HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation-Resource & Education Committee 07-05-95ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Robert Boche, Chairman
St. Croix County Board
FROM: Tom Dorsey, Chairman
a
COMMITTEE TITLE: Land Conservation/Resource & Education Committee
DATE: July 5, 1995
TIME: 12:30 p.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
NEW BUSINESS:
Compliance
Watershed
Farmland Preservation Applications
Subdivision Review
Vouchers
ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE
POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda not necessarily presented in this order)
SUBMITTED BY: Charles Christenson
DATE: June 20, 1995
COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD
COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS
* ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES
Wisconsin Land Conservation Association, Inc.
559 D'Onofrio Drive, Suite 12 • Madison, Wisconsin 53719
(608) 833-1833 • FAX (608) 833J179
Date: June 15, 1995
To: Land Conservation Committee Chair & LCDs
From: Dale Shaver, WALCE (Assisted by Laura K.,
THURSDAY NOTE
INTERIM AUTHOR:
Since the Thursday Note has established itself as a key vehicle to get information out on
current legislative and other program issues, the Wisconsin Association of Land
Conservation Employees (WALCE) felt this publication should be continued until a new
Executive Director is hired.
In the interim, Dale Shaver with the Waukesha County Department of Environmental
Resources -Land Conservation Division has volunteered to be the author of the Thursday
Note. However, the Thursday Note will weekly basis, Nnot be done on a wees, we encourage any
County or Agency to contact Dale at (414) 54&7867 if they have items they wish to share.
P.S. Thanks Dale for volunteering to help keep the Thursday Note alive until Marcy's
position is filled. L�l�
U
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH.
To date, an Executive Director Screening Committee has been established to review
resumes and select candidates to interview. The committee is comprised of representatives
from WLCA board, WALCE, UWEX, NRCS and NACD. The application "deadline" is
June 23rd and the cor nnittee will be meeting June 30th in Stevens Point to begin the
selection process.
PRIORITY WATERSHED PROGRAM FISCAL STATUS:
As many of you have read in previous issues of the Thursday Note, the State Legislature had
particular challenges in dealing with the 1995-1997 budget. Specifically, the Joint Finance
Committee revisited many programs to cover an additional budgetary shortfall. The Joint
Finance Committee has recommended the following reductions for the Priority Watershed
Program:
• $4.0 million in bonding authority - used for runoff pollution prevention practices.
• $4.57 million in General Purpose Revenue - used for local staffing and
program operation costs.
• $100,000 for program contracts - ie. UWEX
What does this mean? Representatives with the DNR have offered some insight into what
type of impact these recommendations have. The reduction in General Purpose Revenue
(GPR) is only for the first of the two years in the biennium. In the second fiscal year, the
program will return to its base of approximately $6.3 million in GPR funding. Segregated
funds (SEG) are added to the GPR to bring the funding total to approximately $17 million.
These funds are appropriated in the following manner:
$6.4 million in rural local assistance grants
$5.5 million in rural nonpoint source grants
$3.7 million in urban grants
$1.6 million in contracts
$ .5 million in easements
1�e DNR is in the process of working out funding alternatives to minimize the impact in
the first fiscal year of the biennium. Retention of existing program staff at the local level
will be a high priority. After the dust has settled on the budget, the DNR has agreed to
submit a more detailed breakdown of how the watershed program funding is allocated.
USE VALUE ASSESSMENT:
The Joint Finance Committee recommended passage of the Use Value Bill as introduced
by Senator Lasee and Representative Lehman. The Committee amended the bill to apply
to farms of at least 50 acres or with gross receipts of $50,000 the previous year or $120,000
over the past three years. The committee further added a "rollback penalty" for selling and
developing the farmland.
On Tuesday, June 13, 1995, the Senate defeated the bill. Further information will follow
when available.
AND THE WINNER IS:
Martha Kronholm, Wisconsin Rapids has been judged as the Elementary Teacher of the
Year in the Regional competition. Her award will be presented at the 1995 NACD North
Central Region meeting July 11, during the Noon Luncheon at the Radisson in LaCrosse.
A NOTE OF THANKS:
I would like to thank all of you that contributed to Marcy's going away gift. I collected
about $400.00. Instead of the stress of trying to decide what to buy; myself and my advisors
(Marcy's sister and Sue Porter) decided cash was king! We gave her $300 and told her she
had to purchase something she wanted. Marcy is happy to report that the cash will go
towards a new canoe. The rest of the money was spent buying brews and eats at her going
away get-together. Thanks again to all of you who contribute �( /
Convened: 12:45 p.m.
Adjourned: 2:35 p.m.
ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Agricultural Center, Baldwin, WI
July 51 1995
Members Present: Chris Bethke, Tom Dorsey, Vernon Dull, Art Jensen, Ron
Raymond
Members Absent: Kermit Thompson
Staff Present: County Conservationist -Charles Christenson,
Technician -David Sander, Lakes Cluster Project Manager -Peter Kling, South
Fork Project Technician -Kyle Kulow, Secretary -Arlene Lier
Others Present: Don Siler - NRCS, Pete Skorseth - DNR
Meeting called to order by Chairman Tom Dorsey.
Dull made motion to adopt agenda. Bethke seconded. Carried.
Dull made motion to approve June 7, 1995 meeting minutes. Jensen
seconded. Carried.
Next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 1, 1995 at 12:30 p.m.
Chairman Dorsey appointed Art Jensen to serve as Vice Chairman of LCC.
DNR
Pete Skorseth (Environmental Engineer -Water Supply/Waste Water) attended
meeting and reported:
9
Major developments on municipal treatment plants are planned for Deer
Park, Hudson, New Richmond, Richmond Sanitary District, and Star Prairie.
Information sheet on stormwater management program is available.
The regional sludge facility will be built at Ellsworth. The 5 million
dollar project will take about one year to complete.
The Western District Headquarters and the Eau Claire Area office will
merge on July 10. Location is at 1300 West Clairemont Avenue, Eau
Claire, which is the remodeled Western District office
Air Program - Incinerator start up is scheduled for July 12.
Wildlife - Fall turkey applications are available. Deadline to apply is
August 10.
Mail -in goose applications are also available. They do not have exterior
zone only permits yet.
Hunter's choice applications have not arrived yet, but a list of quotas
and permit levels is available.
Private Lands Wildlife - This past
(about 177 acres) were conducted.
burning season, 7 prescribed burns
Prairie grass plantings: Projects completed were Crocketts (20 acres),
Vobejda (17 acres) and Feller (12 acres).
Pheasant Program. On April 19, 540 birds were released in the Pierce/St.
Croix release area. This is the 2nd of 3 spring releases. Pheasant
populations shall continue to grow if there is a renewed Conservation
Reserve Program.
Forestry - The Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry and
Bureau of Water Quality are working together to teach resource managers,
foresters, landowners, and loggers on how to control non -point source
pollution and siltation from entering water during timber management
operations. The new handbook entitled Best Management Practices for
Water Quality was handed out to the LCC.
Survival of the 1994 tree plantations was better than normal, there was a
good growing season last year and better site prep/planting crews.
NRCS FORMERLY SCSI
Siler handed out and discussed the June activity report.
Brent Edlin (UW-River Falls conservation student) began as an Earth Team
Volunteer.
The Wetland Reserve Program sign-up resulted in four sign ups for the
county.
FSA (FORMERLY ASCS1
No report.
RC&D
No June meeting - no report.
WEST CENTRAL AREA
Kling, Kulow, Dull, and possibly Jensen plan to attend the WLCA Summer
Tour hosted by Polk County on July 17.
EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
Sander reported on the conservation camp, which was held June 13-16 at
Trails End, Bruce, WI. Some problems developed with a few campers, which
is being resolved. Situation will result in revised criteria for
selection of camp participants. Sessions on timber wolves and elk
release were very interesting.
FARMLAND PRESERVATION COMPLIANCE
Sander reported that some landowners were found out of compliance during
status reviews. Some are choosing not to take credits. They feel it is
not economically feasible for them to stay in program.
Lenertz Farms plan to discontinue using pasture as a feed lot which has
resulted in destroying the vegetative cover.
.gLEN HILLS WATERSHED
Signal Installation - Christenson reported that the towers are in on
structures #4 and 6. NSP and St. Croix Electric are working with Aaby
Plumbing & Heating. This work should be completed in about two weeks.
The third signal (structure #10) will be done after #4 and 6 are
completed.
Maintenance Scheduled - Reported the contract for planned repair on
structure #1 has been signed and returned to NRCS. NRCS has contractor
hired to do the repair work.
PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS
South Fork of Hay River - Kulow reported that the initial resource
inventories are done. He has been taking water samples in Polk and St.
Croix Counties and doing barnyard inventories.
Lakes Cluster Project - Kling reported that Bass Lake has been taking
most of his time. He has been collecting well samples for nitrate
testing. Also attended a Regional Planning meeting at Hudson and has
worked with Ron Struss-UW-EXT on information activities. Kick-off
meeting is scheduled in August with an open house at the Heritage Center
in New Richmond.
Baldwin Pine: Did 4 Barnet's, 1 or 2 left. Harold Gelderloos, landowner,
is real interested in demonstration site.
Perch Lake: Spent time with Pat Collins.
Squaw Lake: Will start barnyard inventories this week.
SQUAW LAKE BOAT LANDING
Christenson reported that we can go ahead with landing project as soon as
John Heintz, Star Prairie Town Chairman, has the last signature on
property purchase. County Highway will do work early in August, if
everything gets cleared up.
WILDLIFE DAMAGE PROGRAM
Sander reported that he called DNR on metro unit zone proposal. All
changes that came from Regional Task Force will go to Natural Resources
Board as one proposal.
Bear damage has been reported - bothering bird feeders. Will be
furnishing fencing material on Hesselink field by Star Prairie and
orchard during the next weeks to reduce deer damage.
FLOOD PLAIN ZONING - GLEN HILLS WATERSHED
Christenson reported letter was sent to City of Glenwood City on dam
breach results for structures #4, 5, and 6.
CONSERVATION FARMER AWARD
Christenson read the rules pertaining to the award. He presented names
of farmers which were suggested by Heise: Herb Day (95 points), Charles
Garbe (90 points), Lyle Christopherson (83 points), Ruemmele Farms (78
points). Bethke made motion that Herb Day be selected as the 1995
conservation farmer. Dull seconded. Carried.
FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS
No applications were presented.
SUBDIVISION REVIEW
Christenson presented information on Meadow Ridge subdivision, Sec. 30
Town of Hammond. Heise is working with Charles Sheets, engineer, on
runoff calculations for stormwater and erosion control plan. Complete
data has not been received yet.' Dull made motion to conditionally
approve the plans for Meadow Ridge subdivision providing engineering
material is received prior to the Planning & Development Committee
meeting. Jensen seconded. Carried.
Also presented information on Pine Cliff subdivision, Sec. 26-Town of
Somerset. Area may have problem due to.landfill on Sampair property.
VOUCHERS
Reviewed vouchers. Raymond made motion to approve the July vouchers as
presented. Bethke seconded. Carried.
MISCELLANEOUS
Christenson reported on priority watershed selections: Horse Creek
watershed and Kinnickinnic watershed for 1995, and Wilson Creek watershed
(recommended for 1999 start).
Siler reported that CAC (St. Croix County Administrative Committee) will
meet on July 13 to discuss the building space issue for county and
federal agencies.
Dull made motion to adjourn meeting at 2:35 p.m. Jensen seconded.
Carried.
Vernon Dull
Secretary
By Arlene Lier