Green Tier

The Door County Composting Initiative has created a composting network with a mission to educate the community about the benefits of composting, to encourage sustainable practices by diverting food scraps and other organic matter from landfills, and to inspire the restoration of Door County soils. How to get started with composting: Extension Door County Composting Tips What do we compost? How to get started at home: Start by putting all your food scraps from breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a small bowl on your counter. In the evening, after doing your dishes, empty the bowl into a covered, 5-gallon bucket that you keep outside your back door. After a week or so, when the 5-gallon bucket is filled, you can compost in your backyard… or bring it to one of the Community Drop Off Composting sites that are being established in Door County.

Community Drop-Off Sites: See the map below for the 13 drop-off sites that participate in the Door County Compost Initiative.

  What are invasive species? Aquatic Invasive Species Terrestrial Invasive Species ID & Control Resources What you can do? Looking for more photos of invasive species? A great source for photos is:  https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/. More Resources: https://mipn.org/ Invasives | Wisconsin DNR    

Solar Benefits

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Door County Looking for spots to charge up your EV motor? Destination Door County has a list of the network of electric vehicle charging stations at various public locations as well as private businesses throughout Door County.  

Wisconsin law prohibits local governments from banning plastic bags. This means municipalities cannot enact ordinances or regulations that restrict the use, sale, or distribution of plastic bags. This preemptive law was enacted in 2016 to prevent local governments from implementing bans, even though some municipalities had not yet done so. Here's a more detailed explanation: 1. Preemptive Legislation: Wisconsin Act 302, enacted in 2016, prevents any political subdivision (cities, villages, towns, or counties) from regulating auxiliary containers like plastic bags. 2. What it means: This law prevents municipalities from banning or restricting the use of plastic bags, or imposing fees or surcharges on them. 3. Rationale: Supporters of the law argued it would protect businesses from the costs associated with implementing different bag regulations across various localities. 4. Local Action: While local governments can't ban plastic bags, they can encourage recycling efforts and educate residents about reducing plastic bag usage. 5. Recycling: Wisconsin law requires businesses to provide recycling receptacles for plastic bags and film, and municipalities are responsible for managing recycling programs.

Facts about plastic bags:

In this country, we use an estimated 190,000 disposable bags per second, requiring the use of 12 million barrels of oil each year. 

It is estimated that each American uses an average of approximately 500 plastic bags each year. Why should something that we’re going to use for a short time use a material that lasts hundreds of years?

 An estimated 32% of all plastic produced--nine million tons!--escapes collection and ends up in the ocean each year.

Over 100,000 sea mammals and 1 million seabirds die each year from ingesting or getting tangled in long-lasting discarded seaborne plastic.

10 Good Reasons to Bring Your Bag: Reducing, reusing and recycling plastic bags and wrap | | Wisconsin DNR

To protect Wisconsin’s trees, obtain firewood near where you will use it or use certified firewood that has been properly heat-treated or aged to kill any infesting pests or diseases.

Firewood can transport harmful tree problems to your backyard, street or favorite campsite. Just one firewood log can easily hide insects such as the emerald ash borer or spongy moth, or the tiny spores of a tree-killing fungal disease such as oak wilt. Instead of taking firewood along on your next camping trip or bringing some home with you from far away, get your firewood where you're going to use it. Make sure it is from trees harvested nearby, or buy firewood that has been processed to eliminate pests and diseases. Wisconsin regulates the movement of firewood in the state to help protect our trees and forests. Property owners and managers may also have additional restrictions. Here are some basic rules. Help Protect Wisconsin Trees: Don't Move Firewood - Information Brochure

Rules for all of Wisconsin

The quarantine for the spongy moth prohibits the movement of firewood east to west from infested to non-quarantined WI counties. If moving firewood to or through tribal properties, contact the tribe for its policy on allowable firewood. County, federal, and private campgrounds may have their own firewood restrictions. Call ahead or look online for specific information, including whether firewood is available at the campground.

Rules for state properties

To prevent the spread of emerald ash borer and other invasive insects and diseases moving in firewood, the DNR developed a permanent rule that prohibits visitors from bringing firewood into Wisconsin state parks and other state-managed lands from locations further than 10 miles away from the property (effective June 1, 2014). Treated, pest-free wood from state-certified vendors  is exempted from this regulation. To help with trip planning, each state campground has a map showing the 10-mile radius. To help protect the state’s forests from harmful pests and diseases, obtain your firewood at the property, from within this 10-mile radius, or buy state-certified firewood if purchasing the wood more than 10 miles from the property.