Nefarious, even by Republican standards: Development designs on the Pelican River Forest

Gaylord Nelson is turning over in his grave. The former Wisconsin governor and U.S. senator, widely known as the founder of Earth Day, was a Democrat, so perhaps it’s not surprising that he would be appalled by our state’s current crop of Republican legislators. But three-term Republican governor Warren Knowles would be equally shocked by...

The most important Wisconsin election this year may be the February 21 primary

Last June, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Friends of the Black River Forest did not have standing to sue the Department of Natural Resources. The grassroots group wants to stop a land swap deal in which the state deeds more than four acres of Kohler-Andrae State Park to Kohler Company in exchange for nine...

The Dunes vs. the Billionaires: Wiscoland is Making a Documentary

It may not be the best time to announce a venture (even one that’s been in progress for more than a year), what with yet another of the most important elections in our lifetime happening in a matter of days, but Wiscoland has expanded into a production company. On the other hand, now may be...

Kohler-Andrae at Risk: State Supreme Court Denies Standing to Environmental Group

On June 30, the Wisconsin Supreme Court announced its decision to deny Friends of the Black River Forest, a grassroots Sheboygan County environmental group, standing to sue the DNR to halt its land swap deal with Kohler Company. Intended to facilitate a proposed golf course, the land swap trades more than 9 acres of no...

Legislature’s Maneuvers Sideline Use of Knowles-Nelson Funds. But Cedar Gorge Clay Bluffs Preservation Moves Forward

A controversy over the disposition of Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds has revealed that stalling tactics on the part of the Republican-dominated state legislature may be aimed at undermining Wisconsin’s successful conservation program. The Ozaukee Washington Land Trust was set to close on a $5 million deal with Waukesha State Bank to purchase the Cedar Gorge Clay...

The Big Stink in Franklin: Residents Confront the Mayor

The citizen comments at a hearing before the Franklin Common Council on March 1 had a rehearsed quality. Indeed, Mayor Steve Olson had heard it all before. Despite fierce resident opposition, the council voted 3-3 to approve a Special Use Permit for the development of a 30-acre parcel adjacent to Ryan Meadows subdivision. The mayor...

The Big Stink in Franklin: Moving Ahead Without Strauss Brands?

Opponents of what was often referred to as the Strauss Brands “expansion” in Franklin will be relieved to learn that the company has withdrawn from a proposed plan to build a 152,000 sq. ft. slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility on thirty acres near residential lots and homes under construction. In 2019, the company withdrew its plan...

The Nature Conservancy’s Laura Kohler Offset Lands with a Thud

Wisconsinites engaged with the campaign to persuade Kohler Company to drop its predatory golf course plans and leave the rare Kohler-Andrae Lakeshore ecosystem intact were shocked to learn in late June that the Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest environmental organization, selected Kohler VP Laura Kohler to be the honorary chair of its Wisconsin’s Path initiative....

In Wake of Judge’s Decision, Fight to Preserve Kohler-Andrae Lakeshore Continues

On June 12, Mary Faydash stood on her deck overlooking Lake Michigan with a microphone in her hand. The occasion was a rally for Sheboygan County’s Friends of the Black River Forest, the grassroots environmental group that she helped found. If it weren’t for FBRF, Herb Kohler Jr.’s vanity project, a golf course parked on...

Kohler Golf Course Plan Dealt Legal Setback

In another legal setback for Kohler Company's proposed fifth golf course in Sheboygan County, Judge Edward Stengel ruled last Friday that the wetland fill permit granted to the company in 2018 by the Wisconsin DNR cannot be reinstated. The permit was granted under then-secretary Cathy Stepp, a Scott Walker appointee. Judge Stengel’s ruling upholds a...