Forest attended representing CSP and gave updates on sand mining, animal ag trends and findings, issues with the budget, and our push to get a karst study done in the area. Once again, feedback was very supportive of such a study. Kris Stepenuck attended by call and gave a report on the Water Action Volunteers program. There are new standards for P, and there are now over 200 sites being monitored for that. The WAV program has been growing and now includes 652 sites across the state and she estimated it saved the DNR $20,000. All data will now be going in to SWMS database.
Jeff Hastings reported for Trout Unlimited: We are at the very Northernmost edge of cricket frog territory, but a trained person must do a survey to remove them from areas where TU is trying to do rip-rap and stream-bank stabilization, and this is seriously hindering operations. He also mentioned the Mississippi River Basin Project which is trying to bring municipalities up to snuff with regards to P pollution in their treated discharge water. Karrie Jackellen attended from Ron Kind’s office. She said Ron is interested in these things and is looking for Summer tours and events.
Carol Abrahamson from Mississippi Valley Conservancy reported that the conservancy has conserved 16,000 acres to date (4,000 of these open to the public). Most of these were purchased with Stewardship Fund money and current projects are up in the air with proposed spending freeze. Abby Church was at the hearings on the budget that day, speaking for MVC. There have been a slew of easements coming in from Trempealeau Co due to concerns around frac sand mining. Bob Micheel (County Conservationist from Monroe) reported on several townships creating Ag Enterprize Areas which made them eligible for certain conservation cost-share programs (RCCP is part of EQUIP from the NRCS… alphabet soup!…) Several townships are looking into implementing exclusive Ag zoning and there has been an educational meeting on this. They are using the P trading scheme to stabilize eroding banks (justified by the finding that stream-bank soils are 2-5% P). Coming into compliance with state P standards will be difficult in some areas as in Sparta, the groundwater is already above the state standard. After four years of clean-up and study, Jersey Valley finally meets P standards, however there is a CAFO expansion going on nearby and this farm has been by far the largest contributor to the contamination of the lake. Bob noted that sand mines in the area are still buying and leasing more acres, though not expanding operations yet, and he suspects this is speculating for the future when demand rises again.
Paul Krahn, from the Vernon County Conservation Department reported that their work on mobilizing volunteers to control Japanese Hops has done something, but the work left to do is overwhelming and they feel the need to bring in paid professionals with chemical treatments. There is a new RC&D person working on invasives in LaX, Vernon, and Crawford Counties that may be able to help out in these efforts. They are excited for various adaptive management opportunities to improve water quality. Vernon Co is considering purchasing both Jersey Valley and Sidie Hollow from the state who is willing to sell. They hope to get some $ to fund dredging out the nutrient-laden sediment that has settled in the aforementioned lakes as well as Rung Hollow and possibly others. The Vernon Co Con Dept is fighting getting combined with the Zoning Dept. Ben Wojahn was also at the hearings on the budget speaking out against this and cuts to funding for County Conservation Departments. Chris Kirkpatrick of the Prairie Enthusiasts reported on who they are and some ongoing projects. They, like MVC, are a land trust and have conserved 2,800 acres so far, mostly in the SW corner of WI and some in Minnesota and Iowa. They offer prescribed burn insurance, lend out equipment, and help landowners do burns on their property. They are in the process of launching a new website and are making a promotional video that will air on Wi Public TV.
Paul Hayes reported for the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. They are hiring 2 Summer field positions (interns). They are worried about the potential transfer from the Dept of Tourism to the DNR and are speaking out against it publicly as well as educating current DNR leadership of the contentious history of the KVR and DNR. They are providing lots of classes in such things as managed burns, chainsawing, and a Wi master naturalist course. They have concerns of gypsey moth spraying in sensitive areas planned for the peak of Spring migrations (will kill off caterpillars that are essential food for migrants). They are also opening up many stream-banks, taking out box-elder and willows and managing with fire.
Thomas Wise of Kickapoo Woods Cooperative popped in to report briefly on their for-profit member-based organization. Timber sales and writing MFL and non-MFL forestry plan-writing make them most of their $. They have hired an office assistant to free up Thomas for more fieldwork and are scaling up their educational efforts.
Kurt Rassmussen, stream biologist for the WDNR reported that the current priority watershed project involved Hillsboro Lake. Part of the main stem of the Kickapoo has been listed as impaired. They are looking for partners for adaptive management projects to deal with some of these issues.
Tom Lukens reported for Valley Stewardship Network. The Conservation Connections Building has been donated a large TV and they will be playing conservation films as an ongoing thing during the day for folks. Suggestions and donations of things to play welcome. He is particularly excited about a sustainable land lease project to help landowners leasing their land to be cropped put in some stipulations and conservation considerations that are effective and enforceable. There have been a lot of issues with folks leasing their land on a handshake or shoddily written contract and having buffer strips torn out and all manner of unsustainable practices. This has been a special issue for retired farmers, absentee landowners, and farm widows.
Rob Horwich gave a little Community Conservation perspective in pointing out how fickle government is, how important community managed landscapes are, and how far behind we are on this front in many other places of the world. He spurred a little conversation about what to do about the KVR that prompted some quality rhetoric, but no solution besides what we are already doing. “It seems like you are doing everything you are supposed to”, helpfully prompted Karrie, of Kind’s office.
Patrick Dayton of SW Badger showed up late and reported briefly on how they are hiring for a new executive director and that they are developing a new invasive species coalition for the state.
Randy Paulma (sp?) of the Ho Chunk could not make it and sent update via e-mail. The Ho Chunk Nation acquired 1500 acres of the Former Badger Munitions area. Their projects largely involve water quality monitoring and improvement and burning to maintain and re-establish prairie and savannah landscapes.