Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation - Resource & Education Committee 06-04-1996ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Robert Boche, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Tom Dorsey, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Land Conservation/Resource & Education Committee DATE: June 4, 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 Committee Organization: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary Committee Reps - RC&D, West Central Area 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 Glen Hills Watershed Wildlife Damage Program - Phan of Administration Baldwin Ag Building Issue 1996 WLCA Summer Tour Woodville Snowmobile Trail Conservation Farmer Award Mound Dam Removal NEW BUSINESS: 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: May 21, 1996 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES Convened: 8:40 a.m. Adjourned: 12:10 p.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Center, Baldwin, WI June 4, 1996 Members Present: Chris Bethke, Tom Dorsey, Vernon Dull, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent: 'Jim Cody Staff Present: County Conservationist -Charles Christenson, Technician - Bob Heise,.Farmland Preservation Technician -David Sander, Lakes Cluster Project Manager -Peter Kling, Secretary -Arlene Lier Others Present: Don Siler-NRCS, Dick Gade-FSA, Kathy Nelson-DNR, Kevin Fleischauer-Developer, Al Nyhagen-Surveyor Meeting called to order by Vice Chairman Art Jensen. Bethke made motion to adopt agenda. Dull seconded. Carried. Dull made motion to approve May 7, 1996 meeting minutes. Raymond seconded. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 2, 1996 at 8:30 a.m. Chairman Dorsey arrived and Jensen turned meeting over to him. COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION Chairman Dorsey turned meeting over to Vice Chairman Jensen who called for nominations for Chairman. Raymond nominated Dorsey for Chairman. Vice Chairman Jensen called three times for further nominations. There were none. Dull made motion that nominations be closed and unanimous ballot be cast for Dorsey. Raymond seconded. Carried. Chairman Dorsey called for nominations for Vice Chairman. Bethke nominated Jensen. Chairman Dorsey called three times for further nominations. There were none. Raymond made motion that nominations be closed and unanimous ballot be cast for Jensen. Bethke seconded. Carried. Chairman Dorsey called for nominations for Secretary. Raymond nominated Dull. Chairman Dorsey called three times for further nominations. There were none. Raymond made motion that nominations be closed. Bethke seconded. Jensen made motion that unanimous ballot be cast for Dull. Raymond seconded. Carried. Chairman Dorsey appointed Jensen as RC&D representative and Dull as West Central Area Association representative. DNR Kathy Nelson (Forester) attended the meeting and reported: Wildlife - Manager Kris Belling reports on Wildlife Damage Deductible, Senate Bill 251 - This bill reduces the landowner deductible under the wildlife damage program from $250 to $100. SB 251 has had a hearing in front of the Senate Environment & Energy Committee. Hunter's Choice applications arrived May 30th. Deadline to apply is July 20. Unit 60 is now 60M (metro unit) and 60B. Unit 60B has 1625 permits available this year. Unit 60M is 6 per hunter --no set number of permits. Zone T units have a free application. Special early hunt in these units will be October 24-27, antlerless only. Discussed the heavy deer population in the western part of county. NRCS (FORMERLY SCSI Siler handed out and discussed the May activity report. Staff participated in the assessment of agricultural damages sustained in the county by canvassing the hardest hit areas. FSA (FORMERLY ASCS) Gade reported they are in midst of huge workload conducting sign up of the agricultural marketing transition (7 year) program which ends July. 12. Lisa Custer (Ag Credit) plus a temporary employee will assist in the sign up. Every one who has a crop base is eligible to sign up. They are booked through July 10 with one producer/15 minutes. They must check to see if participant has insurance and also if they are actively involved in farming. Crop reporting to be completed by end of July, so doing this at the same time as sign up. If all is in order, producer can receive check before leaving the office. County has about 2,000 farms that have base acres. Looking for 90%, average is 60% on sign up. CRP - 932 acres (35 contracts) is being removed from program. Sign ups (#1-10) where land has been enrolled for at least 5 years, are eligible for getting out. What happens to program after 1997 is unknown. CRP acres can be released for grazing and haying. Plan developed by NRCS is needed. Haying to start July 1. Has been involved with damage assessment after recent disaster. Estimated $2-3 million damage in county. Applied for emergency aid to cover debris in fields (structure damage, waterway washout, fencing because of downed trees in pasture, etc.). Cost share is 64% and covers hiring special equipment and people. Sign up will take place through June. RC&D Jensen reported that he attended a meeting on May 29. Service Award Certificate will be presented to Raymond at next County Board session. WEST CENTRAL AREA No report. EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Sander reported that he will again be counselor at the WLCA conservation camp which will be held on June 11-14 at Trails End, Bruce, WI. Two students (Dana Begalke and Emily Herman) will attend. Lier reported that 257 posters were received. Judges were Jensen-LCC (substitute for Bethke-LCC appointee), Matt Bobowski (FSA staff), and Martha Mabis (UW-Ext staff). The winning posters were shown to the LCC. First place winners will go on to area competition at Menomonie. FARMLAND PRESERVATION COMPLIANCE Sander reported on Lenertz who is out of compliance. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Kinnickinnic - Chairman Dorsey reported that Tim Popple was offered the Project Manager position beginning June 17. Christenson is arranging office space for the position. LTE positions may be used for inventory. To assure DNR funding, must establish technical position. Bethke made motion to proceed with establishing a permanent technical. position and LTE's for inventory work. Jensen seconded. Carried. South Fork of Hay River - Christenson reported that work is being done on developing a plan. Lakes Cluster Protect - Dorsey reported that a letter was written by Attorney Tom Bell, President of the Bass Lake Rehabilitation District, commending Kling for his fine work. Kling showed pictures of the bioengineering project demo at John Eiring (Bass Lake) using coconut fiber.roll. Approximately 35-40 people attended during the two days. He will discuss another demonstration (John Vrieze's waterway) with, the Citizens'. Advisory Committee. Will be working on plan, hoping to complete by fall. GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Christenson reported signals are all in. Electrical problem at park has been solved by Shafer Electric. Heise will talk with Bruce Brantner (Communications) on procedure to test signal. Work Release Crew has completed landscaping work. The problem with 4-wheeler damage at Structure #6 has been stopped for now. WILDLIFE DAMAGE PROGRAM Plan of Administration - Sander reported that the DNR has approved the proposed plan. Damage on nursery trees (browsed off) has been reported. KINNICKINNIC YOUTH FOREST.- TOWN OF KINNICKINNIC PROPOSAL Finance plans to get an appraisal on the land sale proposal. STATUS BALDWIN AG.BUILDING Gade stated that he is waiting for space needs from Land Conservation and UW-Extension for submitting information to the state office. Finance Director Rich Loney has been working with the departments to come up with needed space figures. There has to be credibility in requirement of space for the departments and cost estimates related to relocation of offices. Issue will be discussed further during afternoon Ag Extension committee meeting. 1996 WLCA SUMMER TOUR Heise reported that plans have been completed for the tour (July 17). WOODVILLE SNOWMOBILE TRAIL Heise reported that they are waiting for cost estimate on the first bridge out of Woodville and are in the process Of plotting out depressional areas within the trail system. CONSERVATION FARMER AWARD Heise mentioned that although there are a lot of farmers who do a good job of conservation farming, staff has not come up with one who stands out above the rest. Bethke made motion to not have a conservation farmer entry in.1996. Raymond seconded. Carried. The Conservation Awards Dinner will still be held for the Speaking and Poster contest winners. MOUND DAM REMOVAL Raymond suggested that letter should be sent to Building. Commission and State Representative Sheila Harsdorf'in support.of keeping the dam. Also discussed the need for public debate on the issue. FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS No applications were presented. SUBDIVISION REVIEW Heise presented information on subdivisions: Lolly Acres (Town of Somerset) - Kevin Fleischauer-Developer and Al Nyhagen-Surveyor attended meeting. Discussed road easement through pond area. They would have to come back to LCC if decision is made to build road on the land in future. Bethke made motion to approve erosion plan with conditions listed. Jensen seconded. Carried. Scott Acres (Town of Hudson) - Small major - roads and soils are okay. Flat ground. Only requirements are that they install erosion control blankets along the steepest area of the road grade, and drainage easements be located on plat. Jensen made motion to approve with conditions mentioned. Dull seconded. Carried. Minor located in the E1/2 of the NE1/4 of the NE1/4, Section 23. Kinnickinnic Town - Dave Peters -Developer - Stevens Engineers. Road offset 8 feet from original plat. Stevens Engineers will be replanning entire development to meet stormwater and erosion control requirements. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Bethke made motion to approve May vouchers as presented. Raymond seconded. Carried. Raymond made motion to adjourn meeting at 12:10 p.m. Jensen seconded. Carried. Vernon Dull Secretary By Arlene Lier