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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand & Water 03-07-06 ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Clarence Malick, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Ron Raymond, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Land & Water Conservation DATE: March 7, 2006 TIME: 10:40 a.m. LOCATION: Ag Center, Baldwin CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: April 4, 2006 ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES PARKS DEPARTMENT NEW BUSINESS: Director's Report Bills /vouchers Policy - Campground registration Policy - Annual park stickers UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Resolution to sponsor Stewardship grant - Star Prairie Land Trust LAND & WATER CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT Agency Reports FSA NRCS DNR RC &D West Central Area NEW BUSINESS: Subdivision update Vouchers Conservation banquet - Critique I & E report - Aleisha Miller Staff change * Two -year work plan UNFINISHED BUSINESS: * Farmland Preservation applications /resolution - amended Staff Reports Priority Watershed Projects ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Robert Heise DATE: February 22; amended February 27, 2006 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA /NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS /CORRECTIONS /CHANGES UNOFFICAL Convened: 10:55 a.m. Recessed: 11:35 a.m. Reconvened: 12:33 p.m. Adjourned: 2:15 p.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Service & Education Center, Baldwin, WI March 7, 2006 Members Present: Lois Burri, Bill Peavey, Ron Raymond, Gene Ruetz Members Absent: Jan Zoerb (excused) Staff Present: Director -Bob Heise, Operations Manager -Dave Larson, Land Specialist -Pete Kling, Administrative Assistant - Arlene Lier Others Present: None Adoption of Agenda: Peavey made motion to adopt the agenda, seconded by Burri. Carried. Action on Previous Minutes: Motion by Burri, seconded by Ruetz, to approve the February 7 and 15, 2006 meeting minutes. Carried. Date of Next Meeting: April 4, 2006 PARKS DEPARTMENT Resolution to sponsor Stewardship grant — Star Prairie Land Preservation Trust Heise stated that the Parks Department is working with the Star Prairie Land Preservation Trust on a project located at the southwest end of Cedar Lake. The Land Trust is interested in applying for a DNR grant to make improvements and provide public access on the southwest end of the lake. The DNR grant that they are encouraged to apply for does not recognize a non - profit organization as an eligible sponsor. As a result, the Land Trust asked the Parks Department to be the sponsor and act as the fiscal agent for this project. The resolution states that there would be no county funds involved in this project. State grant money would be $14,500 (total $29,000 for project). The resolution has been approved by Corporation Counsel. If approved by LWCC, this resolution would be presented at the County Board meeting on March 21. Kling attended meeting as a representative of the Land Trust. Peavey made motion to approve the resolution for the Parks Department to be the sponsor of the grant, seconded by Ruetz. Carried. Director's Report Heise reported: • Gave update on Pine Lake boat landing. • 13 fish cribs were installed on Glen Hills Lake in February. Larson reported: • Three of the four timber harvests are done. • Stanton Forest will be harvested in November 2006. • The park map is being updated with rivers and lakes. It will be printed by J & M Printing. The maps should be distributed before the park season starts. Bills /Vouchers The March bills list was presented. Motion by Ruetz, seconded by Burri, to approve the Parks account bills (total $2,788.25). Carried. Policy — Campground registration Heise stated that currently there is a policy at the Glen Hills campground that sets 47 campsites - as reservable campsites and the remaining 14 are left for first come first serve. To increase usage of our Park campground, staff is recommending that all 61 campsites be allowed to be reserved by park users. If campsites are open (not reserved), park users may register for the open sites when they enter the park. If the park is completely full and a park user seeks a campsite, staff can offer a campsite in our overflow area located in our group area. This would increase usage to the campground by making more sites reservable, while still offering a campsite for park users that do not register in advance. Raymond made motion to approve making all 61 camp sites reservable and late arrivals can go to the overflow area, seconded by Peavey. Carried. Policy — Annual park stickers Heise stated that recently Perch Lake has been identified as having an invasive aquatic weed species known as Eurasian water milfoil. This is a very aggressive and invasive weed species, a cause for specific concern around the littoral zone along the shoreline of Perch Lake. In a WDNR published document, one of the recommendations identified in the document for eradication of Eurasian milfoil is hand removal of the plant. A possible source of hand removal could be accomplished through a cooperative effort with the Hudson Scuba Club. They have indicated a willingness to work with the Parks Department in this effort. The Hudson Scuba store has offered lessons and has used Perch Lake as a lake of choice, to allow their students to conduct their training dives. The owner of the Scuba store wishes something in return for their club's effort. They recommended that during the Park season, they would purchase 10 annual stickers and allow those annual stickers to be transferred to their scuba students at the time they are conducting their training dives. The current policy in the Park Ordinance requires that the stickers or dailies be affixed to vehicles and not allow the option of transferring. This would be a one time exception, for this particular purpose, as a deviation from the Park ordinance. Only experienced divers will be involved with plant eradication as well as each diver signing a volunteer waiver, developed by our Risk Management department. Raymond made motion for staff to create a letter or pass to allow the scuba club volunteers entrance into the park to clean up Eurasian milfoil and nuisance aquatic weeds hot spots, seconded by Peavey. Carried. Recessed: 11:35 a.m. Reconvened: 12:33 p.m. LAND & WATER CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT Members Present: Lois Burn, Jim Cody, Bill Peavey (arrived 12:43), Ron Raymond, Gene Ruetz Members Absent: Jan Zoerb (excused) Staff Present: Director -Bob Heise, Land Specialist -Pete Kling, Information & Education Activities Specialist - Aleisha Miller, Administrative Assistant - Arlene Lier Others Present: Bob Hendrickson -FSA, Steve Pernsteiner -NRCS, Dave Fodroczi - County Planning & Zoning FARM SERVICE AGENCY (FSA) Robert Hendrickson - County Executive Director reported: • Three CRP information meetings were held on February 28 for those producers (100 attended) that received one of our REX letters. • Producers are to either re- enroll or extend their CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) by simply signing a FSA - 409 and paying for a compliance check. The contracts that we will be looking at are all the contracts that expire on September 30, 2007. If landowners have a compliance problem, they will receive a fine from FSA. If they do not come into compliance, they will not get back in CRP. Deadline for re- enrolling or extending the CRP contracts is April 14. • The CRP sign up runs from March 27 -April 14 for contracts that expire on September 30, 2006 and new acres. • DCP (Direct and County Cyclical Program) signup is going on for 2006 until June I" of this year. After that there will be a $100.00 late file fee to sign up for DCP. • We are currently about 50% complete with DCP sign up. Landowners are encouraged to come in soon. • We can still make small grain loans and LDP'S (Loan Deficiency Payments) until March 31" of this year for coarse grains, corn and soybeans. • The interest rate for March Commodity Loans is 5.625% and facility loans are 4.5 %. • Today's LDP's are: Corn 00, Barley .33, Soybeans .00, HRS Wheat .00. So far this year we hit a high of .48 cents for corn. • The MILC (Milk Income Loss Contract) program has passed. There will be an actual sign up very soon. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (MRCS) Steve Pernsteiner- District Conservationist reported: NRCS is completing EQIP contracts for 2006. We need to have contracts signed by April 15"', 2006. Staff has been meeting with several CRP participants considering re- enrolling and extending contracts. Jay Custer is currently assisting Ellsworth Field Office two days a week with EQIP applications. River Country RC &D is sponsoring a grazing workshop on March 13 at the Red Barn Cafe RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT (RC &D) No report. WEST CENTRAL AREA Heise reported that the next area meeting is scheduled for March 23 at Menomonie. WLWCA Annual membership dues will be paid in the amount of $950.00 (bronze level). NEW BUSINESS Subdivision Update No discussion. Vouchers Reviewed vouchers. Peavey made motion, seconded by Burri, to approve Chair Raymond's signature on the March LWCD voucher list in the total amount of $16,389.91. Carried. I & E report — Aleisha Miller Aleisha Miller reported on the county Earth Day event planned for Saturday, April 22" at Hudson. Aleisha also reported on the planning of an educational center to be built at the McMurtry property. Conservation banquet — Critique Heise asked for comments on the yearly conservation awards banquet. Staff suggested the possibility of presenting the conservation awards at different events such as at the schools for the poster contest, speaking contest, and conservation teacher award, and other public events for other conservation awards. Staff will present a proposal with ideas at the April meeting. Two -Year Work Plan Heise presented and explained the 2006 -2007 work -plan which was revised and updated by staff. It will be discussed and approved at the April meeting. Staff change Discussed the resignation of Pete Kling, Land Specialist (Urban). Heise described the duties of that position. About 85% of Kling's time was spent in reviewing stormwater and erosion control plans for major subdivisions and inspections of those sites during construction (what is planned and what is being installed) for the St. Croix County Planning & Zoning ordinance. Kling's direct time (all of his time was tracked) is billed quarterly to Planning & Zoning according to a set fee schedule. Heise reported he met with Planning & Zoning ( Fodroczi, Bezek) to discuss what we would do in the interim. One decision was to have Pam Quinn - Planning & Zoning (who has done this type of work in the past) fill the position during the interim process. It seemed to be a logical fit. Raymond feels the Land Specialist position has to be filled and feels strongly that the position fits best within the Land and Water Conservation Department. How is this position going to be filled? Dave Fodroczi stated in the "interim" means weeks, not months. He said that since 1991, the real provision in the ordinance is that the Land & Water Conservation Department is identified and listed as a review agency. However, what the decisions were made back then, the process of bringing them to the committee and reviewing them with the committee was more of a committee decision rather than an ordinance requirement. There is no language in the current ordinance about this Land and Water Conservation Committee having to act on major land divisions. It really is about the department reviewing them, sending back any comments or recommendations. Feedback from the committee is the important thing in terms of comments and recommendations as they might require different types of conditions on the plats. Kling commented that the staff now has a good ordinance to lean on. The ordinance is clear when it comes to stormwater and erosion control because we built in the state requirements. The consultants know what to put in and we know what to review against. If we need the position, Raymond suggested we begin the process. LWCC decided to have Pam Quinn (interim replacement) attend our next LWCC meeting. Heise expressed his appreciation to Pete Kling for his ten plus years of employment with the Land & Water Conservation Department and his dedication of protecting our resources. He was a valuable asset to our department. Chair Raymond presented Kling with a plaque from the county and thanked him for the ten plus years he was employed with the Land & Water Conservation Department. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Farmland Preservation applications /resolution — amended Heise stated that last month the committee approved a resolution to accept three landowners to be entered into Farmland Preservation agreements with the State of Wisconsin. Staff has changed the application process to follow closely to the State Statutes, Ch. 91. The proper notification was not sent out in a timely fashion from the County Clerk's office; as a result, staff amended the current resolution for presentation to the County Board on April 18. LWCC signed the amended resolution. Raymond adjourned the meeting at 2:15 p.m. Arlene Lier Recording Secretary