HomeMy WebLinkAboutLand Conservation Committee - Minutes - 3/9/2016
Our Mission: To assist the public in protecting, enhancing, and restoring the natural resources of Bayfield County
Bayfield County Land & Water Conservation Department
615 2nd Avenue East, PO Box 126
Washburn, WI 54891
________________________________________________________________________
Phone: 715-373-6167 Fax: 715-373-6127 Website: www.bayfieldcounty.org
MINUTES
March 9, 2016 (to be approved)
Present: Bucky Jardine, Chair; Marco Bichanich, Vice-Chair; Dennis Pocernich; Bill Bussey; Becky Anderson,
FSA Rep.; Peter Tetzner
Staff: Ben Dufford; Travis Tulowitzky; Arianna Austin; Andrew Teal; Dave Schultz
Absent: None
Attendance: Fred Strand, County Board; Mike Mlynarek, USFWS; Tony Janisch, BRWA; Jason Fischbach, UW
Extension; (4 members of the public)
1) Call to order: Meeting was called to order at 9 am by Bucky Jardine
2) Approval of Minutes (October 9, 2015) MOTION: –Bussey/Pocernich – carried.
3) Public Comment: NONE
4) Action: Appointment of new FSA Representative, Becky Anderson to replace Greg Tetzner. MOTION:
Appointment of Becky Anderson as FSA Representative. Bussey/Bichanich – carried.
5) Agency Staff / Partners Reports:
a. NRCS Update- None
b. USFWS Update- Will collaborate this summer with Lake Superior landscape partnership, improve in-stream
habitat, working on Iron River, money will go 100% on confluence, looking into project near Barksdale
skating rink.
c. WDNR Update- None
d. BRWA Update – Summer work with town of Lincoln, two fish passage barriers on creeks, working on
Altamont Road, money from Forest Service to work on Marengo River, modified log jams, expanding to
Bayfield County, received grant for volunteers to monitor water quality.
e. Others - None
6) Wildlife Damage Program Update – Dave Schultz
a. Discussion / Possible Action: Set 2015 Wildlife damage claim prices – Contacted two providers for corn
rates. United Ag Services $3.81, quotes at harvest time to replace bushels with an average of $3.78/bushel.
MOTION: Approval of wildlife damage claim price at $3.78/bushel. Bichanich /Tetzner – carried.
b. Discussion / Possible Action: Set 2016 bear relocation contract for Bayfield County – service for full year
$11,050 based on the last two years, $325 per bear, decreasing yearly, fewer bears are being moved, 20-30
in 2015, 3-4 years ago 60-70 moved, bear population is holding steady, estimated 30,000 bear in Wisconsin,
Bayfield County has a large contract and is billed quarterly, other counties make a yearly payment, trapping
down potentially due to abundant wild food available. MOTION: Approval of 2016 bear relocation contract at
$325 per bear. Bussey/Bichanich – carried.
c. WDP staff report – 2015 filing nearly complete, close out financial year, preparing for spring activities, one
inquiry for a bee fence, which are available for commercial producers to prevent bear damage.
7) Discussion / Possible Action: NW WLWCA representative – Organization of all counties that supports at
state level, Marco Bichanich has been the Bayfield County representative, however because he is resigning
from the board, there is an opening for a current board member. Board members were asked to consider and a
decision will be finalized at the next LCC meeting.
8) Discussion / Action: Recommendations of the Large-Scale Livestock Committee – Fred Strand/Jason
Fischbach, review and bring back to board within 90 days. The LCC will meet again before 90 days for further
discussion and action.
Risk Management Strategy Options for Bayfield County (Solutions)
a. Discussion / Possible Action: Surface Water Options – refer to #8 in packet,
2. UW Extension and LWCD cost-share. South Shore Farm Succession Program is complicated for farmers to go
through, the program launched in March 2015, full-day training for families, meeting individually takes time and
considerable funds, families pay $300, funding to help with consultant fees, eight dairy farm families are in the
program which is at capacity, everyone has gone through training, some families are nearing completion, others
are just starting, unknown how long the current families will take to complete the program, $1000 could either go
to LWCD or to UW Extension to pay a consultant/specialist, rather than families individually, $5000 per year to the county, LWCD increased 2-3 times working with families, funding possibility from Lake Superior/Fish
Creek/Northland College/Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), nothing new for funding, target a project and
then look for funding, give consideration to cost-sharing.
3. Potentially more costly, increase cost-sharing for well abandonments, runoff projects, landowner/LWCD cost-
sharing $50,000, partner with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), grant money from Department
of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), County dollars would need to be attained, cost-share
depending on rate, project, bid, each source provides percentage, 1-2 large barnyard projects per year, if money
were available more farmers would take advantage of this, working on one for this year, with an additional three
interested, significant impact on ground water sediment/phosphorous loading, containment and filtration is the
goal, likely not possible to do more than 1-2 per year with current staffing, with additional money, additional help
would be needed, five-year period option to assist a handful of farms, potentially every farm could benefit from
runoff projects, prioritizing projects is a consideration, not all farmers would be interested, farmers are asked to
maintain projects once complete.
Our Mission: To assist the public in protecting, enhancing, and restoring the natural resources of Bayfield County
4. Animal waste storage, draft of strict storage ordinance for all farms, not just large scale farms, ordinances ask
farms to follow state standards for new building/closing manure pits, average 1 per year closing projects,
ordinance would require farms to close pits that have not been used for at least two years, apply to all farms, not
much greater cost than building/closing, if using DATCP farms must have a nutrient management plan, 26-28
dairy farms in Bayfield County, 10-12 have nutrient management plans, closer look needed, necessary to meet
with farmers to discuss effects, need farmer buy-in, keep costs low and the process simple so that farmers want
to work in accord with the ordinance, general consensus to investigate further, potential spreading restriction to
no spreading in the winter but does not have to include such restriction, average of one pit closure per year, spirit
with which regulation is brought to farmer matters greatly – helping rather than hindering, emphasize farmers’
input on regulation, many unused pits are currently in the County that should be closed, enforcement issue,
average $15,000 for pit closure, unclear on impact of open pits on ground water, could draft ordinance to apply to
newly abandoned pits only.
6. Reduce amount of phosphorous, reduce emission within watershed, adaptive management approach, can have
an increase in phosphorous even when all best practices are followed, theory is to have no-net increase,
calculate and put value on credits to reduce phosphorous loading, cap/trade program, creates incentive to stay
within guidelines, point to non-point trading, South Fish Creek has too much phosphorus, may lead to too much
phosphorus in the Chequamegon Bay leading to algae, then be forced to reduce phosphorous, may be a
cheaper option than expensive filter systems, South Fish Creek is declared ‘impaired,’ does county or DNR put a
voluntary program in place or use incentives, need to better identify sources of phosphorous, urban runoff and
erosion contributes, education gap between experts, farmers and public, increased farm activity in watershed
will increase phosphorous impact, obtain funding for small pilot program to determine feasibility and turning
credits into cash value.
b. Discussion / Possible Action: Ground Water Options – prioritize well abandonments, Health Department
may increase well testing, failing septic systems may impact ground water more than abandoned wells,
falls within Zoning purview, Ashland County does not have the same policies, $5000 from the Large-
Scale Livestock Committee matched from DATCP to close wells, plan to close 15-20 wells in 2016, well
inventory would be useful to prioritize, give priority to farmers with restrictions around abandoned wells,
manure storage also may be a priority.
c. Discussion / Possible Action: Air Quality Options – expanding outreach and cost-sharing, air emissions
are not regulated from farms, voluntary best practices from DNR as a resource for farmers, generally not
an issue for the general public, new operations may cause concerns to neighbors not accustomed to
emissions.
d. Discussion / Possible Action: The Protection of human and animal health from Microbiological
Pathogens Options – incentive programs for farmers to decrease risk, minimize risk of spills/breaks,
policy to restrict use of existing culverts for piping, create policy/guidelines to determine impact on roads,
farmers could work with consultants to determine if manure storage may be a better manure
management system – Determine priorities/plans for next meeting.
9) Discussion / Possible Action: Manure Storage Ordinance Options – discussed in item 8c above
10) Discussion / Possible Action: Farmland Preservation Grant Application – DATCP – Bayfield County
Farmland Preservation Plan is due for updating within the next two years, 50/50 match grant of $24500, for plan
to be meaningful the County would need to designate Agricultural Enterprise Area (AEA) or the County puts in
exclusive agriculture zoning, or else the plan is an exercise in compliance, UW Extension can assist pursuit of
AEA south of White River MOTION: Complete and submit the Farmland Preservation Grant Application.
Bussey/Bichanich – carried.
11) Discussion / Possible Action: Approval of new Landowner Contract for the Fish Creek Bluff Stabilization
Project – cost-share agreement has been simplified, permission/access to project site through property
MOTION: Approval of new Landowner Contract. Bichanich/Bussey – carried.
12) Discussion: Update on NCWMA program funding, staffing, program direction – limited funding has become
available for 2016, working to advertise the open position within the next month.
13) Discussion: Notice of Town of Barnes Road Discontinuances – notice has been given to LCC according to
statute.
14) 2016 Grant Updates: this is the last year for bluff stabilization project; Farmland Preservation Grant is the only
new grant at this time.
15) 2016 Project(s) Update: Engineering review occurred on March 8, Travis Tulowitsky obtained several
approvals.
16) LWCD Staff Reports:
a. Andy Teal, AIS Coordinator – obtained grant through DNR for AIS coordinator, grants for Clean Boats Clean Water
(CBCW), looking to hire interns for CBCW, event with Forest Service invasive species identification days May – October.
b. Arianna Austin, Clerk I – Started on March 7, training and becoming acquainted with the position.
c. Travis Tulowitzky, Conservation Technician – Nutrient management allocated $8,400 this year to work with 1-2 farms,
work with farms in April with Jason Fischbach for required annual updates, North Fish Creek projects bluff stabilization
and run-off/erosion with Great Lakes Commission (GLC) funding, Barksdale asphalt barnyard project in June
d. Ben Dufford, County Conservationist – culvert projects, wetlands projects, AIS grant awarded
17) Other business as authorized by law: presentation of plaque to Marco Bichanich for 12 years of service.
18) Next meeting date: tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 13, 2016.
19) Adjourn: Meeting adjourned at 11:39am.
K:\LCC Meetings\Minutes\2016\03-09-16 Minutes.doc