HomeMy WebLinkAboutAquatic Invasive Species Committee - Minutes - 5/18/2022MINUTES
May 18th, 2022 (to be approved)
Present: Nan Olson-Chair, Sally Pease-Vice Chair & Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Association; Andrew
Teal-AIS Coordinator/Surface Water Conservation Technician, Mike Higgins-Pike Chain of Lakes
Association Board, Barb Clements-CBCW & AIS Coordinator for the Town of Barnes; Jim Giffin-Lake
Minnesuing Sanitary District in Douglas County; Ramona Shackleford-NCWMA Coordinator, &
Melissa Kraft-LWCD Assistant
Absent: Ben Dufford-Director of Land & Water Conservation Dept., Larry Fickbohm-Board of Supervisor;
Jeanna Penney-Board of Supervisor; Reed Saam-Red Cliff Treaty Natural Resources Division
Nan Olson called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m.
Introductions: Introduction’s roundtable.
No quorum available, therefore the meeting will be information only and no motions will be made.
Action: Election of Officers- AIS Chair and AIS Vice Chair. (No quorum-no action can be taken.)
Public Comment: None.
Motion: No quorum-unable to approve minutes from February 16th, 2022.
Grant Updates: Nan asked that the Clean Boats Clean Waters discussion be put on hold until Karen Austin arrives at
the meeting.
Discussion regarding Landing Blitz & Drain Campaign towel distribution: June 3rd-Jun 5th is Drain Campaign and
towels and CBCW materials get distributed. The campaign targets anglers at boat landings. 40 towels were
distributed per landing for the Drain Campaign in Barnes and some additional ones will be used for the 4th of
July/Landing Blitz. The main message is for anglers to drain all the water out of the boat including the live well to avoid
spreading invasive species and ice your catch to keep it fresh. The Landing Blitz has a similar concept targeted at all
boaters July 1st-5th. Towels are handed out as well.
Andy also distributed CBCW t-shirts and hats.
AIS Coordinator Report. Andy Teal discussed his report, in detail, which is on file. Some other points were
discussed as follows: Andy noted he worked a lot on plans for a shoreline protection and erosion project at one
property on Upper Eau Claire Lake. Next year will be geotextile bags with live native plants planted into them on that
property. Andy continues to learn CAD/Civil 3D with Travis’ guidance. LEEP went well last week despite the rain and
lightning cut one day a little short. One of the NCWMA interns and a staff member from Land Records attended as well
on one of the days.
Andy asks that before he applies for the CBCW-IR grant for 2023, that a payroll processor be established. Pre-
application (intent to apply) is due by September 1, 2022 and application is Nov. 1, 2022.
Partner/Department Reports:
Ramona Shackleford- NCWMA group works withing Iron, Ashland, Bayfield, & Douglas County. This year hiring 5
interns this spring/summer. Two will be doing the Boat Wash and two will be doing invasive species treatment and one
person will be crew leader. When interns are in Bayfield County to use the Boat Wash they could be used as matching
funds since it’s federal funding, so their time could be used as a state match. Therefore, please let Ramona know if you
have something where that match would be applicable and helpful. Nan noted that Karen Austin may be interested in
using the boat wash at Twin Bear Campground and boat landing. Noted a reminder that the interns will also help with
aquatic invasives, specifically Yellow Iris and Purple Loosestrife this year. Garlic Mustard site pulls have begun in at
the wastewater treatment plant in Washburn, at the Ashland Bay City Creek site, and along the Bad River floodplain in
Mellen. The 3rd week of June are a few scheduled garlic mustard hand-pulling events along the Montreal River.
Sally Pease- Introduced new coordinator for Barnes, Barb Clements. Barb noted she is going to focus on getting
volunteers and has background in office administration and organizing volunteer projects.
Jim Giffin-Hand pulling curly-leaf pondweed. Secured a small grant for herbicide treatment of curly-leaf pondweed this
year. In the process of doing surveys to get ready for treatment. Noted they also have yellow flag iris, buckthorn, and
knotweed and has worked with Ramona on some of that in the past.
Karen Austin entered meeting at 9:30 a.m.
Mike Higgins- Discussed that John Coffey said he will process the payroll for the CBCW-Iron River workers for the
CBCW-Iron River grant through the Iron River Pike Chain of Lakes Association. Nan noted that they should have a
meeting with John Coffey to go through the process and how things will work. Mike & Karen will coordinate a meeting
with key players and set up an in-person meeting in Iron River. Melissa asked that she be kept in the loop as she deals
with the county’s financial end with the grant. Discussion on volunteer hours and how some of the lakes deal with their
volunteers at the landings.
Working with Onterra, LLC. At the southwest end of Twin Bear Lake will be the location for an area “fenced off” with a
curtain that sits vertical in the water column so that the Eurasian watermilfoil growing there can be monitored/studied.
He is unaware if treatments will be done on it.
Alex Selle- Alex was asked some questions regarding volunteer hours tracking to reduce redundancy from committee
members present. He noted that he will need to discuss some of those aspects with Jill Sutherland/DNR and will get
back to Andy with some clarification/answers.
Andy and Alex will be doing some lake early detection monitoring for AIS following construction of carry-in accesses on
a few small lakes in the Iron Lake area: Richardson, Bismarck, Pine and Carroll Lakes. They will get set up to do some
lake monitoring at those new access points. Also, will go to Diamond Lake next week for an aquatic plant ID training,
co-hosted with Andy.
Alex will also be going to do some native planting in Bayfield.
Karen Austin- Asked about whether a CBCW program is required to exist to be in compliance with the Pike Chain of
Lakes Association recently received Established Population Control grant. Alex said that requirement doesn’t apply for
the Established Population Control Grant.
Clean Boats Clean Waters-Iron River (CBCW-IR) program and where to run payroll through for 2022-
Discussion regarding the need to set up a meeting with John Coffey to discuss specifics of processing the payroll for
the interns through Iron River Pike Chain of Lakes Association. Bayfield County would then reimburse the Lakes
Association and then at the end of the grant Bayfield County would seek reimbursement for those funds through the
CBCW grant through the DNR.
Future AIS/Surface Water Activities:
1. Future AIS/Surface Water Activities
a. Town of Barnes CBCW and Shoreline Monitoring training, 12-3 p.m., May 20, 2022 at
Barnes Town Hall
b. Diamond Lake aquatic plant training at 2 p.m. on May 27, 2022
c. Drain Campaign, statewide, June 3-5, 2022 towels will be handed to anglers only (1/boat)
d. Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference, June 17, 2022 in person at Spooner High School,
and online. Registration is open!
e. Landing Blitz, statewide, July 1-5, 2022 and towels to be handed out to all boaters (1/boat)
f. AIS Snapshot Day, August 20, 2022, statewide
g. Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference, KI Convention Center, Green Bay, October
25-27, 2022
Adjournment: Meeting ended at 10:45am
Future meeting date(s) for regular AIS Committee meeting:
• Aug 17th, 2022 at 9AM in the EOC
• Nov 16th, 2022 at 9AM in the EOC