felzkowski breaks down how this is happening and what it means for Wisconsinites #politics #Wisconsin #laws #Rules https://t.co/FhhHTqFFi4" / X 

Posted May 14, 2026- Knowles Nelson shares the latest legislative snub as potential funding for the program becomes more dire.

On May 12th Knowles Nelson shared the latest news below.

Yesterday, Governor Evers and Republican legislative leaders announced a deal on a package of outstanding legislative priorities. Legislators had reported that Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program reauthorization was on the table during these negotiations, but it was ultimately left out.

We're disappointed. This program has waited long enough, and every month without funding is another month Wisconsin's land trusts, local governments, friends groups, and the DNR can't access the grants they count on to protect the places that make this state special.

The property tax deal still has to pass the legislature, and it's not a sure thing. Democrats were cut out of the negotiations and aren't happy about it, which could make things complicated for Republican leaders who are likely to need some Democratic votes for the package to pass. The legislature may act as soon as tomorrow. We're watching closely, and we're in active conversation with legislators who care about this program. If an opening emerges, we'll be ready to move.

In the meantime, we’re preparing for January 2027. We've been meeting with candidates, getting legislators out on the land, and working to have a strong Knowles-Nelson bill ready to move the moment the new session begins. None of that stops while we watch this play out.

Ninety-three percent of Wisconsin residents support renewing this program. Our job is making sure every legislator who takes office in January knows that and has no excuse not to act.

Thank you for staying with us through this long fight.

Posted May 14, 2026- An 87-acre donation to Northwoods Land Trust creates preserve with nearly a mile of Lake Manson shoreline.

The Svend Bramsen Preserve is open to the public for non-motorized activities, including hiking, snowshoeing, and fishing. Currently, the property is accessible only by water.  NWLT will soon develop a management plan that will include future improvements for public access and recreation. Full story at: https://northwoodslandtrust.org/manson-lake-preserved-for-future/

Also in Oneida County, Robert and Linda Felland donated a conservation easement to the Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) in March 2026 to protect their 164-acre property on Big Lake in Three Lakes, Oneida County.

NWLT shares all the details on these two exceptionally generous Oneida County land protection donations and more in their Spring Newsletter which you can view at: Spr-2026-for-web.pdf  

June 12 @ 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Paddle and stop along the Wisconsin River from the Hat Rapids canoe landing, and downstream for 3 miles, to understand how to gauge and monitor your river or stream health.

The field trip is intended for landowners with shoreline on area water bodies. Participants will examine shoreland vegetation, aquatic invertebrates, fish habitat, mussels, aquatic plants, and aquatic invasive species.

Participants should bring their own canoe or kayak. If you are in need of one, contact John Heusinkveld (see below).

Organized in partnership with Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department.

Learn effective steps you can take today, as well as into the future to enhance or even permanently protect your streambank.

Pre-register no later than June 10th using the link below or by emailing John Heusinkveld at john@northwoodslandtrust.org. This event is free.

Register Here 

Today, over 15,000 acres of land with 85+ miles of shoreline is protected by NWLT in their seven-county service area. These lands include private conservation easements, as well as conservation areas that NWLT owns and manages that are open to the public year-round. Every year more land is placed under permanent conservation to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. 

Learn more about NWLT at their website  Northwoods Land Trust 

Posted April 29, 2026- Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association yearly membership drive is underway, please consider supporting this fine local organization. 

Dear Friends of Our Lakes and Rivers: 

The lake ice is melting, and OCLRA is gearing up for an exciting 2026. Last year we built on a couple of regular initiatives and added a new one. We’re looking forward to your support during a new year of life on our lakes and streams. 

Last September we held our first Grant Writing Seminar with the Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association (VCLRA), and it will be repeated this year on a fall date to be determined. We’ve scheduled the annual Northwoods 6-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting for July 17 with an expanded program and a new venue, James Williams Middle School in Rhinelander. Details will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, the Moen Lake Chain Association has successfully pilot-tested a Lake Steward program to recognize property owners for maintaining shoreline buffers and other best practices. A committee is now working on a plan to make Lake Steward available to lake associations in Oneida and Vilas Counties, and elsewhere. Here are several more highlights of our 2025 activity:

• Supported local ordinances to limit enhanced boat wakes, and helped fight off bills in the state legislature that would have offered inadequate protection for our lakes.
• Continued regular connections with Wisconsin Lakes, the River Alliance of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.
• Continued to monitor the county Planning and Development Committee and provide input on topics relevant to water quality protection and sound land-use planning.
• Offered and supported an amendment to the county Shoreland Protection Ordinance to prohibit clear-cutting in access and viewing corridors (county board action pending).
• Exhibited at local events, including the Earth Day expo at Nicolet College.
• Supported Oneida County’s aquatic invasive species prevention program and CBCW.
• Added three new members to our board: Gary Mastalish, Cheryl Schultz, and Mary Jung
• Worked with the Northwoods Land Trust on a workshop promoting natural shoreline preservation and permanent protection of high-quality waterfront parcel. 

Your support for OCLRA can help advance these and other initiatives to protect our lakes and rivers in the year ahead. We welcome your comments and suggestions as we move into the active seasons of 2026. You can share your thoughts and ideas by email to oclra100@gmail.com. You are also welcome to attend our board meetings, held at 9 a.m. on the second Monday of each month at the ADRC building in Rhinelander. And most important, we invite you to affirm your support by establishing or renewing membership in OCLRA.

All best wishes, 

Ted Rulseh 

President, OCLRA

Apply for OCLRA membership at: Membership ~ Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association OCLRA 

Posted April 29, 2026- The latest Waveboat Update from Lakes at Stake Wisconsin warns of industry backed lobbyists working hard in Madison to sway elected officials to ignore public input.

Well, well, the song remains the same.

Powerful waveboat lobbyists continue to try and influence Wisconsin Legislators to support weak waveboat legislation. In 2025, $216 thousand dollars were spent to lobby in favor of industry sponsored waveboat bills. Two of the groups financing the lobbying were based out of Orlando Florida and Chiago Illinois.  

This fight is far from over as we have seen this past year, some legislators hope to continue to block or delay meaningful legislation. Be wary of any statements by legislators claiming a meaningful waveboat bill won't be passed until 2027. Such a statement was shared by Oneida County Representative Rob Swearingen this past year. 

Swearingen quote:

"More importantly, the Assembly will finish this session next week. If we don't pass something before then we'll be stuck with the 100 foot set back for potentially another two years!"

Lakes at Stake Wisconsin remains one of the leading advocates for meaningful waveboat legislation which includes individual towns the ability to protect their lakes as they see fit without the threat of litigation. Their latest newsletter may be viewed at: Lakes at Stake Guarding the Henhouse (Madison) 

Posted April 27, 2026- Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association (OCLRA) shares eNews for April.

OCLRA's April contains information on the following subjects and much more.

• 6-County Meeting: What’s Your Lake’s Report Card?
• Oneida County offers Clean Boats, Clean Waters training
• Is your boat really clean?
• Minnesota associations issue position on enhanced wakes
• Last Wilderness Alliance issues spring newsletter
• Baits designed to leave no trace
• Glacial Lakes Partnership introduces bioengineering guides
• Research shows that AIS messaging works
• Learn about mosquitoes at Discovery Center 

OCLRA eNews can be viewed here:  Six County Meeting date set - and other news from OCRLA 

You may follow OCLRA on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/people/OCLRA/100089436967560/. 

Also, OCLRA President Ted Rulseh affectionately known as the "Lake Guy" made a recent appearance on WJFW. Kudo's to both Ted and WJFW for an entertaining and educational report.

Part's one and two of the WJFW piece can be viewed at:

Talks with Ted Rulseh The Lake Guy Part: 1 (4-23-26) | | wjfw.com 

Talks with Ted Rulseh The Lake Guy Part: 2 (4-23-26) | | wjfw.com