Walker cuts funding to cleanup rivers and lakes, and return them "to a healthy condition."

Is this just another case of a group of egg-headed scientists meddling in the affairs of hunters and fishermen who simply want to enjoy the great outdoors, algae blooms and all?

Scott Walker thinks so, and in a shocking move, is trying to defund them out of the budget picture. The key phrases in the WPR story below, “cleanup project” and “returning our waters” tells us we've got a problem now. These aren't predictions by a group of tree hugging alarmists:

A cleanup project for the western Wisconsin’s Red Cedar and St. Croix rivers could be in jeopardy due to a line item cut proposed in the state budget. Tainter-Menomin Lake Association President Ron Verdon told the Joint Finance Committee, "UW-Extension staff members play a critical role in providing support, knowledge, leadership and resources to address issues we face in returning our waters to a healthy condition." 

The idea of local control is a mirage Republican like to market under the banner of freedom...until they're in power. This is just one shining example of that. 

Do Republican voters believe as Walker does, that cleaning up our rivers and lakes is an option we just can't afford right now? 

In 2013, the University of Wisconsin-Extension, the Department of Natural Resources and counties formed a set of farmer-led councils aimed at reducing farm runoff into the Red Cedar and St. Croix Rivers that contributes to toxic algae blooms. However, the proposed state budget would cut $770,000 from that and other efforts in the state.