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Home My WebLink AboutLand & Water 01-02-02X ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Tom Dorsey, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Art Jensen, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Land & Water Conservation /Resource & Education Committee DATE: January 2, 2002 TIME: 9:00 a.m. LOCATION: Ag Center, Baldwin CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: February 5, 2002 ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES NEW BUSINESS: 2001 Conservation Awards Dinner Computer - Hardware and Software Subdivision Review - 10:00 a.m. Vouchers UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Staff Reports: CREP(Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program) - Contract - Discuss resolution Education Activity - Signature - Grant application - Venison Program Priority Watershed Projects - Squaw Lake Wetland Restoration Glen Hills Watershed - Relocation update Ag Issues - Ordinance update Homestead Park LESA(Land Evaluation and Site Assessment) - Work group update Agency Reports: FSA NRCS DNR RC &D West Central Area ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Robert Heise DATE: December 19, 2001 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA /NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS /CORRECTIONS /CHANGES UNOFFICIAL Convened: 9:00 a.m. Adjourned: 11:20 a.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Service & Education Center, Baldwin, WI January 2, 2002 Members Present: Leon Berenschot, Chris Bethke, Lois Burri, Jim Cody, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent None Staff Present: County Conservationist -Bob Heise; Land Specialists -Pete Kling, David Sander; St. Croix Lakes Project Technician -Steve Olson; Program Assistant -Jonna Fedie; Secretary - Arlene Lier Others Present: Steve Pemsteiner -NRCS; Martha Mabis- UW -EXT Meeting called to order by Chair Art Jensen. Bethke made motion to adopt agenda. Berenschot seconded. Carried. Berenschot made motion to approve December 4, 2001 meeting minutes. Seconded by Burri. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 5, 2002 at 9:00 a.m. 2001 CONSERVATION AWARDS DINNER Heise presented proposed dates for the 2001 Conservation Awards dinner. The local spring conservation speaking contest is to be held Thursday, February 28. Conservation posters are due February 27, 2002. Committee selected Tuesday, March 19 as their first choice and Thursday, March 21 st as the alternative date for the awards dinner. COMPUTER — HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE Purchased two of the three computers with the 2001 budget. Department was informed this last month of purchasing necessary engineering software upgrades to Auto Cad 14 and desktop development engineering software by January 15, 2002. No upgrades to this software will be granted after this date. Discussed with committee of using the budgeted dollars for the 2002 computer to purchase software upgrades. Committee concurred with department's recommendation. CREP (CONSERVATION RESERVE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM) Heise informed committee on the status of the CREP. Handed out a copy of a resolution to be brought before County Board in January. Discussed resolution. Raymond commented on fee structure. Heise informed committee that it is legal to charge fees (conservation contribution) under Chapter 92. Motion by Cody for Heise to prepare a conservation contribution structure for presentation at County Board. Seconded by Burn. Carried. EDUCATION ACTIVITY Signature — Grant Application — Heise reported on a grant application that Ruth Stern completed to the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board for $5,000.00. This application would compliment the department's Information and Educational program. Committee supported Chair Jensen to sign the application. Venison Program — Jonna Fedie gave a Power Point presentation for the Venison Program that will be given to local organizations in St. Croix County. Recommendations were given. LESA (LAND EVALUATION AND SITE ASSESSMENT) Heise presented update on the progress on the development of the LESA system. Informed committee that the (LE) land evaluation decisions have been completed by LESA work group. January 10, 2002 the work group will begin the (SA) site assessment factor. The goal is to conduct two work -group meetings a month to complete the LESA system by spring. Discussion by committee. SUBDIVISION REVIEW Kling presented: • Subdivision Approval Process meeting at the Coachman Supper Club on January 30 from 8:00 a.m. -4 :00 p.m. • No new subdivisions to approve. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Bethke questioned two vouchers (Venison Program): Deer's Food Locker - $1,575.00, Olson's Woodville Meats - $1,170.00. Both are payments for venison processing. Motion by Berenschot, seconded by Burri, to approve vouchers. Carried. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Olson reported: Update was given on the status of the Prairie Flat Wetland Restoration Project on the north end of Squaw Lake. Gene Nelson has signed a flowage easement agreement that will be held by the county. Ducks Unlimited is finalizing the designs and construction is slated for late summer. There has been a large interest for easements around Pine Lake. Wisconsin Farmland Conservancy, DNR , and the watershed staff are in the process of applying for a Lakes Management Grant to purchase the easements. The Farmland Conservancy will ultimately hold the easements. GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Heise reported on status of relocation update. Landowner has moved a house on new land out of the floodplain area. Department will be working with landowner on finishing up project within allotted time frame. Plans have been sent out to contractors to bid on final construction activities such as concrete removal, septic tanks, and system abandonment. Bids are to be received to the department by Friday, January 4, 2002. AGRICULTURAL ISSUES —UPDATE Sander gave an update on the animal waste ordinance. A letter was sent to the Attorney General's office with Corporate Counsel Greg Timmerman's comments. We are hoping to get a response from them by the end of January. A brief discussion followed. HOMESTEAD PARK Kling reported: January 31 bid opening for Phase II and portions of Phase III. Friends of Perch Lake are finishing the documents needed to kick off their fund- raising activities. FARM SERVICE AGENCY Cody reported on the recent local county election results. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE Steve mentioned there is some interest in CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program). Approximately 20 people have contacted the office. NRCS cannot proceed with planning and field visits until county signs agreement with State. Farm Bill did not get passed in congress so we don't know if CREP will continue into 2003. NRCS is reviewing EQIP contracts and making revisions to plans to bring contracts up to date. DNR No report. RC &D Berenschot reported that he will be attending the North Central RC &D meeting at Springfield, IL on January 27 -30. WEST CENTRAL AREA Business meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 at the Ramada Inn at Eau Claire. The business meeting will incorporate the Spring Area Conservation Speaking contest. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE Heise informed the committee that Roger Swanson, representing the Squaw Lake District, contacted the department to support being a sponsor of a grant application the Lake District is seeking from the DNR. Committee concurs with being a sponsor of this application as long as there is no financial obligation to the county or department. Bethke made motion for Chair Jensen to sign the grant application. Seconded by Cody. Carried. Chair Jensen adjourned meeting at 11:20 a.m. Jim Cody Secretary