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Home My WebLink AboutLand & Water Conservation Resource & Education Committee 08-03-1999 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: August 3,1999 TIME: 9:00 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 Priority Watershed Projects Glen Hills Watershed Baldwin Ag Building Update Office Priorities County Land and Water Resource Management Plan - Public Opinion Survey County held Conservation Easements NEW BUSINESS: Farmland Preservation Applications Subdivision Review - 11:00 a.in. Vouchers ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Charles Christenson DATE: July 21, 1999 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES Convened: 9:00 a.m. UNOFFICIAL Adjourned: 11:15 a.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Center, Baldwin, WI August 3, 1999 Members Present: Leon Berenschot, Chris Bethke, Lois Bum, Jim Cody, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent: None Staff Present: County Conservationist-Charles Christenson, County Technician-Bob Heise, Farmland Preservation Technician-David Sander, Lakes Cluster Project Manager-Pete Kling, Secretary- Arlene Lier Others Present: Don Siler-NRCS, Dick Gade-FSA Meeting called to order by Chairman Art Jensen. Raymond made motion to adopt agenda. Bethke seconded. Carried. Berenschot made motion to approve July 6, 1999 meeting minutes. Seconded by Cody. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7, 1999 at 9:00 a.m. DNR No report. NRCS Siler reported: • Work is continuing on CRP status reviews for the 13`x, 156' and 16fl' sign-ups. • EQIP - Working with 10 applications in the Kinnickinnic Watershed that could amount to $86,000. Anticipate contracting on $62,000 of $70,000 that was allotted. South Fork - One application and expect to contract for $25,000. Have one statewide that was approved and will have a $22,000 contract for prescribed grazing (Don Rodel) converting 240 acres of cropland to pasture. • One WHIP plan for $11,600 - Oak Savannah and prairie planting east of Pine Lake. • Two staff people attended wetland training. Announced that he plans to retire first week in January. Attended cluster meeting with Chippewa and Dunn Counties. Recommended to fill District Conservationist position with a more experienced person at the "Grade 12" level. Dale Gagner-Dunn County District Conservationist will be acting DC until replacement is found. FSA Gade reported: Commodity prices remain low resulting in grain producers taking advantage of loan deficiency payments and repaying their 1998 crop commodity loans with the market gain provision. Producers keep close tabs on the daily market prices meaning that if the prices close higher on a particular day, they will be in the FSA office before the office closes to beat the price increase. In the 1998 crop year FSA processed 57,000 LDPs in Wisconsin which results in $45 million dollars paid to grain producers. St. Croix County producers had 1,084 LDPs totaling $1.1 million. In addition, 139 commodity loans were disbursed for $2.82 million in St. Croix county. The second Small Hog Operations Program (SHOP) will be available to assist hog producers. The payment will be made to producers who sold hogs and pigs during the last 6 months of 1998. Producers will be paid up to $10 per hog that was marketed during the 6 month period. The maximum payment that will be paid to any hog operation is $5,000 including the first SHOP. Producers must have marketed fewer than 2,500 hogs during the 6 months and must still be in operation. Signup for the new hog payment will begin August 9 and end September 24, 1999. Farmers who received previous SHOP payments need not apply and their payments will be made automatically. RC&D Berenschot reported: No meeting was held. Conference call a couple of weeks ago. Meeting scheduled for March 2000 at the Radisson Hotel, Green Bay. Reminded LWCC that he is on the Ag Steering Committee (Wisconsin Counties Association). Will meeting next week in Stevens Point. Raymond asked ".what can we do to make farming more viable?" Should support industrial hemp, truck gardens, etc. WEST CENTRAL AREA Raymond reported: Four committee members attended the summer tour held in Clark County. Tour included a Cranberry operation, Opelt's Red Deer Farm, and the High Ground memorial. Kling questioned whether anything was discussed on pesticides. Answer was "no". EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Sander reported: Had a booth at the County Fair. Will have a booth dealing with manure (organic and commercial fertilizers) at Farm City Day (Schottler's Dairy Farm, Somerset) on August 14. FARMLAND PRESERVATION Sander reported: Working on modifying conservation plans. Computer Services is continuing to work on the new program for Farmland Preservation Program. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Kling reported: Kinnickinnic - Many requests for ponds. Landowners received information at the County Fair booth. South Fork of Hay River - EQIP funds are being depleted. U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service and DNR are assisting in technical advice. Lakes Cluster - Will reschedule Pine Lake tour (Baldwin Dairy) for September. Discussed structure owned by the county located south of Cedar Lake. Bethke mentioned that Pine Lake is down about 4 feet. Bass Lake boat landing - Jensen said looked good. Christenson stated that dock is stored at Highway Department. Not completed yet because pads were not ordered until recently. GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Raymond mentioned the need for information on the house below #2. Moratorium extension hearing will be held on August 10 (part of regular zoning meeting). Christenson will copy list of options as recorded in the breach route study. AG BUILDING UPDATE Jensen reported that he discussed the items (electrical, roof leak, light grids and need for a "mark `n wipe" board) from last month with Administrative Coordinator Krizek. The board for the conference room should be part of LWCD's budget (shared with Extension). Christenson reported that contracts were let for voice mail installation. OFFICE PRIORITIES Discussion after job descriptions are completed. COUNTY LAND AND WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Public Opinion Survey - Sander stated that Resource Agent Janke is helping with write-up and doing graph work. Raymond suggested using the media on results. Working with Cheryl Bursik on packet of information. Technical work group people are being contacted. Meeting dates are set. She is working on data already given to her. Jensen will plan to attend September 13 meeting. Raymond will attend if necessary. Raymond stated that urbanization of county is important. Role of this group is important. Agenda will be mailed out. COUNTY HELD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS Kling reported there is a lot of interest in easements ($120,000 available). Could get going quickly if people are interested. (Recess 10:30-10:45) FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS None. SUBDIVISION REVIEW Exit Four Business Park - (Sec. 27 Town of Hudson) - 61.459 acre development (24 commercial-light industrial lots, 2.0 acres or greater) - Heise presented storm water and erosion control plans for the development. A portion of the road was built years ago, but will require some upgrading. There is also a portion of the road that will require new construction. Stormwater ponds were designed to store a 100 year storm event which exceeds county standards. Berenschot made motion to recommend that the storm water and erosion control plans are acceptable and a letter be sent to Planning & Development Committee. Bethke seconded. Carried. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Bethke made motion to approve vouchers. Seconded by Bum. Carried. MISCELLANEOUS Jensen questioned status of animal waste ordinance. Sander reported that it is moving ahead but slowly. Christenson handed out copies of letter received from U. S. Senator Kohl. Berenschot made motion to adjourn meeting at 11:15 a.m. Raymond seconded. Carried. Jim Cody Secretary By Arlene Lier