The Conservation Congress votes were tallied and show that Wisconsin conservationists oppose Enbridge’s plans to build a new tar sands pipeline in the ‘Line 61 corridor’.  Enbridge has been taking steps to building a new pipeline through Wisconsin.  Question 72 read “Do you support the Wisconsin Conservation Congress taking an official position to oppose the Enbridge Pipeline expansion?”

“I decided to write up the resolution because I think the issues created by the pipeline (both environmental and landowner rights issues) should be important to all citizens of Wisconsin, not just the landowners where the pipes are buried,” said Kevin Stoddard, a landowner in Rio (Columbia County) who introduced the resolution last year, allowing it to be on the state-wide ballot this year.  He also serves on the Columbia County WiSE steering committee.

The statewide results showed that 75% of Spring Hearing attendees voted in support of the question, including 67 of the 72 (or 93%) counties voting to oppose the pipeline.

Of the counties that currently have Enbridge pipelines, 80.7% of the audience supported the resolution to oppose the expansion, including 17 of the 19 (89.5%) counties voting in favor.  Here is the county by county breakdown:

Polk County, one of the 5 counties that did not support the question, did vote in favor of holding public hearings and conducting a full Environmental Impact Statement of Enbridge’s Line 61 pipeline.  The same resolution passed in the other two counties (Vernon and Wood) that introduced it as well.

Additionally, in Milwaukee County 86% of attendees supported a resolution to require pipelines be at least 5 miles from a lake or river bank.

Full results can be found here.