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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAquatic Invasive Species Committee - Minutes - 8/23/2017 Bayfield County Aquatic Invasive Species Committee MINUTES August 23, 2017 Present: Nan Olson, Jim Krueger, Jeremy Oswald, Mike Defoe, Sally Pease, William Bussey Staff: Andrew Teal, AIS Coordinator; Tim Kane, UW-Extension Community Resource Agent Absent: Sarah Boles Attendance: Ellen Lafans, Bayfield County Lakes Forum Director; Jim Giffin, Lake Minnesuing Sanitary District 1. Call to Order: Nan called the meeting to order at 8:07 a.m. 2. Introductions: Brief introductions were conducted. 3. Public Comment: Sally stated that Lake Tides newsletter had an article about the recipients of the Invader Crusader Awards, including Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Area and the Town of Barnes AIS Committee (jointly awarded). 4. Motion: Approve minutes from May 24, 2017 - AIS Committee meeting. Krueger / Pease – carried. 5. Grant Updates: Andy reported totals remaining in the CBCW-Lake Superior, CBCW-Protecting Iron River Lakes, AIS Grant #5, and NCWMA Boat Washer grants (see report). Jim Giffin asked how many CBCW grants we have in the county-Andy listed which ones we write, and what lakes have CBCW grants-these include Cable Area Lakes, Lake Namakagon, Lake Owen, Pike Chain of Lakes-including Delta Lake and Long Lake, Lake Superior landings, and Eau Claire Chain of Lakes. Ellen-looked at getting a CBCW grant but the land immediately adjacent to the landing belongs to USFS—maybe we can partner with USFS to train volunteers under their policies and procedures? Jim Krueger said that was a training they did a few years ago, but the views at the USFS changed and they are not currently able. 6. Discussion – Bayfield County Lakes Forum (BCLF): Ellen is trying to resuscitate the BCLF- they had a board, but the president stepped down and the other Directors need more training and guidance in how to perform their roles. More forum outreach is needed-on October 7th at 10 AM, the BCLF annual meeting will happen at Drummond Community Center and the public is invited—John Richter will come speak about WI shoreline. We are hoping to get some Zoning personnel in attendance to help resolve issues regarding shoreline zoning. Bill Bussey said Kim Bro and Susan Hedmann are attorneys that have creative solutions and alternatives to Act 55, and provided their contact info to Ellen. Rob Schierman is our Zoning Administrator and is invited to the BCLF annual meeting, possibly to give a presentation about shoreland zoning. Bill asked what is the membership structure like? Ellen says all lakes/lake associations are automatically members, and the size of the lake determines voting capacity. BCLF needs active board members and the annual meeting will have a vote for new board members. Jim Giffin says get the county zoning administrator involved with the lakes, they can help with grants and direct funds to the lakes if violations occur by testifying (Jim cited a case from a violation on Lake Minnesuing). BCLF annual meeting turnout is high and the Assembly and Senator for our area come. Bill gave Ellen contact info for Susan Hedmann. Tim Kane says we have a robust lake forum to speak for lakes issues and other counties could learn from us. Jeremy: are the lake associations from our committee involved in BCLF? Ellen: yes, we wrote the 100’ shoreline buffer law and lakes classification for Bayfield County. BCLF is how our AIS Committee came to be formed. Jeremy: suggests inviting county supervisors and Mike Defoe, the WI DNR; Jim Giffin says now is a great time to get BCLF directly involved with other agencies to educate about zoning standards. 7. Discussion-- Tim Kane: the first couple Northwest WI Conferences sprung out of Lakes Fairs in Bayfield County. Declining enrollment the last four years from Bayfield County-Jim Giffin encourages lake associations with a story to tell to attend this conference. Bill Bussey says provision in Act 55 made DNR zoning minimums the maximum. Let’s give the towns and lakes a chance to make creative recommendations for amendments regarding compliance to state law and make suggestions how to protect shoreland areas. The time is now to voice alternative approaches. Tim: post script-Clark County uses soils and topography to preclude development. Zoning meeting-Third Thursday in September 21st in the Bayfield County Board Room at 4 C:\Users\mkraft\Desktop\AIS\08-23-17 AIS Minutes.docx PM. Nan- Jim, how is Namakagon addressing this zoning issue? Jim says they are at “wait and see” on this. Lobbying and changes are still happening. Subdivisions and keyholing scare him. Andy’s question: these are the new rules, but can we change culture to keep things protected? Jim K. says he makes a point to direct contact people just to educate them. It is not that they don’t care, they just don’t know. Andy shared the definition of the tragedy of the commons. Jim G. said they tried to educate in the newsletter about viewing corridors and zoning standards. Ellen said they handed out Jim Brakken’s book at the lake picnic. Nan would like us to support the Zoning meeting and send out draft minutes ahead so people can peruse our discussion. 8. New AIS Discoveries/Updates: Andy reported that he and Jeremy Bates found the streambanks of the Iron River are infested with yellow iris just a few yards downstream from Iron Lake (full distance of infestation unknown presently, but goes at least 100 yards). He and Jeremy also found that curly-leaf pondweed is prevalent about 200’ downstream from the Tri-County Corridor, at least to the Main Street crossing in the Town of Iron River, with a few scattered populations miles downstream on USFWS Conservation Easement property. Sally Pease: BAISS boat never moved off MEC for CLP management. Looking to get a more experienced diver or three to tell us what are acceptable dive times for depths we work at. CLP in the MEC/LEC channel (and are deep). Pike Chain is interested in the boat, but it is up to the Town of Barnes if they want to rent it out. Tomahawk and Sandbar got treated for EWM this year. Sally reported on Fritz’s medical issues. Jim Giffin: reported about yellow iris control methods. Found that spraying, cut stump, and glove of death using Rodeo were all moderately to highly effective. Advised caution when choosing a surfactant to add to the herbicide so the mixture will stick to the yellow iris, but also to avoid injury to aquatic life. Recommends using a serrated knife to carve out plants rather than a shovel or spade, as it is more precise and less damaging. They have been doing this control work the last 2-3 years and have 1 more year left in the grant. They are having a noticeable impact on the yellow iris populations. Jim Krueger: Lakewoods Resort Marina treatment of hybrid watermilfoil worked, we just did not get it all. We think that sediment settled onto some plants, shielding them from the effects. Pamela Toshner contacted Jim stating that the WI DNR may consider a fall treatment in 2017. So far, the plants seem confined to the Lakewoods Resort Marina. 9. AIS Coordinator’s Report: Andy spoke about some of the highlights in his report that were not previously mentioned/discussed in the meeting. Reviewed and on file. 10. Partner/Department Reports Red Cliff Natural Resource Department-Mike Defoe: Red Cliff received the money to retrofit the Washburn, Bayfield, and Red Cliff waste water treatment plants. They are working on the contracting right now (Strand Associates is the contractor), and work should commence in spring 2018. The money came from EPA and US Army Corps, totaling about $1.3 million. Jeremy wanted to know if there is anything being done about spill over from WWTPs into the lake. Mike says that it is possible, but he does not have all the details on all the projects-though he did note that Red Cliff’s dewatering system will also be repaired as part of this retrofit process. -Red Cliff has a seasonal employee that found buckthorn growing on the Red Cliff community farm. Mike would like to borrow the UpRooter to pull the buckthorn-Andy will provide the UpRooter after the meeting. -Conducted near shore assessment: caught a lot of alewife over by Sand River (basically the entire net was full of these invasive fish), netted a lot of Ruffe in Buffalo Bay, and did plankton tows along the Red Cliff shoreline from Roy’s Point to Sand River. The net mesh sizes are 1" thru 6" at half inch increments, 1.0", 1.5", 2.0" and so on. The total net gang length is 1100'. Red Cliff Natural Resources Department does this assessment in spring, summer, and fall. -Frog Bay Tribal National Park is now 175 acres in size, and is within the Frog Bay Conservation Management Area for a total of 295 acres, protecting the Frog Creek watershed. It helped cut down on trespassing issues too. Sally Pease: treatment of Tomahawk and Sandbar Lakes seemed successful this season; she now has her own display board and plans to attend Potawatomi picnic next year. Tomahawk Lake Town Park is being used more and will be remodeled soon. Jim Krueger: Lake Namakagon has a small patch of yellow iris. A board member (Denise Dupras) found it. Jeremy Oswald: helped the Bayfield Regional Conservancy (BRC) with an invasive species pulling day at the Brownstone Trail. It was his first time pulling purple loosestrife. He also mentioned the Brownstone Trail giant knotweed infestation, which the Northwoods Cooperative Weed Management Area partners finally managed to knock back and get under control in 2015. This site is now being restored, thanks to the BRC and volunteers. UW-Extension-Tim Kane: The Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference is on June 22nd, 2018 at Spooner High School. C:\Users\mkraft\Desktop\AIS\08-23-17 AIS Minutes.docx 11. Future AIS Activities: • September 8th and October 13th—Invasive Species ID Days from 9:30 AM—3 PM at the NGLVC. The October 13th event will focus on 7th graders from the area. • September 19th—Town of Barnes Town Board meeting-presenting Invader Crusader Award • September 24th—National Public Lands Day • November 1st-2nd—Statewide AIS meeting at UW-Stevens Point • April 18th-20th, 2018—WI Lakes Partnership Convention, Stevens Point • April 20th-22nd, 2018—10th Annual Chapter meeting for the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), Stevens Point, WI • October 15-18, 2018—Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN 12. Other business: None. 13. Next meeting date: Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at 8 AM, in Conference Room A in Bayfield County Courthouse. 14. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 9:48 a.m.