Assembly to vote on wetland permit exemptions bill

MADISON, Wis. – The state Assembly is preparing to pass a Republican bill that would allow developers to fill state wetlands without a permit.

Under the bill, builders could fill wetlands within a half-mile of a municipality or an area with a sewer system without a Department of Natural Resources permit. Developers wouldn’t have to mitigate urban wetland losses of less than 10,000 square feet.

Builders also could fill up to three acres of rural wetlands without a permit if the development is related to an agricultural structure. Mitigation within a 20-mile radius would be required if the project results in the loss of more than 1.5 acres.

The Assembly is set to take up the measure during what’s shaping up to be a contentious floor session Thursday.