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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAquatic Invasive Species Committee - Minutes - 8/28/2019 Bayfield County Aquatic Invasive Species Committee MINUTES August 28th, 2019 (to be approved) Present: Nan Olson-Chair, Jim Krueger-Vice Chair, Jeremy Oswald-Board of Supervisor District #5, Sally Pease-Eau Claire Lakes Association, Andrew Teal-AIS Coordinator, Robert Liebermann-U.S. Forest Service, Jim Giffin- Lake Minnesuing in Douglas Co; Ramona Shackleford-NCWMA Coordinator (9:18am) & Melissa Kraft-LWCD Assistant Nan called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Introductions: Introductions roundtable. Public Comment: None. Motion: Approve minutes from May 22nd, 2019. Pease/Fickbohm – motion carried. Grant Updates: CBCW: Lake Superior changes for 2020: Teal discussed his intention to reduce our requested grant amount to $12,000 for water craft inspections. The proposed amount is $4,000 less than last year. He anticipates that Douglas Co or another entity will cover the Loon’s Foot landing in Superior, therefore, we wouldn’t need our interns to inspect that landing. We will partner with the Northwoods CWMA to use more boat wash funding for staff/interns to continue to cover the Washburn Marina, Bayfield Boat Launch, and Short Bridge on Fish Creek Slough. CBCW-Iron River Lakes: The grant will be $20,000 for 2020 for all the same landings as previous years (Buskey Bay, Hyde’s, Twin Bear, Delta, and Long Lake. North Lakes Community Clinic (NLCC) will continue next year to process payroll for the inspectors. NLCC then invoices Bayfield Co for payment to them and then on completion of the grant, Bayfield Co then submits reimbursement claims to the grant. One of our current interns notified us that they will be done Sept. 4th as they are moving. AIS #6 grant currently has a balance of $75,681.25. This will fund half of the AIS position/expenses for 2019, 2020, & 2021 and the surface water work from county funds will fund 50%. Andy noted he has worked with Travis on Mitigations and a zoning violation regarding surface water work. Discussion on roles the Bayfield County AIS Project can play in the Western Lake Superior Cooperative Group and the Lake Superior Collaborative: The collaborative hasn’t been up and running for past few years but now have a coordinator. They handle a lot of watershed and surface water tributaries. They hold a conference in October on basically anything to do with surface water. Andy feels he could contribute to both the cooperative and collaborative in the area of education outreach and some monitoring. Fickbohm asked what Ben’s, the Dept. Head’s, position is on Andy doing work outside of Bayfield Co in the cooperative/collaborative groups and if Ben is okay with some of the time being spent doing that work. Andy noted that Ben is receptive to him being involved in those groups. Pease discussed ad hoc committee along with discussion with Jim Giffin. Discussion on new AIS discoveries in Bayfield County. New populations discussed. Chinese mystery snails have been confirmed in Crystal Lake in Namakagon. Discussion on how the snails could get moved and Andy noted possibly live wells, mud on boots, etc. Jim Giffin added that the snails are in Upper St. Croix lake. Pease stated that they mostly have seen the bigger snails at the boat landings. The Chinese mystery snails are in the Pike Chain of Lakes as well. Yellow iris and Chinese mystery snails are confirmed in the Iron River Flowage/Millpond Lake and in Deep Lake at the boat landing. Giffin showed the group a treatment they will use on yellow flag iris. He will use the Buckthorn Blaster and will track the treatments to see how well they work. Landscape-restoration.com is where he ordered them from. It’s basically the aquatic version of Round-Up. Discussion about herbicide applicator for cut-stump K:\AIS\Meetings\Committee\Minutes\2019\08-28-19 AIS Minutes.docx treatment. Andy discussed that they found purple loosestrife, yellow iris, knotweed, and an invasive type of cattail. Brief discussion on freshwater jellyfish. Discussion on suggested topics to present or share at upcoming statewide AIS Coordinator meeting: The meeting will take place in Ashland this year October 8-10, 2019. Andy is thinking he will discuss the Student Science Symposium and Invasive Species ID Day. Oswald suggested asking Bill Bodin or Craig Hoopman to possibly discuss fishery. Also suggested to see the research vessel (The Kiyi) housed in Ashland as a possible tour (Joe Walters is a contact person). 50th Anniversary Suggested to talk with Reed from Red Cliff, GLIFWC, USFS, etc. AIS Coordinator Report: Teal discussed his report in detail which is on file. Partner/Department Reports: Jim Krueger: Namakagon-Treatment on hybrid milfoil and hand-pulls. Will have analysis done yearly which range approximately $1700-$1800. Treatments and hand-pulling will continue. Dale Dressel does the treatments and Jim feels he does a really good job. Jim noted they have a better handle now on permits and what can be done so more will be planned for next year. Sally Pease: Discussed purple loosestrife on Cranberry Lake Channel. Pease will be looking at it soon and will likely hand pull. Fall LEEP day will take place on Bony Lake on September 25th and Pease asked to notify her if anyone would like to participate. Giffin noted that if anyone is interested in material on beetles and purple loosestrife to let him know and he will provide a contact that has good information materials. Robert Liebermann: Discussion on Lake Owen and yellow iris. NC remapped the locations and got DNR and USFS permission to treat and pay Dale to treat yellow iris plants on the USFS land. Problem with a SAMS system to use Federal funds so Lake Owen ended up pitching in to pay Dale. Ramona Shackleford report: Completed the DNR Knotweed Control Project grant which totaled $3,367.85. Teal helped her contact landowners for permissions to treat knotweed on their properties. She received an additional $4,999.00 funds to use by June 2020 for buckthorn work on Clough Island in Douglas Co. She will close out her main grant by Dec. 15th and she will then begin using the new grant funds of $40,000 thereafter. She is anticipating approximately $20,000 in grant funds in 2020 to use for the boat washer but hasn’t received the grant award yet. Ramona noted she sent out a RFP for a contractor to do knotweed treatments. Some potential collateral damage in Minnesuing-some trees were damaged, prompting a re-evaluation of herbicides to use and to cut the larger areas down and then treat them. Pre-cut in July and August and then treat, as well as using a different herbicide. Ramona noted some sites are wetland sites, which require special training and certifications. Charlie Ray will be the contractor. Ramona will be making up a contract to do some knotweed work in Hurley. The USFS extended grant to Dec. 15th so it will give Ramona more time to spend the grant funds. Future AIS Activities- a. Invasive Species ID Day, 1-4 PM on September 20, Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center (NGLVC) b. Lake Ecology Education Program Field Day, Bony Lake, September 25 (rain date September 26) c. Bayfield Apple Festival, Bayfield, October 4-6 d. Student Science Research Symposium, 9 AM-2 PM on October 11, NGLVC e. Land Conservation Committee/Land & Water Conservation Department Fall Tour, 9 AM-1 PM on October 11th, 2019 f. AIS Snapshot Day, August 15, 2020, statewide g. Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, October 12-14, 2020, Duluth MN Other Business: Pigeon Lake update-Discussion on ideas for flooding at Pigeon Lake: pumping lake wouldn’t be good to pump regarding unwanted possible introduction of possible contaminates and also the high quantity of water that feeds into it would be hard to pump to even make a dent in water level reduction. Citizen Committee member -Business Representative search/confirmation: The search continues for someone to fill this vacant spot. Nan Olson asked if anyone was interested at the North Lakes Community Clinic meeting she had attended and someone suggested a contact name who may be willing. Fickbohm noted he will contact the person. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 10:45 a.m. Motion to adjourn Olson/Pease. Next meeting date: Future regular AIS meeting date: Wednesday, Nov 20th, 2019 at 9AM; and Feb 26th, 2020 at 9AM.