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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand & Water Conservation-Resource & Education Committee 04-07-98ST. 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: April 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 - Lenertz Farm, Inc. 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 Wildlife Damage Program Baldwin Ag Building Update EQIP Plan Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area Discuss proposed Lower St. Croix River District Zoning Amendment NEW BUSINESS: 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: March 25, 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 April 7, 1998 Members Present: Leon Berenschot, Chris Bethke, Jim Cody, Vern Dull, Art Jensen, Ron Raymond Members Absent: None Staff Present: County Conservationist -Charles Christenson, Technician -Bob Heise, Farmland Preservation Technician -David Sander, Secretary -Arlene Lier Others Present: Dick Gade-FSA, Don Siler-NRCS Meeting called to order by Chairman Art Jensen. Bethke made motion to adopt agenda. Berenschot seconded. Carried. Berenschot made motion to approve February 3 and March 3, 1998 meeting minutes. Seconded by Bethke. Carried. Next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 1998 at 9:00 a.m. DNR No report. NRCS Siler reported: CRP - Preparations are being made to plant the first round of prairie plantings for the 15th sign-up. DNR and several private contractors and co-ops lined up to do the plantings as well as landowners planting their own seed. Have been assisting DNR and landowners in ordering, mixing and planting prairie seeds. Plans are being written for those landowner accepted into the 16th sign- up. St. Croix County had the most acres accepted in the state of Wisconsin, over 13,000 acres. EQIP - Submitted required items for approval by state technical committee. Sign up for the two EQIP proposals is slated to start May 1. FSA Gade reported: All producers are requested to utilize direct deposit by 1/1/99. Now have 200-300 enrolled. It is safer and faster. Production Flexibility (7-year) Program - Need to come into office to report how they operate the farm. Leah Klanderman handles program. Farm yield and base - Farm is broken up into tracts. Each tract will have contract acres. No longer farm "numbers", now "tracts". Cody questioned why there no longer is a Farm Grain Program. Bids will be closed on April 8 for excess furniture and equipment. Gade plans to have his staff attend meetings occasionally to inform committee of their work duties. Price Support - Making commodity loans to producers - 9 month loans (60 interest) - use as operating loan. Farm Credit - Marvin Warner is the Credit Manager for FSA in St. Croix County. Operating loans for beginning farmers are still available. There are youth (10-21 years of age) loans available for FFA and 4-H projects. Year-end analyses are being done on farm operating loans. Another'00 to do yet this year. CRP - Matt Bobowski has been preparing CRP contracts for committee signatures. If home is built on CRP land, there will be liquidated damages assessed. Less than 5_years, there is payback (1/4 of rental rate) plus interest. There is a 60-day period to see if buyer wants to go into CRP. Seller has to pay back CRP earnings for land not going back into CRP. It is a voluntary decision by buyer to stay in CRP. Non disturbance period is May 15-July 30. Nothing can be done with cover except spot treatment of noxious weeds (maintenance purpose). There will be newsletter, stating CRP rules, going out soon. RC&D Berenschot reported no recent meetings. Conference call next Tuesday. Meeting coming up soon at Lutheran Bible Camp, Lake Wapogasset (Polk County). WEST CENTRAL AREA No report. Spring planning meeting scheduled for April 28. Bethke to get meeting information from Christenson. EDUCATION ACTIVITIES Reports: Sander - Will be doing classes (Tom Wells) at New Richmond High School. Somerset School - 350 students - end of April. Roberts - 180-200 students - groundwater model in May. Kling gave speech at St. Croix Electric annual meeting and New Richmond Rotary Club. Also conducted session at Lakes Association conference in Green Bay on shoreline stabilizing. Bethke stated that agriculture information is needed for our youth. Young students at Hudson School System are getting further away from agriculture. Try to get something together for students: Get students out to a farm or bring farm animals to the school. Raymond commented that his tractor was an attraction at Girl Scout Camp. Farm -City Day is an excellent farm education for families. Gade questioned if St. Croix County is involved in Farm Progress Days this year, which is being held in Dunn County. FAP14L•AND PRESERVATION Sander reported that zoning certificates for April 15 tax deadline are coming in. There have been several plan revisions due to changes in crop rotations. Large dairies are trying to grow their own crops which are largely corn silage. Lenertz Farm, Inc. - Land is under agreement (expiration in 2003). Cattle have the area all black. DNR has contacted them. Discussed issuing Notice of Noncompliance and hearing notice. May be ineligible for tax credits, but still eligible for Federal flexibility program. LEGISLATIONZENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP Christenson reported on Joe Marter-P.E./Doug Goodrich Farms questions - concerns. Department wants inspection on plans for proposed animal waste storage. It is difficult working with Marter. Our goal in requiring a written inspection plan is to establish a consistent method of review and installation. Mr. Marter does not feel we have the authority to require this since we do not have a written policy. Also Marter stated he was having the landowner and contractor inspect the work. Siler stated that he was not comfortable with landowner/contractor inspection. Jensen warned: "Don't deviate from the ordinance." Since the issue pointed out that no written policy is in place, one should be developed before another situation like this occurs. A written inspection plan will be required for this project. PRIORITY WATERSHED PROJECTS Lakes Cluster - Kling has been doing a lot of public speaking. Working on erosion control methods along lakes. Involved with Prairie Enthusiasts. Going pretty steady for last month. Kinnickinnic - EQIP proposals went in. Only funding source for Kinnickinnic and South Fork. Interviews being conducted for Kinni intern on April 9. South Fork of Hay River - Have priority list started for landowners. Have approximately 12 signed up for pollution reduction incentive plan. Waiting for grant to be confirmed. DNR will send back for LWCC chairman approval. Schools will be involved in clean-up. After 3 years, should be less to clean up so intend to work roadsides also. Garbage haulers to pick up appliances, furniture, etc. GLEN HILLS WATERSHED Flood Plain Study - Christenson reported that 6 engineering firms were interviewed. Ayres Associates was No. 1 choice (quote $18,000-25,000). There are variations in scope of work proposed. Scoring was done by Berenschot, Jensen, and Bethke. How much will digitizing of photos cost. Finance committee had agreed to do structures. Jensen and Christenson will attend 4/17 Finance Committee meeting. Bethke made motion to choose Ayres as engineer and that contract be awarded on all work without depending on county surveyor. Berenschot seconded. Carried. We were assisted in organizing the interview process by Carol Williamson, Wisconsin Association of Consulting Engineers. Complete project yet this year, November 1 completion. Ayres would do 4 dams rather than originally the 3. Carryover money in budget for draw down on Structure 1. Motion by Berenschot to go ahead with draw down on Structure 1. Bethke seconded. Carried. Discussed setting annual dam inspection date. Meet on April 23 at 9:00 a.m. in Glenwood City (Oak Street Cafe). Town chairs of Glenwood and Springfield to be invited. WILDLIFE DAMAGE PROGRAM New legislative changes include adding turkeys for damage claims. Working on policy which is controversial concerning public access. Removes the limit of 2 people/40 acres. Cost share increased to maximum $20,000/claim. BALDWIN AG BUILDING UPDATE Fixed (back fill) basement leak which occurred a couple of months ago. If prairie grasses are seeded, must be raised beds, to advertisewhat we do. Computer problems are being corrected, blinds were installed, garage door -openers also were installed. There is need for voice mail. Need chair pads for rolling chairs. Sander and Reaman will be discussing items with Administrator Coordinator Krizek and Finance Director Loney. LWCC to be kept informed. EOIP PLAN Siler reported that paperwork is There are two watershed proposals. share. done and waiting for final award. Have to have good numbers for cost WESTERN PRAIRIE HABITAT RESTORATION AREA - No report. DISCUSS PROPOSED LOWER ST. CROIX RIVER DISTRICT ZONING AMENDMENT Meeting held on March 30 at Hudson High School - approximately 30 people attended. Raymond indicated that new county ordinance should be held off. Board of Adjustment needs advice. Letter from LWCC should be submitted. Good conservation practices needed on anything done. Stay at 12% slope rather than 18-20% on bluffline. County makes and enforces rules. we have to state our interests. Cudd's cutting was approved by DNR. Corp Counsel wants to revise ordinance to allow such cutting. Letter to be drafted to keep as present. FARMLAND PRESERVATION APPLICATIONS - None. SUBDIVISION REVIEW - None. VOUCHERS Reviewed vouchers. Berenschot made motion to approve vouchers. Seconded by Bethke. Carried. MISCELLANEOUS Tree seedlings, shrubs, etc. will be distributed on April 24-25. Chairman Jensen adjourned meeting at 11:40 a.m. Vernon Dull, Secretary By Arlene Lier