The Natural Resources Board in June approved the first changes to the regulations in more than 40 years. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee, though, asked for revisions.

Those changes were approved Friday by the Natural Resources Board. One of the key changes reduces the zone around lakes where impervious surface restrictions apply. Another generally prohibits horizontal expansions on pre-existing structures within 75 feet of the water, rather than 35 feet.

"This has been an eight year process to change these regulations so it is good that it is coming to a close," said Sauk County Planning and Zoning Department Director Mark Steward, who added that the county will likely have to update its Shoreland Protection Ordinance.

Steward said most of the requests that go before the Sauk County Board of adjustment deal with shoreland properties.

The rules will go into effect early next year if no lawmakers object.

Rep. Spencer Black, a Madison Democrat who leads the Assembly Natural Resources committee, calls the rules a good compromise. A message left at the office of Sen. Mark Miller, a Monona Democrat who chairs the state Senate environmental committee, wasn’t immediately returned.