Gov. Evers, DNR Kick Off Earth Week by Sharing Ways Wisconsinites Can Be Good Neighbors and Celebrate Earth Week
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today kicked off Earth Week and joined the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in inviting Wisconsinites to celebrate all week long by taking action around their own homes and communities to reduce waste, recycle, conserve water, and take small steps that can have a big impact. In addition, the governor will kick off a statewide tour celebrating Earth Week, during which he will visit local parks, communities, conservation groups, and more across the state, highlighting efforts of the Evers Administration to fight the climate crisis, conserve natural resources, and bolster clean energy and conservation statewide. Earlier this year, Gov. Evers declared 2026 the Year of the Neighbor, underscoring the importance of community, togetherness, and doing the right thing, and that includes taking care of and protecting the state’s vast and vibrant natural resources for future generations to enjoy.
As he has done every year, Gov. Evers will proclaim April 22, 2026, as Earth Day in Wisconsin, in addition to recognizing Forest Appreciation Week, which runs from April 20 to Arbor Day on April 24.
“Conservation and protecting our natural resources are core to who we are as a people and as a state–it’s in our DNA, and here in Wisconsin, our work to conserve and protect our lands, waters, and air and respond to an ever-changing climate has never been more important,” said Gov. Evers. “From flooding and severe weather events to unseasonable snow droughts and everything in between, it’s clear that climate change is an imminent threat to our state, economy, and our kids’ future. That’s why, since Day One, my administration and I have been working to conserve our natural resources and tackle the climate crisis head-on, but there’s always more we can do. My administration and I remain committed to building the cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future Wisconsinites deserve, and especially during 2026 the Year of the Neighbor, I’m encouraging Wisconsinites to join us in being good neighbors and celebrating Earth Week by giving back to our communities, our state, and our planet.”
From the 12 Native Nations in Wisconsin that have been stewards of the land since long before Wisconsin became a state to Wisconsin’s farmers and producers to hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreational enthusiasts, Wisconsin has a long and proud history of environmental stewardship and conservation. Founded in 1970 by former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day was created to raise awareness about air and water pollution, and more than 50 years later, Earth Day is observed around the world.
On Earth Day 2021, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #112, joining the global Trillion Trees Pledge and committing to plant 75 million new trees in rural and urban areas and conserve 125,000 acres of forest in Wisconsin by the end of 2030 in collaboration with public, private, and non-governmental partners. In 2024, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #221, increasing the state’s tree-planting goal to 100 million trees by the end of 2030. To date, the state has already achieved more than 40 percent of its tree-planting goal and more than 60 percent of its forest conservation goal. Updates on the state’s progress in meeting the goals of the Trillion Trees Pledge are expected later this week.
“What Earth Day stands for—celebrating and protecting our environment—is central to the mission of the DNR,” said DNR Secretary Karen Hyun. “That’s why our agency works every single day to ensure Wisconsin residents and visitors have access to things like clean air, clean water and a clean environment, both today and in the future.”
Additionally, Gov. Evers is encouraging folks and families to celebrate Earth Day and Earth Week by taking action at home and in their communities. A list of five steps Wisconsinites can take to protect the state’s natural resources and celebrate Earth Week, including links to DNR resources to help, is available below.
Reduce Food Waste at Home
According to the DNR, wasted food was one of the largest components of trash in Wisconsin. In 2024, an estimated 652,000 tons of wasted food and 270,000 tons of food scraps were disposed of, representing 20 percent of all waste in Wisconsin landfills. When food waste breaks down in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Making small changes to how food is handled at home can reduce waste and save money over time.
Some simple tips for meal planning include:
- Taking inventory: Determine what food you already have at home, what needs to be used soon, and how much space you have for new items.
- Planning meals: Know how much of each ingredient you need.
- Making a list: Save time in the grocery store and reduce impulse buys.
- Tracking excess: Take note of what goes uneaten and cut back on buying those items.
Storing food correctly can also help reduce waste and save time and money. Save the Food’s Store It Guide is an interactive food storage guide to help folks keep their food fresh.
When waste prevention is not possible, diverting food waste from landfills is the next best option. One way to do this is by composting food scraps. In addition to reducing waste in landfills, compost replenishes soil with microorganisms and nutrients.
Donating food for those in need is another great way to keep edible food out of the garbage. For more details and additional tips, visit the DNR’s Reducing Food Waste at Home webpage.
Plant Native Plants and Trees
Native plants provide food for insects, birds, bats, small mammals, and other wildlife, while adding beauty to any landscape. Native plant sales are popping up across the state this spring and summer, so this is the perfect time to start or expand your native garden. Learn more about native plants and check out upcoming plant sales on the DNR’s Endangered Resources page.
You can also plant a native tree to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day on April 25. Trees provide countless ecological, environmental, health, and cultural benefits, but they face threats statewide from invasive species like the emerald ash borer and diseases like oak wilt.
Use this family-based activity to learn how to properly plant and care for your seedling or learn how to plant and care for your landscape tree. You can also add your newly planted tree to the Wisconsin tree planting map.
Refresh Your Recycling Knowledge
It’s important to know which items can be recycled and how to recycle them correctly, as some items can cause serious problems at recycling facilities that are not designed to handle them, including a risk of fire and worker injury. Many of these can be recycled at drop-off sites but should not go in curbside recycling bins or carts. These items include:
- Plastic bags, plastic film, and plastic wrap;
- Batteries and electronics; and
- Light bulbs.
For more information about what can and cannot be recycled, visit the DNR’s What to Recycle in Wisconsin webpage.
Recycle Old Electronics
Some electronics, including TVs, laptops, and cell phones, are made out of valuable materials that can be reused through recycling. Others contain hazardous materials that can be harmful to human health and pollute the environment if not properly managed. Because of this, many electronics can no longer be put in the trash and must be reused, recycled, or managed as hazardous waste.
To learn how to prepare your electronics for recycling and find collection sites, events, and mail-back programs, visit the DNR’s Electronics Recycling webpage. Many communities are holding free or low-cost electronics collection events this time of year.
Fix a Leak
Water conservation matters, even in a water-rich state like Wisconsin. The United States wastes nearly one trillion gallons of water each year due to household leaks.
Try these water-protecting, money-saving ideas to stop water waste in your household:
- Check your meter over a period when water is not being used. If it goes down, you probably have a leak;
- Tighten your showerhead. Ensuring a tight connection between the showerhead and pipe stem can reduce water use by up to 500 gallons a year;
- Inspect outdoor faucets and irrigation systems each spring to ensure frost or winter freezing did not damage the pipes; and
- Reach out to experts if you cannot fix or locate a leak.
Learn more about finding leaks in your home or business and easy ways to fix them by visiting the DNR’s Water Conservation and Efficiency webpage.
Other Ways to Help
In celebration of Earth Day and Earth Week, Wisconsinites are encouraged to call or send a letter to their local elected officials in support of efforts to fight the climate crisis, expand Wisconsin’s clean energy economy, protect the state’s natural resources, and make sure kids and families have clean, safe drinking water. Wisconsinites can find their local state representative’s and state senator’s phone number and email address to express their support by entering their address on the Wisconsin State Legislature’s website.
The DNR also hosts a wide variety of events around the state year-round. Check out service projects through the DNR’s volunteer portal or visit the DNR events calendar to get involved.
ADDITIONAL EFFORTS OF THE EVERS ADMINISTRATION TO PROTECT WISCONSIN’S NATURAL RESOURCES AND BUILD A MORE SUSTAINABLE STATE
Since Day One, Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration have made it a top priority to conserve and protect Wisconsin’s vast and valuable natural resources, invest in sustainable industries, expand clean energy infrastructure, and fight the climate crisis.
In his first year in office, Gov. Evers joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, of which he is now the first Midwest governor to serve as an executive board member. The governor, along with his fellow U.S. Climate Alliance governors, is committed to collectively achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change and has established an ambitious goal of ensuring 100 percent carbon-free electricity consumption in Wisconsin by 2050. In 2019, Gov. Evers also created the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, which advised and assisted the governor in developing strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change for the benefit of all Wisconsin communities.
Building a Clean Energy Future in Wisconsin
Gov. Evers has made it a top priority to protect Wisconsin’s environment and invest in creating a clean energy workforce and economy that supports the needs of the 21st Century. In his first year in office, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #38, creating the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy (OSCE), charged with developing the Wisconsin Clean Energy Plan to promote the development and use of clean and renewable energy across the state, advance innovative sustainability solutions that improve the state’s economy and environment, and diversify the resources used to meet the state’s energy needs. The order also established the state’s goal to reach 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050 and charged the OSCE with ensuring the state is fulfilling the carbon reduction goals of the Paris Agreement.
In accordance with Gov. Evers’ Executive Order #38, the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan was released in 2022, providing a roadmap for the state to lower energy bills and prices at the pump for Wisconsin families, promote energy independence by reducing reliance on out-of-state energy sources, create an estimated more than 40,000 jobs by 2030, and invest in job training and apprenticeship programs in innovative industries and technologies. Since creating Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan four years ago, OSCE has released annual clean energy progress reports to outline the strides the state is making to meet our clean energy goals.
Additionally, in 2023, Gov. Evers created the Green Ribbon Commission on Clean Energy and Environmental Innovation to advise on creating the state’s first-ever Green Innovation Fund. The Green Innovation Fund and its partners work to leverage public and private financing to invest in projects that provide environmental and clean energy solutions to businesses, reduce pollution, lower energy costs for families, and expand access to clean, affordable energy options.
Gov. Evers has also long championed efforts to promote climate resilience through innovative transportation infrastructure and clean energy initiatives. As co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, Gov. Evers announced last year that Wisconsin would be joining the Alliance’s Affordable Clean Cars Coalition. This multi-state initiative is aimed at sustaining America’s transition to cleaner and more affordable cars, supporting U.S. automotive manufacturers and workers, and improving air quality for all.
Most recently, during his 2026 State of the State address, Gov. Evers announced new efforts to help bolster clean energy in Wisconsin, helping to further advance the goals of Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan and ensure that all electricity consumed within the state is 100 percent carbon-free by 2050. This includes a new partnership agreement between the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) and the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison’s Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics to undertake a study exploring nuclear energy opportunities in Wisconsin.
The governor also announced in his 2026 State of the State address that the state is taking the first steps to continue efforts to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Wisconsin utilities and renewable energy projects for the next two decades, continuing the state’s longstanding practice of leading by example and ensuring Wisconsinites have access to in-state renewable electricity. The state plans to purchase approximately 225,000 RECs every year for the next 20 years, representing 225,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity each year, which is enough energy to power more than half a million Wisconsin homes.
Further, the PSC announced in March that Wisconsin is now a national leader in enrollment for the Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebate programs, which have helped residents statewide reduce energy use and lower utility bills. Since launching the programs in 2024, nearly $9 million in rebates have been paid to Wisconsin households to install popular energy-efficient measures, including air sealing, insulation, heat pumps for cooling and heating, and electric panels and wiring.
Wisconsin was the very first state to make energy efficiency upgrades available under the Home Energy Rebates (HOMES) Program in August 2024 and remains one of only a handful of states in the country to offer both the HOMES Program and the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) Program, which was launched a few months later. More about the state’s efforts through the HOMES and HEAR programs to help Wisconsin households save energy and money with energy-efficient home upgrades can be found on Gov. Evers’ press release page.
Fighting PFAS and Lead Contamination Statewide
Gov. Evers declared 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water, and for the past seven years, has prioritized efforts to address PFAS contamination, proposing numerous comprehensive plans to protect Wisconsinites from PFAS in drinking, ground, and surface water. The Evers Administration enacted the first statewide standards for PFAS in surface and drinking water and has proposed groundwater standards multiple times despite Republican obstruction.
Gov. Evers also secured a historic $125 million investment of state funding in the 2023-25 Biennial Budget to assist homeowners and communities in addressing PFAS contamination. Despite Republicans in the Legislature having blocked the DNR from accessing this funding for nearly three years, earlier this month, Gov. Evers signed two bipartisan bills, Assembly Bill 130, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 200, and Assembly Bill 131, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 201, which, together, facilitate the release of the $125 million in stalled PFAS investments.
Together, these bills deliver on Gov. Evers’ promise to continue addressing PFAS contamination and ensure safe, clean water for all by securing protections for innocent landowners, investing $80 million of the $125 million in the PFAS Trust Fund to support local communities, investing $35 million of the $125 million in the PFAS Trust Fund for an expanded Well Compensation Grant Program, providing funding for emergency bottled water for private well owners in situations in which PFAS contamination in drinking water is discovered, and creating new opportunities for the DNR to support communities in PFAS mitigation, among other important provisions.
This also comes as, last month, Gov. Evers approved new changes to bring the state’s current drinking water standards in line with federal limits for PFAS, reducing the state’s threshold for PFAS contamination from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to a new enforceable standard of 4.0 ppt for certain contaminants—an effort that will significantly improve drinking water standards and quality for Wisconsinites.
Last year, the Natural Resources Board and the governor also approved amendments to the state’s lead and copper rule to be in line with federal standards. Together, these actions build on longstanding efforts of the Evers Administration to combat PFAS and lead, protect kids and families from harmful contaminants, and expand access to safe drinking water statewide.
Improving Wastewater Infrastructure and Water Management
To continue building upon the governor’s work to ensure Wisconsin’s kids and families have clean, safe drinking water, Gov. Evers has championed a number of efforts over the years to improve wastewater infrastructure across the state. Most recently, Gov. Evers, together with the DNR, announced more than $484 million has been allocated for financial assistance through the Clean Water Fund Program to 82 Wisconsin municipalities across the state to improve wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. The funding will help municipalities, particularly small and disadvantaged communities, construct needed infrastructure projects, including those that reduce phosphorus discharges and address aging equipment.
To continue building upon the governor’s work to ensure Wisconsin’s kids and families have clean, safe drinking water, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers increased borrowing for the state’s Environmental Improvement Fund by over $730 million to secure federal clean water and safe drinking water capitalization grants, including grants for the Clean Water Fund Program, over the next four years. This funding will help meet the increasing demand from local communities that need support to upgrade local water systems and infrastructure to ensure every Wisconsin kid, family, and community has clean, safe drinking water.
In addition to increasing borrowing for the state’s Environmental Improvement Fund, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers provides funding for several water management infrastructure programs and projects, including:
- $2 million for the development of a remedial action plan for the remediation of arsenic-contaminated sediment in the Kewaunee Marsh;
- $4 million to be used for remedial action at the Amcast Superfund site;
- $6 million in bonding to be used for the Kenosha Dunes restoration project;
- $7.5 million for contaminated sediment removal from sites in the Great Lakes or its tributaries that are on Wisconsin’s impaired waters list to continue protecting this resource;
- $4 million for Urban Nonpoint Source cost-sharing and the Municipal Flood Control Program;
- $6.5 million to counties for capital projects that implement land and water resource management plans under the Targeted Runoff Management Program;
- $7 million for grants to counties for implementation of land and water resource management plans, including cost-share grants to landowners that install conservation practices on their land, such as erosion prevention strategies, through the Soil and Water Resource Management Program;
- $4 million for the repair, reconstruction, and removal of dams;
- Over $1.8 million over the biennium to update the DNR’s systems and improve customer service for Wisconsinites; and
- More than $12 million to support county conservation staff around the state.
Supporting Farmer-Led Conservation and Clean Water Efforts
Since taking office in 2019, identifying and remediating contamination in ground, surface, and drinking water statewide has been a top priority for Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration, and the governor has been proud to support Wisconsin’s farmers and producers in their conservation and clean water efforts.
Earlier this year, Gov. Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), announced $1 million through the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant (PLWPG) Program to 49 farmer-led groups to support producer-led conservation solutions by encouraging innovation and farmer participation in efforts to improve Wisconsin’s soil health and water quality.
The 2026 PLWPG Program award announcement by Gov. Evers earlier this year is the 11th round of grant awards distributed through the program since funding was first made available. Gov. Evers recognizes that farmers are key partners in the state’s work to protect and preserve the state’s natural resources, and has championed supporting increased funding for the PLWPG in his previous budgets, including increasing the program’s base funding to $1 million annually in the final 2021-23 Biennial Budget and securing an additional $500,000 in the 2023-25 and 2025-27 Biennial Budgets.
To further support the state’s farmers and producers in their stewardship efforts, Gov. Evers also secured $2 million additional funds in the 2025-27 bipartisan budget for the Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, which offers grants to agricultural producers across the state to support efforts to refine, enhance, and optimize the method of applying commercial nitrogen to agricultural fields, helping to protect vital soil and water resources. This year, DATCP announced that 18 projects received grant funding totaling more than $763,000 through the Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, bolstering efforts to develop innovative approaches to optimize the application of commercial nitrogen for a duration of at least two growing seasons.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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