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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation - Resource & Education Committee 09-03-1996a ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Robert Boche, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Art Jensen, Vice Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Land Conservation/Resource & Education Committee DATE: September 3, 1996 TIME: 8:30 a.m. LOCATION: Ag Center, Baldwin CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Reports• DNR NRCS FSA RC&D West Central Area Education Activities Farmland Preservation Compliance Priority Watershed Projects - Kinnickinnic South Fork of Hay River St. Croix Lakes Cluster - Rush River Landowner Survey Glen Hills Watershed Wildlife Damage Program Baldwin Ag Building Issue Woodville Recreational Trail Mound Dam Removal 1997 Budget Countv Farm NEW BUSINESS: Committee Reorganization Farmland Preservation Applications Subdivision Review - 11:00 a.m. Vouchers ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE. POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Charles Christenson DATE: August 20, 1996 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES Convened: 8:30 a.m. Adjourned: 11:40 a.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Center, Baldwin, WI September 3, 1996 Members Present: Leon Berenschot, Chris Bethke, Jim Cody, Vernon Dull, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent: None Staff Present: County Conservationist -Charles Christenson, Technician -Bob Heise, Kinnickinnic Project Manager -Tim Popple, Secretary -Arlene Lier Others Present: Don Siler-NRCS, Dick Gade-FSA, Marty Engel-DNR Meeting called to order by Vice Chairman Art Jensen. Bethke made motion to adopt agenda. Dull seconded. Carried. Dull made motion to approve August 6 and 19, 1996 meeting minutes as mailed out. Cody seconded. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, 1996. COMMITTEE REORGANIZATION Vice Chairman Jensen turned meeting over to Secretary Dull who called for nominations for Chairman. Raymond nominated Jensen for Chairman. Dull called three times for further nominations. There were none. Bethke made motion that nominations be closed and unanimous ballot be cast. Berenschot seconded. Carried. Chairman Jensen called for nominations for Vice Chairman. Dull nominated Raymond. Chairman Jensen called three times for further nominations. There were none. Dull made motion that nominations be closed and unanimous ballot be cast. Bethke seconded. Carried. Discussed and decided to change LCC meeting time from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. DNR Marty Engel (Fisheries Biologist) attended the meeting and reported: Fish Management - Trout stamp project on race area on the Willow River. Work was done on the area years ago wfilch needs repair and improvement. Kinnickinnic - Sampled about 45 sites throughout the watershed. Fishery survey is about finished. Data should be available this winter. Pine Lake - There has been some illegal fishing. Plan is to open next year. Will do a survey this fall to determine if next spring open should be set. Pine Lake will be closed for winter fishing except for bullheads. Preliminary information on Squaw Lake - Have surveyed lake this year. Large mouth bass population is heavy. Lots of 14" bass (up to 2011). Small population of walleye. Stocking is no longer working on walleyes. Bass, crappies, and blue gill are abundant. Crappies run up to 1211, blue gills up to 911. Squaw Lake has highest bass population compared to other lakes. Pete Skorseth (Environmental Engineer -Water Supply/Waste Water) - Hersey and Houlton areas are petitioning towns to form sanitary districts. NRCS (FORMERLY SCSI Siler handed out and discussed August activity report. FSA (FORMERLY ASCS)_ Gade reported that sign up for new program, AMTA (Agricultural Marketing Transition Act), "Freedom to Farm", was substantial - 1,400 farms, 102,000 acres base, 95% of total bases in the county. Crop concerns - Soybeans and corn are showing lots of stress due to lack of rain. We still have responsibility in Wisconsin to handle CAT (catastrophic crop insurance); 400 crops have CAT policies. Budget for 1997 will require FSA to reduce staff nationwide. Ag Building Solicitation - Received package from state office. Bid package will be available to prospective bidders. Notice will be published in newspapers beginning next week (for 3 weeks). Gade is to be contacted for solicitation package. Bids will be accepted until 4:00 p.m., November 1. Bids will be opened on November 4. Negotiation team will meet with people who have bid. Gade suggested that Jensen represent LCC on team. Bids will be left open until county decides to go with or not. Expected occupancy date is September 2, 1997. Final building square footage is 12,694 - 5 year, one 5-year renewal, rental lease. County Finance Committee is to be kept informed. County will be given cost figure after November 1. County decision will be needed by April 1, 1997. Jensen will serve on negotiation team. CRP - Gade stated that payments will be made in late October or early November. Also informed LCC of future CRP sign-ups. RC&D Jensen reported that no meeting was held recently. He appointed Berenschot to replace him as the RC&D representative. WEST CENTRAL AREA Christenson attended meeting at Menomonie on the August 20. Pepin County was selected for Conservation Farmer award. St. Croix had no entry. Second place poster contest winners were Ramsey Lee -Hudson Middle School (Special Division) and Chris Toll -Hudson Middle School (Junior Division). Third place poster contest winners were Heather Dorwin-Greenfield Elementary School -Baldwin (Elementary Division) and Jenna Walz-Glenwood City Elementary School (Middle Division). Resolution to encourage co -location of LCD and federal agencies will be considered at October 23rd meeting. If favorable, will forward to WLCA conference in December. Discussed possibility of 1997 conservation farmer award entry from St. Croix. EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Heise reported that field days are scheduled: September 11 - Baldwin -Woodville School at Glen Hills County Park, September 18 - Westside Elementary School of River falls at Willow River State Park. Glenwood City Elementary School will also be scheduling a day at Glen Hills County Park. Christenson commented that the Enviroscape model is being used in Rusk County. FARMLAND PRESERVATION COMPLIANCE Discussed current status of Lenertz farms. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Kinnickinnic - Popple reported that the August planning meeting went well. Set up criteria for establishing a steering committee. Stated that one LCC member will be attending each meeting with town boards. City of Prescott has not decided yet whether they want to be in the watershed. Next planning meeting is scheduled for October 2 when the steering committee will be formed. Kickoff meeting is scheduled on September 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Roberts Community Park Building. Chairman Jensen will give the welcome at 7:30 p.m. and indicate LCC's support of the project. South Fork of Hay River Christenson reported that project is in plan writing stage. Demonstration riprapping practice is to be done in Boyceville. Lakes Cluster Project - Popple reported for Kling: Cost share agreement variance on bioengineering project (John Eiring) has been granted by DNR Water Resources section. Filling and grading problem on Bass Lake. Will update on Citizens' Advisory Committee in October. Demonstration project at Squaw Lake (Timm Johnson farm) on September 21. Perch Lake - Town Board will upgrade road on south end. Rush River Watershed Landowner Survey - Christenson stated that Pierce County has sent report on response from property owners. St. Croix will do a similar survey in winter. GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Structure 1 - Discussed bid for making this a dry structure. Estimate from NRCS contractor came in at $10,000. Local contractor to be contacted for estimate. May have to be bid. Structure 2 - Heise reported that he attended a Planning & Zoning meeting on August 28 to present information on a home that was recently built in the flood plain downstream of structure #2. Home is built in a critical area. Before a moratorium can be enacted, we must develop a map to delineate potential flood area. Glenwood City.has adopted flood plain zoning maps below structures 4 and 5. WILDLIFE DAMAGE PROGRAM Christenson reported that Sander and Kulow have been checking damage complaints which have been coming in timely. Tom Dalton had option to appeal his claim payment ($1,188.68) directly to DNR. To date have not heard if he appealed it. STATUS BALDWIN AG BUILDING Directed Christenson to request that Ag Building Update be an added item to September Finance Committee agenda. Gade will furnish building information to Raymond who will keep Finance Committee informed. WOODVILLE RECREATIONAL TRAIL Heise reported that plan is completed for submitting to Dan Koich-DNR and Board of Adjustment. Structure has been ordered and should arrive approximately October 1. Hope to have installed by end of October or early November with local help. Have to line up contractors. The Army Reserve cannot do work this year. They can do added project work in 1997. If the first structure is installed, about 4 miles of trail would be usable. MOUND DAM REMOVAL Raymond reported that after the public hearing was held, the issue was sent back to the Building Commission. DNR's position is "removal". 1997 BUDGET Christenson reported that he has not heard anything. He is concerned about approval of breach route studies proposal for Structures 1,2, & 3, which should be done as one step. The rest of dams could be the second step. Budget item was removed last year. Studies would determine where flood plain zoning elevations should be established. Issue of breach route study to be considered on September 23 or 24 with Finance. COUNTY FARM Heise reported that he attended Health & Human Services Committee meeting and presented land rental rate information. Rental agreement with John Schottler terminates the end of 1998. Will have to review rental rates at end of 1997. Perhaps an increase to $45/acre would be appropriate. Bethke commented that Schottler is following the conservation plan. FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS New contract application was presented for James E. Stringer Family Trust (Town of Cady). Berenschot made motion that LCC recommends approval of the new application for Stringer Family Trust to County Board and forwarding to state. Bethke seconded. Carried. SUBDIVISION REVIEW Heise presented information on subdivisions: North Bass Lake Estates (Town of Somerset - Sec. 12) - Located north of Bass Lake, very fragile area, sand and gravels. Suggested 3-4 phases so establishment can occur. Will prepare list of concerns and discuss at October meeting. Will keep town board informed. Rocky Ridge Estates (Town of Somerset - Sec. 1) - Also fragile area. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Bethke made motion to approve September vouchers as presented. Raymond seconded. Carried. MISCELLANEOUS Christenson reported that DATCP/DNR meeting is scheduled for September 5 at Stevens Point on policy changes for local assistance agreements with the counties. He and Jensen will attend the meeting. Raymond gave status report on Perch Lake land purchase from Tom Seim, purchase agreement for 67 acres of land ($355,000, appraised value $395,000). Access road (county specs) would be built from the north on Lloyd Waldroff land. Waldroff could develop adjoining land if road is built. DNR would cost share (50%) land, not the road. Raymond made motion to adjourn meeting at 11:40 a.m. Dull seconded. Carried. Vernon Dull Secretary By Arlene Lier