Land Conservation and Agriculture Committee (LCAC) members present: Hoyt Strandberg,
Jerrold Schmidt, Mike Kunes, Ron Carney, Tom Clark
Others present: DeWayne Snobl – USDA-Wildlife Services, Derek Husmoen – USDA-Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Chris Hamerla – Golden Sands Resource Conservation and
Development Council, Mike Goehring and Gaylord Olson ll – Land Conservation Department,
Jeff Polzin – citizen
The Land Conservation and Agriculture Committee meeting was called to order by Chair Ron
Carney at 1:00 pm.
Kunes, Strandberg motion to approve the March 23, 2023 LCAC monthly meeting minutes.
Motion carried.
The next LCAC monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 9:00 am.
Wildlife Damage Claims and Abatement Program – DeWayne Snobl
Bears have been active looking for food at residences after hibernation resulting in calls to
Wildlife Services employees from homeowners and landowners.
Food plots and diversion crops for elk consumption are scheduled to be planted again this year
in the Town of Knapp.
Chris Hamerla – Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for the Golden Sands Resource
Conservation and Development Council presented information to the LCAC on potential uses of
the WI-DNR Lake Monitoring and Protection Network funding program. Golden Sands RC&D
could be contracted to be the designated agency on an annual basis to provide various
educational services related to aquatic invasive species for Jackson County. Golden Sands RC&D
has provided this service for several counties in central Wisconsin. The grant would be
managed and utilized by Golden Sands RC&D, work activities would be agreed to by both
parties and monthly and annual reports would be provided to the County. A copy of the
contract and annual reports from other counties will be provided to the County for review. A
decision on grant utilization would need to be made prior to September. The LCAC will further
discuss this topic at an upcoming meeting.
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service – Derek Husmoen
Eleven applications for the EQIP have been approved. Conservation Stewardship Applications
are being taken. Cover crop progress checks are being performed along with providing seeding
recommendations for Conservation Reserve Program fields. A second EQIP sign-up available
through May 19, 2023. The USDA-NRCS Local Work Group meeting is scheduled for virtual
attendance on June 7, 2023.
Land Conservation Department – Gaylord Olson ll
Schmidt, Kunes motion to approve the County Conservation Cost-Share Program applications
for J.K. Powell Revocable Trust, Wollberg, Haag and Spors 54 LLC. Motion carried.
A letter was sent by the Land Conservation Department to most of the Town Board Chairs and
Town Clerks in Jackson County requesting any information or concerns that they may have
regarding potential bridge and culvert replacement. The letter explains that Trout Unlimited is
hiring two seasonal technicians to review and assess culverts and bridges regarding fish passage
restrictions in western Wisconsin counties. The information will be relayed to the Trout
Unlimited inventory technicians. Jackson County is one of the counties scheduled to be
inventoried, possibly in 2023.
Recent changes to the USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service standards regarding
streambank stabilization have created significant delays and challenges to designing the best
management practice and their design approval. USDA-NRCS has removed engineering
approval authority for the streambank stabilization best management practice for staff due to
the standard change. The Land Conservation Department (LCD) has talked and met with the
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection engineering staff to
assist with the background analysis and modeling required. It appears that they may not be
able to help. Also, WI-DNR staff have talked to Jackson County LCD and Zoning Department
staff about possible additional design analysis and modeling requirements depending if the
projects are in the floodplain. The Jackson County staff requested additional conversations with
DNR regarding their interpretations about these analysis and modeling much of which may
require private engineering companies to perform which will take more time and cost more
money. Another recent development is that designed and approved best management
practices have required additional DNR staff reviews due potential endangered species in
proximity to the project site. One of those endangered species reviews has not been completed
yet, taking over a year.
The result of the policies and procedures is that streambank and shoreline stabilization project
work that the Land Conservation Department had been successfully implementing for over 30
years have been stopped. Landowners that were anticipating work to be done on their
properties are now waiting for the LCD to determine if their projects will be possible at all. The
existing funding specifically allocated for the landowner’s work is not being utilized and the
erosion at the sites continues to occur. The LCD has learned that there are other counties
encountering the same difficulties. The LCD staff will continue to keep the Land Conservation
and Agriculture Committee apprised while providing potential resolution options to pursue.
Strandberg, Clark motion to approve the bills. Motion carried.
Strandberg, Clark motion to adjourn. Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 2:35 pm.
Minutes submitted by Gaylord E. Olson ll, County Conservationist
The next Jackson County Land and Conservation and Agriculture Committee Meeting will be held on 9:00 AM, Thursday, May 18, 2023.
No responses yet