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Home My WebLink AboutAquatic Invasive Species Committee - Minutes - 5/24/2023MINUTES May 24th, 2023 (to be approved) Present: Nan Olson-Chair; Sally Pease-Vice Chair & Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Association; John Rautio-County Board Supervisor; Karen Austin-Landing Coordinator for Pike Chain of Lakes and Lake Delta; Andrew Teal-AIS Coordinator/Surface Water Conservation Technician; & Melissa Kraft- LWCD Assistant Absent: Ramona Shackleford-Northwoods Cooperative Weed Management Area Coordinator; Mike Higgins- Town of Iron River-Pike Chain of Lakes Association Board; Larry Fickbohm-County Board Supervisor; Ben Dufford-Director of Land & Water Conservation Dept.; Alex Selle-Lake Superior AIS Coordinator w/ DNR; Jacob Coe-Environmental Technician with the Red Cliff Treaty Natural Resources Division Call meeting to Order: Nan Olson noted that there was no quorum present, therefore the meeting will be information only, no motions will be made. 9:00am Introductions: Introductions. Public Comment: None. Approval of Minutes from 02-15-2023- No quorum- approval of meeting minutes will be added to the August meeting agenda. Grant Updates: LMPN/AIS#8 – Received usual allotment of $20,090.27 from the WDNR; most of that funding has been used and the wages portion has been shifted to county funding for the remainder of 2023. Other line items from the grant can still be used, though. Clean Boats Clean Waters-Iron River – Grant approved for $20,000. John Coffey will process payroll as last year. Karen noted that he will be doing payroll for Pike Chain as well but will be charging Long Lake Property Owners Association for worker’s compensation insurance and that they will have that expense. Karen contacted the Iron River Police Department last September to make an incident report regarding a letter that was found at the Buskey Bay- Town Landing utility room. It is unknown who left the note, but it contained negative and vaguely threatening comments about the CBCW work on the lake and the people who participate in and run the CBCW program. It also contained numerous grammatical errors and evidence that the writer was misinformed (the writer seemed to believe that Iron River businesses started the CBCW program, but at no point have businesses ever been involved in CBCW). Karen followed up this year with the Iron River police department to ensure that the incident report was on file (which it apparently had not), so she made sure the incident report was on the record. She also discussed the situation with one of the Iron River officers who offered to make the landing one of his patrol focuses when he is on duty. Karen also discussed it with a couple who reside next to the landing, and because this couple knows the staff and CBCW shirts, they will report anyone that appears to be an unauthorized person accessing CBCW materials. Nan would like a thank you letter written to John Coffey for his work on the 2022 CBCW payroll. Andy will send it out. Melissa will email John our 2023 calendar for the AP schedule for reimbursements. Discussion regarding Healthy Lakes and shoreline protection/restoration projects: Currently working with Jay Johnson, Iron River Pike Chain of Lakes Association President, as he and another landowner are pursuing projects funded under Healthy Lakes grants for 2024 and will submit applications before this year’s deadline date. They are aiming for native plantings and hope to get some more landowners signed up. Andy passed around some Geogrid Lift Sequence photos and showed an example of a Critical Area Planting project that we have been working on at Pickerel Lake in Barnes. Many thanks to Travis Tulowitzky and Stacy Dehne for all their guidance! AIS Coordinator Report: Andy Teal discussed his report in detail, which is on file. Some highlights he noted were as follows: a project which began last year on Upper Eau Claire Lake is in phase 2 and is planned for completion this year. It includes geotextile bags and plantings in addition to rock riprap. Completion of the geotextile bag installation would be the focus for this year. Another project is proposed for Pickerel Lake, involving geogrid lifts, plantings, and sediment log installation. Travis Tulowitzky and Stacy Dehne helped work on the project. Currently working with landowners interested in pursuing projects funded under Healthy Lakes grants for 2024 and those lake associations will submit applications before this year’s deadline date. Attended the annual WI Lakes & Rivers Convention and participated in the in-class and field portions of the Barnes/Drummond Lake Ecology Education Program (LEEP) at Tomahawk Lake. The fall LEEP field day will be on Bony Lake in Barnes. Led a purple loosestrife digging and potting event for the Town of Barnes as part of a biocontrol project, so they can later raise and release beetles that only eat purple loosestrife. Andy will send pictures to the group. Held a Clean Boats Clean Waters training in Barnes on May 20th, which included aquatic plant ID for volunteers using the Diver Assisted Suction Harvester boat. Attended a technician meeting with Ben and Travis. Also, Andy went on some site visits with Travis for some upcoming projects for 2023. Brief discussion on some lake monitoring for Lake Namakagon that multiple partners will be working on and the planned early detection monitoring on four lakes in Iron River, provided access points are constructed. Discussion on parking issues at landings and the need for speed control. Karen also mentioned that Bayfield County Forestry is planning a 1500 square foot expansion of parking spaces near Twin Bear Campground and boat launch. Partner/Department Reports: Sally Pease- Sally will put in some hours at Robinson Lake but not as many as last year. The water on Island Lake is very high. Karen mentioned the loons have issues with nesting due to high water and Sally noted a loon nesting platform is needed. Plans to do the curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) first and will work on Tomahawk Lake’s shoreline with curtains and herbicide treatment, and then do hand pulling if needed. Andy noted he will help use the Diver Assisted Suction Harvester Boat against CLP on Lower Eau Claire for one or two days and help monitor for CLP as well. Hidden Graphics can print CBCW t-shirts. Sally also offered Karen one of the CBCW logo magnets Barnes ordered. John Rautio- Parking on Twin Bear discussion. Nan Olson- Long Lake has more volunteers this year than last year. Karen Austin- Discussed some new seasonal residents that will volunteer to check on landing, along with two new residents next to the Buskey Bay-Town Landing that will keep an eye on it. Future AIS/Surface Water Activities: • Town of Barnes CBCW and Shoreline Monitoring training, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., May 20 at Barnes Town Hall, 3360 County Highway N, Barnes • Diamond Lake CLMN/AIS monitoring training at 10 a.m. on June 9 • Drain Campaign, statewide, June 2-4, towels will be handed to anglers only (1 per boat) • Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference, June 23, 8am-3:45pm, Spooner High School • Aquatic Plant ID training, Kemp Station in Lake Tomahawk, June 27-29 (pick one day) • Great Lakes Landing Blitz, regionwide, June 30-July 9 and stickers to be handed out to all boaters (1/boat). Should be shipping soon. Andy ordered roughly the same number as the towels from previous years. • Invasive Species ID Days at David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, 1-4 p.m. on June 30, July 28 (this date is a broader statewide effort), August 25, & September 29 (Sally will do the September date for the Lake Ecology Education Program (LEEP)). • Northwoods CWMA Alternatives to Invasive Plant Management workshop and field trips, July 20, at David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center • AIS Snapshot Day, Saturday, August 19th, statewide Sally asked Andy to send her more information on registration and times for the Aquatic Plant ID training being held at Kemp Station in Lake Tomahawk, June 27-29 dates. Karen asked about getting in-kind grant match for the volunteer hours at Twin Bear when using the pressure washer. Andy said he will get her the information that he received from Erin McFarlane and Sarah Fanning. Adjournment: Meeting ended at 10:06 am Future meeting date(s) for regular AIS Committee meeting: • Aug 16th, 2023 at 9AM in the EOC • Nov 15th, 2023 at 9AM in the EOC • Respectfully submitted by Melissa Kraft