Bill Expanding Waterfront Property Rights Gets Walker`s Signature

Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill Tuesday that he says offers "common-sense" solutions to waterfront property owners.

The new law is a slimmed-down version of the legislation that was originally introduced. The bill that initially passed the state Assembly would have allowed property owners to dredge lakes with only a "general" permit from the Department of Natural Resources, instead of a more stringent "individual" permit. It also would have done away with the state’s Public Trust Doctrine, which says the waters belong to everyone in Wisconsin.

Those provisions were removed by the state Senate.