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HomeMy WebLinkAboutUnapproved MINUTES_April 5_2011GRANT COUNTY LAND & WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING March 3, 2011 9:00 a.m. Ag Services Building Lancaster, Wisconsin The meeting was called to order by Chairman Vince Loeffelholz at 9:00 a.m. Present in addition to Chairman Vince Loeffelholz were, Don Splinter, Lester Jantzen, Steve Adrian, Mark Stead, and Marvin Kettler. Others present were, Melissa Bartz, Lynda Schweikert, Annette Lolwing and Patti Jackson Kelly. Grant Loy Absent-Excused. Agenda was posted in the Administrative Building, Ag Service Center Building, County Courthouse, WGLR Radio, and the local newspapers stating the date, time and place of the meeting. Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Lester Jantzen to approve the minutes from the April 5, 2011 meeting. Motion carried. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Marvin Kettler to approve the agenda with Lynda presenting Kevin Lange’s FPP report. Motion carried. Bills: Annette Lolwing Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Marvin Kettler to approve the bills. Motion carried. County Board Chairman Report: John Patcle was not present at this meeting. No report given. County Cost Sharing Requests: Lynda Schweikert Lynda has still not received the DATCP cost share money. No other county in the state has received DATCP cost share money either. Lynda presented an extension request until December 1, 2011 for Irvin Muller, Paris Twp., $734.00 for a grade stabilization structure. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Marvin Kettler to deny his extension request of the $734.00 since he has changed the location of the grade stabilization structure. He will be allowed to reapply for county and DATCP cost sharing funds for his grade stabilization structure that was relocated. Motion carried. Lynda presented an extension request until December 1, 2011, Kartman Farms, Waterloo Twp., grade stabilization structure that was tentatively approved April 6, 2010. They also have $4,200.00 DATCP cost sharing. Project is projected to go in this summer. This project did not get surveyed in 2010. Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Lester Jantzen to extend the project to December 1, 2011. Motion carried. Lynda presented an extension request until June 1, 2011 for Christy Neises rip rap project in Patch Grove Twp., $3,500.00. Project was completed in the winter and was not able to spread frozen spoil. The spoil needs to be spread and seeding needs to be completed in the spring. Motion by Lester Jantzen, seconded by Don Splinter to approve the extension to June 1, 2011 to have the spoil spread and the seeding completed. Motion carried. Lynda presented final approval request for county cost sharing on a well decommissioning for Francis Miesen, Paris Twp., $495.00. Motion by Don Splinter, seconded by Lester Jantzen to approve payment. Roll Call: 6 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent. Motion carried. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing on a well decommissioning for Steven Mumm, Beetown Twp., $500.00. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Don Splinter to approve the well decommissioning request. Motion carried. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing on a grassed waterway for Bussan Trust, Platteville Twp., $1,050.00. Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Don Splinter to approve the waterway request. Motion carried. Lynda presented tentative approval request for county cost sharing on a grassed lined waterway repair for Fred & Linda Borsdorf, Ellenboro Twp., $700.00 and $1,300.00 for DATCP cost sharing pending the dispersal of the DATCP funds to the LWCD. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Mark Stead to approve the waterway repair request contingent upon receiving DATCP funds prior to the May LWCC meeting. Motion carried. 2012 Joint DATCP/DNR Nonpoint Source Grant Application: Lynda Schweikert Lynda presented the annual 2012 Joint DATCP/DNR nonpoint source grant application that she completes every year for staff and support and cost sharing. The DATCP cost share money that Lynda is waiting for now was requested last year, 2010. The funding follows the 100% for the 1st staff person, then the 2nd staff member should be funded at 70%, and all subsequent staff members funded at 50%. With the lack of funds; the 1st person is being funded at 100% and the 2nd person is being funded a portion of the 70%. If we request the full amount it would be $199,663 for staff and support. Lynda is requesting $150,000 for cost sharing. NMP funding has been changed to placing a bid as to how many acres we can do and how much money we think that we will need. Lynda took the FPP spot check list for Farmland Preservation; which all the cropland acres are eligible for cost sharing, took those acres and multiplied by $28.00 per acre totaling $420,000. Motion by Lester Jantzen, seconded by Mark Stead to approve Lynda to apply for the total grant application request of $769,663. Motion carried. Land and Water Conservation Department Report: Lynda Schweikert Lynda reported that the Fennimore Butcher Shop never returned documentation for the Deer Donation Program. The check was voided and they will not be asked to participate in the Deer Donation Program in 2012. Lynda checked to see if the Annual Report could be done cheaper. Lynda contacted Kevin Kelly, business manager, with the Herald Independent. Kevin is willing to work with us to try and have it published cheaper. The cost of the publishing of the Annual Report in 2011 was $3,354.00. To publish it cheaper we could reduce the pages from 12 down to 8, and not to use color. Lynda called the Shopping News for a quote, 3 weeks later Lynda called them again. They did quote a price of $3,724.00. Susan Butler emailed Lynda and commented that the CRP article was very well done. Patti Jackson Kelly also sent Lynda an email stating that we had done a good job with the annual report. After all the information was presented, Vince still wanted to hear from Kevin Kelly at a future meeting. Lynda said that she would invite him close to the publication of the next Annual Report. Lynda reported that she had an email from a teacher to thank her for the resource & educational links on our website and had a student suggest an additional forestry site to add. Lynda added that forestry site to our website. Lynda reported that Amber Ragatz and Gretchen Kamps from the Discovery Farms & UW Platteville volunteered to help calibrate 6 manure spreaders for the farmer written NMP class. Lynda attended a meeting of the Southwest WI Invasive Species Team. It is an 8 county consortium developed to slow the spread of invasive species in SW WI. There were around 30 individuals that attended the meeting. Lynda is on the information/education committee. Lynda and Marlene went to the Rural Landowner day. Lynda spoke on the changes in the FPP, along with Terry Loeffelholz and Todd Johnson that had an FPP display. Marlene set up a display on the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). There was a $10.00 registration fee. There were 35-40 people that attended and really wanted information. Lynda, Peggy Compton, the UW Extension Basin Educator, and Lisa Trumble, County Conservationist of Lafayette County sponsored an NR40 training. This was another invasive species training for right of way managers; township boards, and highway departments which was held in Belmont on March 29, 2011. A very good informational training with around 40 people that attended. Lynda reported that Kevin and herself completed 3 in office NMP in the past month. Lynda reported that in 2009 the Land Information Records applied for a grant for a LiDar Mapping (Light Detection and Ranging) computer program. They were not approved for the grant in 2009. This is where a plane flies over and bounces a laser off the ground every 3 meters. In the end, you get an actual contour map. In 2010 Richland and Iowa Counties got approved. John Anderson with the Land Records emailed Lynda stating that Grant County got approved for $450,000 in 2011. The usefulness will be helpful in the surveying and wetland aspects. Craig Surman will be the individual that will install the program on our computers and provide us with training. Lynda attended the Technical Update and Civil 3D training in Richland Center, Kevin and herself attended a Resources Refresher Course in Richland Center, and Al attended a Manure Regulations Update in Belmont with a $5.00 registration fee. FPP Report: Lynda Schweikert Lynda presented 1 cancellation of Notice of NonCompliance for Eugene Kite, Wingville Twp. who failed to self certify in 2008. He has now self certified that he is in compliance. Motion by Steve Adrian, seconded by Marvin Kettler to approve the cancellation of NonCompliance. Motion carried. Lynda mentioned that herself and Kevin have been receiving many phone calls from tax preparers regarding the new rules for the Working Lands Initiative. Lynda mentioned that it is that time of year that Kevin is out marking contour strips. NRCS Report: Melissa Bartz Melissa introduced Patti Jackson-Kelly and had a round table introduction of the LWCC members. Patti is just visiting the Land Conservation Committee meetings. Melissa reported that they are finishing up on EQIP and are on their first round of funding. The state has asked for more money, just waiting to see if we get anymore. There were 24 applications that were funded, totaling a little more than $409,000. Had 1 fish habitat project that was over $100,000. Melissa reported that they are going through the CSP applications. Had 12 applications that went through the process and had 6 that were preapproved. Will be making field visits with those landowners in April. Had a few organic EQIP applications. The deadline for the organic sign up with a dollar amount ended on April 4, 2011. Melissa mentioned the budget, and the possibility of a government shutdown. NRCS will be operating on a continuing resolution until April 8, 2011. Melissa helped out at the Wings Over Wisconsin seed day for wildlife food plots. Over 150 people showed up and distributed enough seed for over 800 acres to be planted to food plots. It was a good chance to educate and answer questions for individuals on the food plots and the maintenance of the CRP. Melissa showed up as a volunteer, along with Steve Bertjens from RC&D. Melissa will be going to Iowa Grant School to help the grade school kids’ plant trees. Melissa will be assisting the UW-Platteville with their annual land judging contest towards the end of the month. She will help evaluate the soil pits and to help out at the contest. FSA Report: Jon Lantz Jon Lantz is working with Jared Reuter at the FSA office. Jon Lantz lives in Pierce County and has worked in St. Croix and Dunn County in the last year. He is what they call a COT, (County Operations Trainee). John also owns and operates a dairy farm. There are 3 hot topics: 1. So far they have 30 CRP offers, with 750 acres ranging from 80.00 to 190.00 per acre for rental rates. There are options that landowners have to be more competitive; lower their rental rate, the choices of the different cover crops that will be established. This will all play a factor in the EBI (environmental benefit index) score. There will be approximately 600 acres, and approximately 115 contracts that will be expiring September 30, 2011. CRP sign up ends April 15, 2011. 2. DCP ends June 1, 2001. Usually have around 2,800 farms that sign up and so far they have around 1,400 farms signed up. 3. The SURE program for 2009 is a disaster program in Grant County. Grant County was designated a disaster from the hail storms. So far they have approximately 60 contracts right now. A little less than half have been paid out. The other half were either not eligible for payments or have just not come in. July 29th is the deadline to sign up for SURE. Jon Lantz has been here for 5 weeks and his last day will be April 8, 2011. Jon mentioned that he has felt very comfortable and has learned a lot here in Grant County. Call for Agenda Items for Next Months Meeting Other Business Motion by Mark Stead, seconded by Lester Jantzen to adjourn until May 3, 2011. Motion carried. Respectfully Submitted by Annette Lolwing for Grant Loy