POLITTCAL PARTIES           
                                  835




                                               1. ECOLOGY

   Wisconsin is primarily an agricultural and forest products state. Sustainable
yields of agricultural and forest prod-
ucts must be enhanced without reliance on practices wshich destroy these
resources for future generations. Stewardship
and ecological responsibility are integral parts of land ovnne.rship. whether
held by individuals, corporations, land
trusts, or as a public heritage. The "public trust doctrinn." s
hich holds that public land, water, minerals, forests, and
other natural resources are held in trust for the public and u cd for the
common good, must be enforced.
A. Agriculture
   Sustainable agriculture: Wisconsin's modem agricultural economy relies
heavily on intensive, high-tech systems
that depend on expensive, petrochemically based fertilizers. herbicides,
and pesticides and phosphates to maintain
yields. This dependence has diminished the vitality of WVisconsin's agricultural
lands through loss of top soil, de-
creased fertility, poisoning of ground and surface waters, and increased
indebtedness and fiscal insecurity of farm op-
erators.
   A sustainable system of agriculture should be based upon the use of crop
rotation, unprocessed natural fertilizers,
disease resistant indigenous plants, integrated pest management, and crop
cultivation instead of petrochemical based
farming practices.
   Subsidies for a change to organic farming methods are mandatory. New and
ecologically sound agricultural prod-
ucts, including nonfood uses of plant fiber, hemp and agricultural waste
should be encouraged to help local farm pro-
ducers and distributors retain a larger share of value added products in
the local community. Community and family
organic gardens must be supported. Organic Certification Standards must be
established for products sold to others.
Other potentially sustainable methods of food production such as hydroponics
and greenhouses should be supported
as well. Regionalization of the food production system should be encouraged.
   The state must provide more support to universities and technical schools
to teach sustainable farming practices.
The University Extension must expand its ability to teach these techniques.
   Family farms: Current farm programs, taxes and fiscal policies favor corporate
agribusiness over the family farm.
This must shift to reestablish the family farm as an indispensable part of
a diverse and healthy agricultural economy.
   Farmers must receive a reasonable price for their products. The Wisconsin
Greens call for an immediate end to the
current dairy price support formula that discriminates against Wisconsin.
   Farmland preservation: To insure the continuity of farmland in farm use,
a state funded farmer retirement system,
funded by real estate transfer taxes, subdivision fees and other methods,
should be created. This should be combined
with state land banking of prime farmland to prevent diversion to nonfarm
use through first-option state acquisition
of the land, annuities to retiring farmers, subsidies to beginning farmers
and farm land trusts, and restricted farm resale
agreements. Farmland preservation must be strengthened by statutory adoption
as a comprehensive state land use
planning goal, including a mechanism of enforcement within state and local
land use regulatory arenas.
   Biotechnology: Hybridization and genetic engineering must be reexamined
to protect from dangers to agricultural
species diversity. Growth producing hormones and the preventative use of
antibiotics in the production of livestock
must be eliminated. Genetically engineered organisms must be subjected to
much more comprehensive testing on
their impacts on human health and the environment. BGH products must be labeled
and products made with genetical-
ly engineered organisms boycotted.
B. Forestry
   Sustainable practices: Widescale conservation and reforestation of Wisconsin
forests by the local communities
is important. Below-cost timber sales and other forms of government subsidies
for forest products on public lands
must end. Ecologically sustainable forest practices should be promoted and
expanded by state and federal agencies.
Clear cutting, the destruction of remnant native forests, and the export
of raw logs must be prohibited.
   Public forest lands: The management of state and county forests must be
for true multiple-purpose use, rather than
as timber plantations. This requires making protection of species diversity
as important as timber harvesting. Land
trusts can insure sustainable forest environments, and government incentives
can be used to create them among private
land owners.
C. Energy
   The current ecological crisis is partially the result of an energy use
lifestyle based upon the consumption of nonre-
newable fossil fuels and nuclear power. A full cost pricing policy should
reflect the environmental and social costs
of various energy production and use technologies.
   Conservation and renewables: Major government investments and incentives
should be used to encourage re-
newable energy technology and conservation at every level of energy use.
Wind, solar and biomass (plant matter) all
need to be included in Wisconsin's energy future. In particular, Wisconsin
should develop at least one major commer-
cial wind farm before the year 2000.
   High energy efficiency standards should be required in new construction
and encouraged for the retrofitting of ex-
isting structures.
   Fossil fuels should be phased out. Nonrenewable energy production and
consumption should be taxed, and the
revenue used to cover the hidden costs of fossil fuels and the development
of alternatives. The state should support
the development of biomass (plant matter) for generating fuels, as a renewable
alternative to oil.
   Nuclear Power: Nuclear power as a way of generating electricity must be
phased out. It is far to expensive and
far too dangerous, especially to future generations who will suffer from
leaking wastes. New plants should not be built