iron county landowner ORDERED TO PAY $10,000 FOR PLACING FILL IN wetlands

MADISON Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that the Wisconsin Department of Justice has settled a lawsuit against Mr. Lynn Tyson, an Iron County, Wisconsin landowner, for violations of state wetland protection laws.

According to the complaint filed at the request of the Department of Natural Resources, Tyson caused fill to be placed in a northern cedar swamp, near the shore of his Long Lake property, without first providing notice and obtaining written confirmation that the filling would be consistent with the requirements of state wetland protection laws. The fill was placed to create a fire pit, to facilitate tree removal, and to back-blade a path from Tyson's home to the lake.

Mr. Tyson has cooperated by removing fill. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Tyson has agreed to pay penalties and assessments totaling $10,000 for the violations. The settlement agreement also requires that Tyson remove any remaining fill, restore the wetland vegetation on his property, and monitor the disturbed area to ensure that invasive or non-native species do not become established.