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Home My WebLink AboutLand & Water Conservation-Resource & Education Committee 07-07-98ST. 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: July 7, 1998 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 Legislation/Environmental Stewardship Priority Watershed Projects - Kinnickinnic - South Fork of Hay River - Pilot Project/Conservation Credit - St. Croix Lakes Cluster Glen Hills Watershed - Flood Plain Study - Structure #2 Pipe Separation Baldwin Ag Building Update EQIP Plan Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area Discuss proposed Lower St. Croix River District Zoning Amendment Award - Teacher Job Reclassifications Bass Lake Boat Landing NEW BUSINESS: St. Croix Basin Nutrient Monitoring* 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: June 23, 1998 - Amended June 29, 1998 COPIES TO: COUNTY BOARD OFFICE NEWS MEDIA/NOTICE BOARD COUNTY CLERK COMMITTEE MEMBERS * ADDITIONS/CORRECTIONS/CHANGES Convened: 9:00 a.m. Adjourned: 11:40 a.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION/RESOURCE & EDUCATION COMMITTEE Agricultural Center, Baldwin, WI July. 7, 1998 Members Present: Chris Bethke, Lois Burri, Jim Cody, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent: Leon Berenschot - Excused Staff Present: County Conservationist -Charles Christenson, Technician -Bob Heise, Farmland Preservation Technician -David Sander, Kinnickinnic Project Manager -Tim Popple, Lakes Cluster Project Manager -Pete Kling, South Fork/Kinnickinnic Project Technician -Kyle Kulow, Secretary -Arlene Lier Others Present: Don Siler-NRCS, Dick Gade-FSA, Kathy Nelson-DNR, Buzz Sorge, Mary VanFossen-DNR-Eau Claire Meeting called to order by Chairman Art Jensen. Cody made motion to adopt agenda. Raymond seconded. Carried. Bethke made motion to approve June 2, 1998 meeting minutes. Seconded by Cody. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 1998 at 9:00 a.m. DNR Kathy Nelson (Forester) reported: A total of 351,380 trees were planted in St. Croix County from the State Nurseries. No tally of the number of trees purchased from private nurseries. Roughly one half of the trees that were planted were hardwoods. There will be two public hearings to be held on July 21 (Rhinelander) and July 22 (Madison) to finalize the administrative rules for the Wisconsin Forestry Grant Program. This program is currently operating under emergency rules. Written comments must be received by July 31. With ACP gone, Gade has already applied for it. Ronda Helgeson - Front line report: - Hunter's choice applications are due by July 20. Make sure that you buy your applications and have them postmarked by July 20. - New telephone system was installed and had a few problems for a while. Each person in the office now has voice mail. - They will be hosting an open house announcing that the Baldwin office is now a service center. Date of open house is not yet determined. Pete Skorseth - County wastewater projects: - The Hudson wastewater treatment facility expansion to 2.2 million gallons per day came in at $3,770,000, $1,0-00,000 under estimate. Good news for Hudson wastewater users. - The Deer Park wastewater treatment expansion will be complete in August 1998. - Baldwin has submitted a request for a variance for effluent copper. - New Richmond has commenced its wastewater treatment facility expansion. The project will be complete in the spring of 1999. - River Falls has submitted a facility plan to add biological phosphorus removal at its facility. - Star Prairie has a facility plan approved for an expanded wastewater treatment facility. - Somerset is in the process of planning for a wastewater treatment facility expansion. BASS LAKE BOAT LANDING Mary VanFossen-Community Services Specialist -Eau Claire DNR gave history of the project. Facility is owned by DNR. Cost of improvements on the landing was secured through the Recreational Boating Facilities program and Waterway Commission funding. St. Croix County is the sponsor. Recent review has determined that to qualify for funding, facility has to be leased to sponsor (St. Croix County). Due to water level changes in the lake, project was re -designed several times which has increased cost. Cost to date over $110,000. State has paid county $96,000 to date. Lease would cover a 20-year period. Agreement must be reviewed by Corp Counsel to determine next action. For St. Croix County to keep funds received, a lease agreement with DNR is needed. Operation and maintenance would stay with DNR. Some liability would be assumed by St. Croix County. NRCS Siler handed out and discussed June activity report. - Murray Lestrud was hired as intermittent help to assist with conservation planning through the end of September. - Conservation plans are being written for land that was removed from CRP under the "early out" provision. - Plantings (over 1300 acres) for the 15th CRP sign-up are almost complete for this season. - Status reviews have been completed to check for compliance for federal farm programs. - Priority area EQIP applications have been ranked. FSA Gade reported that annual acreage reports by farm producers will continue until Wednesday, July 15. One will be able to make a report after the July 15 deadline, however a late -file fee will be assessed. The acreage report enables farmers to build a history of plantings and acreages that may be used for future USDA programs. In addition, the report is a requirement for one to receive a CRP payment, a commodity loan, a loan deficiency payment or disaster assistance for production 'losses of crops that are not insurable. Anyone enrolled in the 7-year Production Flexibility Program must file an acreage report if they have planted fruits or vegetables. CRP - Gade indicated that CRP participants are upset that the cost of establishing native grasses has risen dramatically. At the time they made their CRP offer, they were given lower estimated cost. CRP provisions do not allow for delaying the seeding to a later year unless the seed is not available or an economic hardship exists. Gade thanked LWCC and St. Croix County officials for the open house held June 19, 1998. He reported that approximately 250 people attended the event. Gade announced that USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, will be coming to Eau Claire on July 8 to hold a farm forum which is open to the public. St. Croix Basin Nutrient Monitorina Buzz Sorge, DNR-Lake Management Planner, attended meeting to discuss the multi agency and state proposal to conduct an assessment of nutrient and sediment loading to the St. Croix River. The Apple, Willow and Kinnickinnic Rivers will be monitored on the Wisconsin side of the lower St. Croix. It is a water quality issue which involves both states. What shape can we keep the St. Croix River for long term? Goal is to prevent excessive nutrients in the lower St. Croix. Goal is to get everybody working together, huge effort cooperatively. Requested that St. Croix County serve as the financial administrator for a portion of this project. County would administer grant money for this project. U.S. Geological Survey would provide information. DNR will do most of the monitoring (phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment). Nutrient control and nutrient management will be the goal of the project. Application is due August 1. Will write application with some staff people. LWCC agreed to be the fund administrator pending approval of Finance Department. RC&D No report. WEST CENTRAL AREA Summer tour will be on July 15 in Chippewa County. Bethke, Cody, Jensen, Raymond, and Christenson plan to attend the tour. Will leave from Ag Building at 8:00 a.m. EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Sander reported: Participated as counselor at conservation camp at Bruce, WI during June 9-12. Camp went well. Will have a booth for county fair (July 23-27) and also Farm -City Day (August 8). Lier presented the winning posters from the poster contest. Burri was a poster contest judge. FARM.AND PRESERVATION Sander stated that Don Quam has a Farmland Preservation agreement. Raised vegetable crops last year. He does not meet requirements so is not eligible for credits. He is out of compliance so may be required to pay back credits received. LEGISLATION/ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP No report. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Kinnickinnic - Popple reported on fish kill. Will work with person to make sure it does not happen again. Nutrient Management planning beyond state statutes. Will fix waterway, buffers on each side of drainageway. EQIP - Sign-up done by June 1998. All ranked: 5-Kinni, 3-South Fork. South Fork of Hay River - Kulow reported: Held 3 kickoffs to get started on new incentive plan - 110 landowners attended - 25 people signed up already. Up to $60,000 for 1998, about same for 1999. Could be looking at spending $60,000 for each year. $14,000 obligated for 1998. Lakes Cluster - Kling invited Bethke to attend advisory council meeting to be held July 14, 6:30 pm at Bob & Carol Benish, Squaw Lake. Trying to control runoff on the lake — shoreline restorations. County Zoning handles shoreline violations. Mentioned that Karen Voss-DNR Eau Claire received the "Rebecca Wallace award" from Governor Thompson. She is the first recipient of this award which is awarded to a DNR employee who is involved in developing partnerships with other agencies and working with new and innovative techniques to control runoff pollution, and also involved outside the workplace (community). GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Flood Plain Study - Chairman Jensen and Heise will attend July Finance committee meeting on funding request for the study. Structure #2 Pipe Separation - Talked with Engineer Bob Henrich who is working on design plan. Heise furnished him toe drain pipe information. Landowner and renter have been contacted concerning access during repair work. Very cooperative and said to "go ahead". Plans are now at NRCS State Engineer Ramsden for approval. Possible funding from state and federal sources being checked. WILDLIFE DAMAGE PROGRAM No report. BALDWIN AG BUILDING UPDATE Sander reported that there is a leak in the roof. EOIP PLAN Popple reported that next deadline is August 15, 1998. WESTERN PRAIRIE HABITAT RESTORATION AREA Discussion on high cost of seed for project. DISCUSS PROPOSED LOWER ST. CROIX RIVER DISTRICT ZONING AMENDMENT Planning Department has the maps, boundaries are different. Public hearings will be held. TEACHER AWARD Information was presented on TEACHER award candidates: Christy Ohman((Glenwood City), Harold Rivard(Somerset), Bill Gillis(Baldwin- Woodville), and Tom Wells(New Richmond). Bethke made motion to nominate Tom Wells for teacher award. Seconded by Cody. Carried. JOB RECLASSIFICATION Discussed newly drafted job description for Heise. Raymond made motion to recommend the upgrading of Heise's present position to Personnel. FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS None. SUBDIVISION REVIEW Grass Range 2nd Addition (Sec. 11 - Town of Hudson) - Reviewed storm water and erosion control plans. Bethke made motion that LWCC recommends approval of Grass Range 2nd Addition and a letter be forwarded to the Planning, Zoning & Parks Committee. Burri seconded. Carried. Shadow Pines Subdivision (Sec. 15 - Town of Somerset) - Reviewed storm water and erosion control plans. Jensen made motion that LWCC recommends approval of Shadow Pines subdivision conditional on driveways being installed on lots 6-7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-14, 15, 16, 18, 28 and 32, and appropriate erosion control measures be installed on the driveways at that time. Cody seconded. Carried. Starrwood Subdivision (Sec. 12 - Town of Hudson) - Reviewed storm water and erosion control plans. Dead end road - does not meet St. Croix County Chapter 18 Subdivision Ordinance (18.16(D)(7)(e). Road will require variance from the Planning, Zoning & Parks Committee. Bethke made motion that LWCC recommends approval of Starrwood subdivision with the condition that if any changes or alterations to the proposed road, other than what was shown on this plan, will have to be resubmitted through the Land & Water Conservation Department and Committee. Burri seconded. Carried. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Bethke made motion to approve vouchers. Seconded by Raymond. Carried. MISCELLANEOUS Jensen mentioned controversy which developed in regard to use of ag center conference rooms for staff shared work areas versus cubicle space. Christenson explained the need for rearranging engineering room space so drawing table and maps could be moved from storage area. Phone system creates problems also. Jensen directed staff to present proposed floor plan at next committee meeting. Gade reported that Memorandum of Understanding between federal agencies and county departments has not been signed. Christenson stated that it is at Government Center (Administration/Corporate Counsel) awaiting approval to be signed. Lier presented the LWCD/NRCS meeting -training schedule for July. Christenson stated that information from Congressman Ron Kind indicates that there is an extra effort on water quality. There is a clean water initiative in the present federal budget which includes the Upper Mississippi. Ron Struss' position, support assignment to erosion control program-DNR, was terminated on June 30. Chairman Jensen adjourned meeting at 11:40 a.m. C� Ji ody, Secre ry By lene Lier