NEWS
There have been a number of newspaper articles concerning the dispute with the DNR. Some of the more recent articles from the Lake Country Reporter are set forth at the right of this column. The Waukesha Freeman article reporting on the May 23, 2013 Bench Decision of Judge Davis is the last article on the right. Below you will also find a commentary by the RRNA regarding the actions which the DNR has taken toward North Lake.
RRNA COMMENTARY
The DNR is trying to repeat the damage it did when it took down Funks Dam. But why is the DNR insisting on putting an asphalt jungle in the middle of a residential neighborhood, especially since this will harm the ecology generally and North Lake particularly? Because six years ago the DNR paid twice the value of the Kraus Site and now is determined to recoup its bad investment at the expense of Reddelien Road and North Lake. Of course, there should be public access to the lake, especially for fisherman. However, they ignore alternate means of achieving that access via the Kuchler Site because they must avoid responsibility for their bad investment. They ignore the fact that 10 to 15 fishing boats now access the lake in fact via the Cory Oil site, again because of their bad investment.
And the DNR is very serious about proceeding. On July 30, 2010, the United States Army Corps of Engineers granted the DNR’s 404 Application for the building of a public launch on what is known as the “Kraus site,” immediately adjacent to the riparian property of the Plaintiffs in what is known as the Reddelien Road Neighborhood. At a minimum, the DNR’s plans will result in the destruction of the Reddelien Road Neighborhood, which lies adjacent to North Lake in Waukesha County and which consists of sixty homes and as many families. Beyond that, the RRNA and its experts are convinced that the DNR is attempting to create public nuisances which will result in the pollution of both the Reddelien Road Neighborhood and North Lake. But what is truly a tragedy is the fact that this isn’t the first time the DNR has acted to harm North Lake.
WE MUST AVOID ANOTHER FUNKS DAM
The DNR doesn't hesitate to take citizens or businesses to task for any perceived damage to the environment. However, it doesn't care about the harm it causes to the environment. As you can see under the 3rd tab on this Site (entitled "DNR's History of Polluting North Lake"), the DNR has a demonstrated history of acting to harm and pollute the navigable waters of North Lake and its environs with complete impunity from any legal redress once it has so acted. We can't let the DNR cause another Funks Dam. History clearly teaches that the citizens of North Lake will be without any adequate legal remedy once the DNR has acted to construct the Kraus public launch. But the RRNA is not just fighting for Reddelien Road. The RRNA is just as concerned about the harm the DNR’s newest “plans” for North Lake will inflict on the environmental quality of North Lake and all of the citizens who own property on the Lake.
The DNR is supposed to protect the environment. However, when its financial interests are at stake because it made a bad investment the DNR does not hesitate to destroy that which it is supposed to protect. In the end, this is all about an agency which thinks it can do no wrong and will go to any lengths to conceal a bad bargain it has made at the expense of the citizens who live on North Lake.