Meeting called to order by Chairman Wiese at 9:00 a.m. It was certified that the requirements of the open meeting law have been met. Present were Wiese, Bernien, Lehman and Cassity from the Committee; Stearns-DNR; Hanusa-FSA; Peterson-WDS; Roger Shanks-Wisconsin Conservation Congress; Van Berkel and Pohle-LCD. Zowin and Craker were absent.
Adopt Agenda: Motion by Cassity/Bernien to adopt the agenda. Motion carried, all in favor.
Adopt Minutes of Previous Meeting: Motion by Bernien/Cassity to adopt the minutes of the previous meeting. Motion carried, all in favor.
Appearances: There were none.
Training events: Motion by Cassity/Bernien to approve the list of training events. Motion carried, all in favor.
Bills: Bill summaries were distributed to the Committee members. Motion by Bernien/Cassity to approve bills in the amount of $24,427.68. Motion carried, all in favor.
Correspondence: Van Berkel distributed copies of the latest Thursday Notes.
Reports: Hanusa reported that FSA has not received any word on which CRP bids were accepted but they expected to hear soon. She also reported that they took crop reports from most farms in Sauk County and that those reports are also used by the LCC to monitor compliance with FPP. Lehman expressed concern about the designation of disaster counties for various programs.
Stearns reported that the state DNR nurseries will be collecting seeds again this fall. He informed the LCC that the Managed Forest Law Program (MFL) season is winding down. In 2004 approximately 100 landowners in Sauk County enrolled in the program for approximately 5,600 acres. Currently 14 percent of all the forested acres in Sauk County are under MFL contract. Large participation is expected next year. Control efforts for gypsy moth were successfully completed this summer. There were no new outbreaks reported in Sauk County; however, Juneau and Adams reported several outbreaks. Due to the weather conditions over the past summer (wet spring and early summer followed by drought-like conditions) there have been many reports of dead and dying trees. Fairly large outbreaks of Oak Wilt, Dutch elm disease, and anthracnose have been reported across the County. In addition, drought related stress on trees has resulted in earlier than normal leaves dropping from trees.
Consider Need for Deer Feeding Ban in County: Roger Shanks appeared to represent the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. He stressed the importance of deer hunting as a major stimulus for Sauk County's economy. Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD is a serious threat to this resource, and baiting and feeding is seen as a probable transmission source for the disease. Motion made by Lehman/Cassity to ban deer feeding in Sauk County. Committee discussed the present status of the statewide ban. Lehman/Cassity agreed to withdraw the motion. Motion by Lehman/Wiese to support the statewide ban on the baiting and feeding of deer and that the resolution be forwarded to legislators representing Sauk County and to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Motion passed, all in favor. Van Berkel will prepare a resolution for next week's August meeting of the County Board. Lehman requested that if the State does not take the necessary action, the Committee consider an ordinance at a future meeting.
Discuss Participation in 2003 Venison Donation Program: Peterson informed the Committee that Grauvogl's and Prem's would possibly be willing to process deer for the donation program this year. DNR has decided that deer from the herd reduction zone would be eligible for donation. The donation program will not likely survive beyond 2003 because there will be no funds available. Legislature took $3 million from the account to deal with the CWD costs so the future proration of damage payments may be likely. Motion by Lehman/Wiese that Sauk County will not participate in the 2003 Venison Donation Program. Motion carried, all in favor.
Discussion of Use and Disposal of Buildings Purchased Through Dam Rehabilitation Project: Van Berkel and Koenig have inspected the buildings purchased to address the dam break concerns at the former Nachreiner location. They felt the house and outbuildings would have no salvage value but that the shop and the barn would potentially have some value for disassembly and reuse. Committee directed Van Berkel to advertise for the salvage of these two buildings and attempt to recover some cost and recycle the materials.
Update on DNR Easement Offer on Highway 23 Parcel: Van Berkel updated the Committee on some proposed modifications to the original easement proposal offered to Nachreiner on this streambank. The DNR will consider both the easement and possibly even the purchase of parts of the parcel to protect fisheries, provide fishing access and to potentially provide a parking area for users. They will develop a proposal for the Committee and the full County Board to review and consider at a future meeting. The LCC agreed with the proposed scenario noting the lack of fishing opportunities and access in this area.
Approval of 2004 Land Conservation Budget Request: Van Berkel presented an overview of the budget submitted for the Department for 2004. The proposal makes various cuts and initiates a considerable number of new fees to meet the guidelines. The total levy request is $370,418, up $14,812 or 4.17 percent. This total increase is less than the $22,673 in benefit increases alone. The guidelines were achieved by eliminating all outlay requests, dropping one summer staff, eliminating the well decommissioning cost sharing, reducing operating costs, and establishing fees for participation in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and the Farmland Preservation Program. Fees for subdivision review and animal waste storage permits were also increased. Motion by Bernien/Cassity to approve the budget as presented. Motion carried, all in favor.
Motion to adjourn until September 10, 2003, at 9:00 a.m. by Bernien/Cassity at 11:10 a.m. Motion carried, all in favor.
Respectfully submitted: Kathy Zowin, Secretary