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Wisconsin Ag News Headlines |
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Cranberry Industry Growth Permitting Process Finalized
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/16/2008
Agreement has been reached among state and federal regulators to solidify a permitting review process for cranberry marsh expansion in Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers
Association, the move is the result of a collaborative and quick effort by the State of Wisconsin to help the industry grow in the state, which in turn will bring in new jobs and more economic activity.
WSCGA Director Tom Lochner says the agreement was first reached between the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in July.
"We are very appreciative of the state's leadership role and the top-priority attention given to helping expand Wisconsin's cranberry industry and, ultimately, its economy," said Lochner. "Just over two months
ago, we announced that the opportunity was before Wisconsin to expand the state's largest fruit crop, and with it, bring significant economic impact and jobs. The Governor, the DNR and many throughout the
state saw that this was a crucial time for action."
The permitting review process upholds all state and federal regulatory standards while establishing a streamlined review procedure that will benefit both growers and regulators. Earlier in the summer, WSCGA
announced its need for such a review process to help the cranberry industry expand in Wisconsin and add up to 1,115 jobs and have an additional $75 million annual economic impact.
The new marsh expansion permitting review process now allows for one common permit application to be submitted to both the Corps and the DNR, rather than two separate applications. The process
includes a pre-application meeting between the grower and regulators to discuss the expansion project and gain feedback before the costly and time-consuming permit application is finalized.
Lochner says cranberry companies, such as Cliffstar, Clement Pappas, Decas Cranberries, Alpine Foods, Wisconsin Cranberry Cooperative and Ocean Spray have been clear that if the marshes are built and
the berries are produced in Wisconsin, they will look to grow their processing companies in Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, the cranberry industry needs to grow an additional 1.5 million barrels of cranberries in Wisconsin to meet future worldwide demand.
The DNR staff is now learning about the new process, and in the coming weeks, WSCGA and the WDNR will be reaching out to the more than 250 cranberry growers in Wisconsin to educate them on the
expansion process. Growers will then determine if an expansion is right for their marsh.
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