The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has determined that our application for the Pleasant Prairie-Zion project is complete, thus beginning the agency’s 180-day review. If approved, the six-mile, 345-kilovolt line would alleviate transmission system congestion in three states around the southern tip of Lake Michigan. That, in turn, would enable the most efficient generators to supply power to the market, allowing utility companies to buy and sell power when it is economic to do so.

Crews used helicopters (right) to string wires on Segment A of the Rockdale-West Middleton project this fall. Work is being conducted in four segments, moving east from the Rockdale Substation in the Town of Christiana to the Cardinal Substation adjacent to the current West Middleton Substation in the Town of Middleton.

We’ve adopted five State Natural Areas through a three-year funding commitment to the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, a statewide non-profit conservation organization. The properties include Lodi Marsh, Pine Island Savanna, Van Loon Savanna, La Crosse River Trail Prairies and Great River Trail Prairies. Funds will be used by state managers to control invasive plant species, use prescribed burns to remove unwanted vegetation and help restore the health of the properties.

We recently co-sponsored the Leopold Conservation Award, presented to a private landowner for exemplifying the “land ethic” established by influential Baraboo conservationist and “Sand County Almanac” author Aldo Leopold. The Koepke family of Oconomowoc received the award during a ceremony at the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting in Wisconsin Dells. The Koepke’s 1,000-acre dairy farm was one of the first in the area to adopt a completely “no-till” system, and uses such conservation practices as contour strip cropping, diversified crop rotation, nutrient management and use of cover crops and grassed waterways.

The Koepke family of Oconomowoc, flanked by Bill Bruins, president of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation on the left, and Dave Hanson, representing the Sand County Foundation Board of Directors

The Green Team in our Madison office celebrated America Recycles Week by collecting 650 pounds of e-waste for responsible disposal along with 222 pounds of metal. One of the more popular recycling bins this year benefited the YWCA Madison’s “Suited for Success” program that helps women prepare for job hunting in new-to-them professional clothing.

Speaking of trees, it’s December and many people will be bringing pines and firs into their homes to decorate. If you are purchasing a fresh, pre-cut tree, make sure it is still alive and healthy. Bounce the cut end on the ground – if a bunch of needles fall off, it’s not a safe tree to bring inside. Once at home, cut off the bottom two inches to expose fresh wood, which will allow for better water absorption. Keep the tree well hydrated by maintaining water in the stand well above the fresh-cut bottom. Trees dry out with heat, so keep your tree away from fireplaces or heater vents. The longer the tree stays in the house, the more it dries and becomes a fire hazard. When the holidays are over, consider keeping your tree in the back yard as a shelter for birds and small animals.