Wisconsin RealEstateRama

House Financial Services Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Sean Duffy (WI-07) requests that the Departments of the Interior, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs conduct a forensic audit of all Tribal accounts and programs of the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewas. He made the request on behalf of 113 members of the tribe who sent Rep. Duffy a petition over concerns about alleged mismanagement of Federal funds by the LCO Tribal Governing Board.

The findings of 2014 and 2015 audits of the St. Croix Chippewa Housing Authority raise concerns over how the money may have been allocated. Out of concern that the money is not reaching those in need, House Financial Services Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Sean Duffy (WI-07) requests U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro to offer further explanation.

Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner introduced H.R. 6042, legislation that would stop the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from placing unnecessary and burdensome estate tax regulations on family-owned businesses

The Northwest Barrens Properties draft master plan is available for public review and comment Saturday, Aug. 20 through Saturday, Sept. 10. Northwest Barrens properties within the plan include Namekagon Barrens and Douglas County wildlife areas and Totogatic Wild River lands (at the lower reaches of the river), located in Burnett, Washburn, and Douglas counties.

In response to the announcement that six buildings at the Milwaukee VA Soldiers Home will be rehabilitated and restored to serve veterans, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) released the following statement

A second storm that hit northwestern Wisconsin early Thursday morning blew down trees throughout the area, but did not cause any additional closures to state parks or forests in the region. Heavy storm damage was reported in Ashland County, which is still recovering from a torrential rain storm that hit the region the night of July 11-12. Some areas received 8 to 10 inches of rain in that storm, causing flooding and major road washouts. Saturated soil likely contributed to the large number of trees blown down in the most recent storm that had winds reported at up to 75 miles per hour.

In response to fears that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is not effectively monitoring and managing the conflicts of interest created when it takes an equity stake in water corporations where it also served as a water sector adviser, U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04), Ranking Member on the Financial Services Committee’s Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, sent a letter to Dr. Jim Young Kim, President of the World Bank Group, outlining her concerns and those of other critical stakeholder groups like Corporate Accountability International

Peninsula State Park in Door County will have more naturalist activities available, be better positioned to deal with invasive species and have improved trail maintenance thanks to a $25,500 donation from Friends of Peninsula State Park accepted by the state Natural Resources Board in Madison today

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is planning to conduct prescribed burning on a small section of the Hank Aaron State Trail in Milwaukee County this spring. Prescribed burning is part of an ongoing effort to preserve and restore the landscape found within DNR properties throughout Wisconsin. These burns reduce leaf litter, improve wildlife habitat, redistribute nutrients and help control invasive species

Property owners interested in making their land more wildlife-friendly are invited to attend Habitat Handout Day Saturday, April 23 in Baldwin, Wis. Attendees will receive free spruce trees, wildlife-friendly shrubs, and seed for wildlife food plots. Distribution will occur from noon to 2 p.m. at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shop building, located at 890 Spruce St., Baldwin, Wis