Land & Water Conservation Committee — Agenda Packet

PORTAGE COUNTY MEETING AGENDA LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE PORTAGE COUNTY ANNEX CONFERENCE ROOMS 1 & 2 1462 STRONGS AVENUE STEVENS POINT, WI 54481 Tuesday, August 11, 2026 6:00 PM REMOTE ATTENDANCE & COMMENT To attend this meeting by telephone : dial 1-872-242-7813 after dialing the number you will then be asked to enter in a meeting number. Use the following meeting number: 183 809 833, then press # To attend this meeting by video: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/231657628580905?p=a2RyoFA38vPI7AQRKC Page 1 of 2 CALL TO ORDER Committee Members enter Per Diem and Mileage CORRESPONDENCE 1. Golden Sands RC&D July AIS Report 2. 2026 NM Regional Meetings — Sep 1 in Wausau 3. North Central Land Water Conservation Area Tour 4. 2025 NOPP Annual Report 5. Educational Outreach Drainage Board Workshops PRESENTATIONS 6. WATER (Well Owner Assistance for Treatment and Economic Recovery) Project Summary of Results— Kunze/Benaszeski 7. Farmer-Led Councils—Arnold, Eron, Hintz, Walsch 8. Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant—Senderhauf REPORTS 9. Special Meeting Attendance Reports (Portage County Ordinance 3.1.47 & 3.1.48) 10. County conservationist update—Arnold 11. Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. Meeting—Eggelston/Arnold PUBLIC NOTICE Members of the public who wish to address the Committee on specific agenda items must register their request at this time, with such comments subject to the public comment ordinance and the reasonable control of the Committee Chair as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 12. Approval of July 14, 2026, Minutes DISCUSSION/POSSIBLE ACTION Page 1 of 19 Land and Water Conservation Committee Meeting Agenda August 11, 2026 Page 2 of 2 13. Disscussion/Possible Action Re: Authorizing resolutions for Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant 14. Discussion/Possible Action RE: Revising Portage County Code of Ordinances Section 3.1.17, Resulting in the Addition of a Citizen Member to the Land and Water Conservation Committee NEXT MEETING DATE Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 6:00pm. ADJOURNMENT Notice: Any person who has special needs and plans on attending this meeting in-person or remotely should contact the Facilities Office at 715-346-1598 as soon as possible to ensure that reasonable accommodations can be made. Notice: Remote comment by the public during the meeting will be at the discretion of the Chair. Notice: A quorum of the Portage County Board of Supervisors, or any committee thereof, may be present at this meeting. Page 2 of 19 V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E T O L E A R N M O R E : G O L D E N S A N D S R C D . O R G P O R T A G E C O U N T Y J u ly A q u a t ic S e r v ic e s H ig h lig h t s 2 0 2 6 Updated Organisams in trade NR40 items for sale distribution lists available in WI. Phone call with statewide AIS Lead Amy Kretlow to discuss and collaborate on AIS surface water grants, waterfowl hunter outreach and Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference involvement. Exotic Pet Surrender events around the state can be found at jraar.org/exoticpetsurrenderevents Monthly AIS updates sent to partners. Lake Helen PI survey was completed and summary sent was sent to the district, WDNR and Portage Co Senderhauf. Summer LTE Brooke Cherek partnered with Portage Co staff to verify a phragmites concern on Adams Lake which was called in from a lake resident. The phragmites was verified as native. Senderhauf also provided Cherek with training on using a YSI temperature and dissolved oxygen meter. Lake Emily reached out to Golden Sands RC&D related to doing EWM weevil work on samples they are collecting. Page 3 of 19 W e l l h e a d P r o t e c t i o n A r e a P r a i r i e T o u r M a n a g e d G r a z i n g T o u r “ T h e C e n t e r o f t h e N o r t h w e s t e r n W o r l d ” G e o g r a p h i c M a r k e r T o u r E P P I C P r o d u c e r - l e d W a t e r s h e d G r o u p F a r m e r M e m b e r H i g h l i g h t s Contact: 715-261-6006 kirstie.heidenreich@marathoncounty.gov A t h e n s , W I R e g i s t r a t i o n O p e n i n g S o o n ! 1 0 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 6 1 0 : 0 0 A M - 3 : 0 0 P M SAVE THE DATE! North CentralArea Tour SAVE THE DATE! North CentralArea Tour 2026 Host County: Marathon Page 4 of 19 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program 2025 Annual Report About the Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) offers a maximum grant award of $50,000 to agricultural producers to conduct 2-year on-farm research projects related to commercial nitrogen fertilizer with 20% of the award directed to the Universities of Wisconsin. This program is state funded, administered by DATCP , and supported by UW–Madison for data interpretation, technical support, and outreach. NOPP works to enhance understanding of and refine methods that optimize commercial nitrogen applications. Page 5 of 19 Supporting Farmer-Led Research to Fine-Tune Nitrogen Management The Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) supports Wisconsin farmers to investigate commercial nitrogen use on their farms, with the goal of protecting water quality, improving nitrogen use efficiency, and enhancing farm profitability across the state. Through credible on-farm nitrogen research and high producer and stakeholder participation, this program aims to identify farmer-driven strategies and data-driven recommendations to optimize nitrogen use and reduce nitrate leaching risk. Nitrogen management varies widely in the state due to differences in soils, crops, management, and weather. Local NOPP trials provide relevant information for producers in each region, support farmer-to-farmer learning and outreach, and strengthen statewide nitrogen management guidelines. By enhancing our understanding of effective strategies to optimize nitrogen management and sharing these results throughout the state, NOPP encourages improved nitrogen management to support farm profitability alongside water quality. 2025 Recap The first round of NOPP funded projects wrapped up in early 2025, and results from the two-year projects were analyzed, reviewed, and shared with researchers, farmers, and partners to ensure well supported conclusions. At the same time, existing projects funded in 2024 entered their second project year while nine new projects were developed, reviewed, and funded to start in spring of 2025. Learn more about NOPP , read project spotlights, and explore results as they become available. Read more about NOPP from UW–Madison Extension and DATCP NOPP Program Reach NOPP fosters research-based learning and resource sharing across different scales and platforms, enhancing the program’s reach. Individual Projects • 77 Farmers • 24 Agronomists • 18 UW–Madison Extension Staff • 8 County Staff • 7 Universities of Wisconsin Faculty Goals • Provide farm-specific nitrogen management insights • Optimize nitrogen use for improved water quality and economic outcomes Community Learning • Producer-Led Watershed Groups • County Staff • Farmers • Agronomists • Ag Professionals • General Public • UW–Madison Extension Sharing Findings Through • Peer-to-Peer Learning and Shared Experiences: field days, workshops, conferences, webinars, meetings • Local promotion and adoption of best management practices Statewide Impact NOPP is a collaborative effort across Wisconsin to improve nutrient management through strengthened nitrogen management guidelines, trusted on-farm data collection, planning tools and resources, and outreach and educational events. Page 6 of 19 NOPP By The Numbers: 2025 In 2025, NOPP supported 27 farmers and 22 collaborating partners to implement 49 on-farm research trials. From 2023 to 2025, a total of 77 producers farming over 111,479 acres have participated in NOPP . 2025 NOPP Project Map Community Engagement 1145 individuals reached 31 events hosted 44 counties reached 2025 projects investigated optimum nitrogen rates for corn grain and silage, as well as specialty crops such as cranberries, potatoes, and sunflowers. 2025 NOPP: 49 Trials While a nitrogen rate trial is the baseline for these projects, most of the trials tested an additional management factor to determine its influence on optimum N rate, yield, and unused nitrogen. Management factors included cover crop termination timing, biological products, manure applications, winter grazing, and other elements selected by producers based on innovative questions on their farms. A single funded project may include multiple trial locations across several participating farms. This collaborative approach allows nitrogen use to be evaluated under a range of management and environmental conditions. NOPP Funding Breakdown Funding Y ear Funding Amount Projects Trials Farmers Collaborators 2023 $1.6M 20 78 49 30 2024 $1M 18 27 26 38 2025 $1M 9 49 27 22 Page 7 of 19 Why Invest In Nitrogen Management Research? Nitrogen (N) is of great agronomic, economic, and environmental concern for Wisconsin farmers. Nitrogen can be a major input cost, as sufficient amounts are required to achieve profitable yields, especially in demanding crops like corn and potatoes. Nitrogen cycling is dynamic, making field to field management difficult as soil biology, abiotic conditions, vegetation, and weather can all influence how nitrogen is transformed from one form to another. Nitrogen is also highly mobile in the soil as nitrate, making it susceptible to leaching into groundwater and posing health risks to drinking water. Beca use of this complexity, nitrogen management can be challenging, as producers aim to apply enough nitrogen fertilizer to achieve viable yields without over-applying at the risk of additional economic loss and water quality harm. Given this challenge, identifying optimum nitrogen rates is one of the most effective strategies to reduce risk to water quality while maintaining economically viable cropping systems. NOPP trials equip participating farmers with data from their own farms to provide insights into their specific fields and growing conditions to better inform their decision making. Updates to University Nitrogen Application Guidelines In 2026, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is releasing updates to the Nutrient Application Guidelines for Field, Vegetable, and Fruit Crops in Wisconsin, Extension publication A2809, which will feature improvements to nitrogen rate guidelines based in part on NOPP data. The publication will continue to be updated as more nitrogen response research is conducted — no longer waiting for major updates each decade. Incorporating new and relevant data is critical, as these guidelines are the foundation for building nutrient management plans on farms across the state every year. Current nitrogen application guidelines are created based on nitrogen response trials conducted throughout the state. NOPP strengthens recommendations through field scale on-farm data that represents real Wisconsin farms, management systems, and growing conditions. Currently, 54 NOPP trials’ data have been added to the database informing N application guideline updates. Evaluating Nitrate Leaching Risk While optimizing nitrogen management is a critical strategy to address nitrate leaching and water quality concerns, how to best evaluate water quality impacts across different nitrogen management practices can be challenging. There are many strategies to evaluate nitrate leaching, each with their own benefits, limitations, and unique case uses. While approaches that directly and continuously monitor nitrate leaching provide robust data on field-level nitrate leaching under specific soil, weather and management conditions, these approaches are intensive, requiring considerable time and funding to implement. Less intensive and lower-cost options, such as resin accumulators, soil nitrate sampling or nitrogen budgeting, provide more accessible “A lot of farmers are open to being better with their nitrogen, so how can we be better with our nitrogen and then help farmers tell their story to the public that we are doing our best? We are trying really hard to mitigate nitrogen losses into our groundwater. We really do care.” – Carl Hahn, Farmer and Agronomist, NOPP participant “I like the way the work feeds into the state recommendations, that multiplier effect is monstrous. These projects give an immediate return to the ag community.” – Tom Novak, Farmer and Independent Crop Consultant, NOPP participant Page 8 of 19 approaches to evaluate nitrate leaching risk. In collaboration with Extension’s Ag Water Quality Program and other researchers and specialists, NOPP is exploring different approaches to evaluating nitrate leaching risk across projects, as well as collaborating to provide a more comprehensive understanding of optimizing N use and water quality implications. “It’s all about good, local data for our area that local farmers can use. I believe that good yield and water quality can both exist and can benefit everyone.” – Dave Tollberg, Independent Agronomist, NOPP participant Across all NOPP trials, water quality risk indicators, such as unused nitrogen fertilizer and partial nitrogen budgets, are calculated to provide simple insights into nitrate leaching risk and the effectiveness of different management strategies. Unused nitrogen fertilizer represents the amount of fertilizer N applied that was not taken up by the crop. While some of this nitrogen may remain in the field as crop residue or soil N, unused fertilizer N is also vulnerable to being lost to groundwater, surface water or the atmosphere. Though this value does not represent how much nitrate is leached, unused fertilizer N is a meaningful and accessible approach to evaluate relative water quality risk across different nitrogen rates or management practices. In addition, NOPP projects have included other approaches, including resin accumulators or post-harvest soil nitrate samples, to enhance understanding of nitrogen dynamics and potential water quality impacts across N rate or management practices. For those interested in additional metrics, the NOPP team, Extension’s Ag Water Quality Program, and other specialists can help determine what measurements or approaches best address questions around water quality impacts, while considering limitations of time, funding and scale. Resin accumulators in a field about to be installed. Corn grain and stalk sampling Learn more about approaches to quantify nitrate leaching and water quality monitoring projects throughout Wisconsin. Connect with Extension’s Ag Water Quality Team to learn more about nitrate leaching risk on your farm: go.wisc.edu/ExtensionAgWaterQuality NOPP Trial Insights Into Optimizing Nitrogen Evaluating crop performance across different nitrogen rates and management practices provides insights into profitability, water quality risk, and opportunities to improve. Some important takeaways from nitrogen response trials include: • How productive soil is without any nitrogen inputs • What nitrogen rate maximizes profits (Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rate, EONR) • What amount of applied nitrogen fertilizer is not taken up by the crop and is susceptible to leaching (Unused Nitrogen Fertilizer) • Overall, how efficiently the system utilized nitrogen Page 9 of 19 At rates above EONR, applying more nitrogen would not only decrease profits but also greatly increase the amount of unused nitrogen fertilizer that could potentially be leached (Figure 1). For individual participants, these results can inform risks of current management practices while identifying where there may be opportunities to better optimize nitrogen. Figure 1. Nitrogen response curve showing yield at each N rate, calculated EONR, and unused nitrogen fertilizer. “Nitrogen optimization is a lot of things that all stack on top of each other – it’s economics, it’s environmental, it’s the confidence that the money you’re investing is well spent.” – Brendon Blank, Farmer, NOPP participant 2025 NOPP Spotlight Stories Dodge County Producer-Led Watershed Group Working to Optimize Nitrogen Use 13 producers from the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water worked together to conduct a total of 24 trials over two years that investigated the optimum N rates for corn in the Rock River Basin (across Dodge, Jefferson, and Rock counties). This group sought locally relevant data to guide their nitrogen rate applications and ensure they were not over-applying N and negatively impacting the groundwater. One farmer noted that for individual participants, “the NOPP trials are of great benefit to figure out what works on my farm in an unbiased way.” By working together to conduct trials across multiple farms, the group increased their confidence in applying closer to optimum N rates. The group is excited to continue seeing N research take place. When reflecting on the experience, participating farmer Brendon Blank had this advice for others conducting on-farm research: “Results may not be what you expect and can lead to more questions, so keep an open mind, and stay humble!” Producer-Led Watershed Groups provide the unique opportunity to share on-farm research results within the local farming community through their meetings, annual workshops, and field days. Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil and Healthy Water field day in 2025. Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soils and Healthy Water is just one of 6 Producer-Led groups that have participated in NOPP . The NOPP team is excited to continue collaborating with DATCP’s producer-led groups that are interested in investigating nitrogen. Learn more about DATCP’s Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants and producer-led groups across the state. go.wisc.edu/PLWGs Nitrogen Timing and Rates in Wisconsin Cranberries In 2025, cranberry projects in Adams, Juneau, Monroe, and Vilas Counties explored optimal N timing and rates for production. Cranberries are a perennial crop, so the nitrogen applications made in one year affect next year’s fruit. Page 10 of 19 Applying too much N – or even any N at the wrong time – will promote vegetative growth over reproductive growth and lead to a denser canopy with more leaves and less fruit. This can cause less light interception, so less color development along with higher humidity and fruit rot. Allison Jonjak, UW- Madison Extension cranberry outreach specialist and NOPP project collaborator shared that, “Growers have had these questions for years, and finally through NOPP got the chance to do the research in a practical, results-oriented way. The grower community is excited to see results coming in and are beginning to adjust their nutrient timing schedules based on these results.” Dharani Suresh Babu, a recent PhD graduate in Jyostna Mura’s lab, sampling for the Salzwedel cranberry NOPP project. Field-Specific Insights for Better Nitrogen Rate Decisions Nitrogen dynamics vary across states and regions, farm-to-farm, field-to-field, and even within a field. Many inherent factors such as soil texture, landscape position, and drainage can all influence soil nitrogen. Because of this, it is important to understand field-specific N dynamics on one farm and how those dynamics may differ between and within farms. Soil cores taken for Tom Novak’s NOPP project fields show the variability in soil color and texture. Tom Novak, farmer and independent crop consultant in Jefferson County, completed a trial investigating the impact soil texture can have on yield and N rates in corn. He found that a fine textured soil was higher yielding in 2023, a drier year, compared to a coarse textured soil, but in 2024, which had a wet spring, the opposite was found. Tom says, “Always pay attention to the weather and make decisions based on it, as fields with varying soil textures have different responses from one year to another.” These results led him to continue to participate in NOPP , expanding this research to other farmers’ fields with the goal of improving nitrogen management across different soil textures and weather. Tryston Beyrer, a farmer and agronomist in Dunn County, is exploring the differences in landscape position on nitrogen rates in corn. Lower landscapes and poor areas of the field are typically avoided by researchers. Left: Tryston Beyrer at a field day describing his NOPP corn plot to other local farmers. Right: Tryston Beyrer and his son digging up corn plants to describe what they are seeing in his field. However, these areas are critical to study considering all farmers deal with “tough spots” which may be the most prone to N losses. Tryston says that, “All agronomy is local, and awareness driven by data is the first step to making improvements.” Trials spark questions and lead farmers to think more about their management and to try out new practices over time. Tryston says, “If you are Page 11 of 19 interested in making better decisions on your farm, then do on-farm research!” New Project Funded in 2025: Exploring Nitrogen Impacts from Legume- Dominated Cover Crops Ever wondered how much nitrogen a legume cover crop can actually provide to the following year’s corn? An effort involving ten farmers across the state who were curious about this question is investigating legume-dominant cover crop(s) and their potential for supplying nitrogen credits to corn and impact on corn yield. These projects are taking place on a variety of soils, systems, and environments across eight counties. By the end of the 2027 growing season, this effort will have provided 20 site- years of valuable data to help farmers in Wisconsin make better-informed N credit decisions on their operations. Farmer Marty Weiss inspecting his legume-dominant cover crop trial. Future NOPP Projects NOPP research is not done alone: collaborations with farmers, agronomists, Extension, county conservationists, Producer-Led Watershed Groups and many others make this work possible. Together we can advance our nitrogen management knowledge and make a difference in the state of Wisconsin. Interested in participating in NOPP? NOPP continues to receive funding and will release the upcoming request for proposals in fall 2026. The upcoming cycle includes new project options that are designed to be less time-intensive for farmers and partners, while still valuable to understand nitrogen use on your farm and potential strategies to improve. Have any questions or ideas? Reach out to the NOPP team to get involved and learn more! NOPP Project T eam Susan Mockert DATCP NOPP Program Manager (608) 224-4648 susan.mockert@wisconsin.gov Monica Schauer UW NOPP Research Director (920) 260-6170 monica.schauer@wisc.edu Megan Bla uwet Nitrogen Management Outreach Specialist (608) 461-9874 megan.blauwet@wisc.edu Abby Augarten On-Farm Research Coordinator aaugarten@wisc.edu Matt Ruark Professor and Extension Specialist mdruark@wisc.edu F or more information, visit go.wisc.edu/NOPP The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law. This information is available in alternative formats and/or languages upon request. Contact us at cropsandsoils@extension.wisc.edu. Services are provided at no cost to you. Page 12 of 19 Grant Project Resolution Note: In order to fill and save this form electronically, it must be opened using Adobe Reader or Acrobat software. Save a copy of the file, open Adobe Reader, select File > Open and browse for the file you saved. State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources dnr.wi.gov Instructions: Each applicant must submit to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) an Authorizing Resolution that is approved by the governing body of the organization and indicates which officers or employees of the organization are authorized to do the following: 1. Sign and submit the grant application 2. Sign the Agreement/Contract between applicant and the DNR 3. Submit required reports to the DNR to satisfy the Agreement/Contract (See Agreement/Contract for Requirement, if any) 4. Submit reimbursement request(s) to the DNR 5. Sign and submit other required documentation that maybe required for your specific project. We strongly recommend that the applicant indicates the authorized person(s) by the title of position in the Authorizing Resolution, rather than by the name of the employee or officer. Employees have been known to retire or change jobs in the middle of a project, and, were this to happen, your resolution would be ineffective if it only lists the employee by name. If your organization requires that a person be named in an Authorizing Resolution, then the resolution should also include the title of position and contact information for the named individual. Note: If applicant is required to submit a draft “intergovernmental agreement (IGA)” along with your agreement, an Authorizing Resolution is not a substitute for an IGA. STANDARD AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION WHEREAS, (applicant) is interested in obtaining a cost- share grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the purpose of (as described in the application); WHEREAS, the respondent attests to the validity and veracity of the statements and representations contained in the application; WHEREAS, an Agreement/Contract is required to carry out the project; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that (applicant) will meet the financial obligations necessary to fully and satisfactorily complete the project and hereby authorizes and empowers the following officials or employees to submit the following documents to the DNR for financial assistance that may be available: Task Title of Authorized Representative Email address and phone number if alternative is used / / / / / BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that respondent will comply with all local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and ordinances relating to this project and the cost-share Agreement/Contract. I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by at a legal meeting Authorized Signature Date NOTE: The Authorized Signature and the Representative should not be the same person, unless minutes of the meeting where the resolution was adopted are attached. Title held on this day of , 20 . Page 13 of 19 PORTAGE COUNTY MEETING MINUTES LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE PORTAGE COUNTY ANNEX CONFERENCE ROOMS 1 & 2 1462 STRONGS AVENUE STEVENS POINT, WI 54481 Tuesday, July 14, 2026 7:00 PM REMOTE ATTENDANCE & COMMENT To attend this meeting by telephone : dial 1-872-242-7813 after dialing the number you will then be asked to enter in a meeting number. Use the following meeting number: 591 235 836, then press # To attend this meeting by video: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/286573960164090?p=vVKIRKop09I1Qm7tVN Page 1 of 2 CALL TO ORDER Committee Members enter Per Diem and Mileage The Land and Water Conservation Committee meeting was called to order at 7:01 P.M. Members Present: Barry Jacowski, Travis Bassett, Nancy Eggleston, Doug Stingle, Bob Gifford Staff Present: Tracy Arnold, Andrew Senderhauf, Scott Allen, William Gau CORRESPONDENCE 1. Golden Sands RC&D May AIS report 2. Golden Sands RC&D June AIS report 3. Agricultural Clean Sweep 2026 4. Natural Climate Solutions Training in Central Wisconsin-Sept 3 5. Portage County Climate Profile-Josh Bendorf, UW Extension, WI State Climatology Office https://climatology.nelson.wisc.edu/portage-county-climate-profile/. PRESENTATIONS 6. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Update-Nick Besasie REPORTS 7. Special Meeting Attendance Reports (Portage County Ordinance 3.1.47 & 3.1.48) A. Lake Helen Protection and Rehabilitation District Meeting-Haney B. Lake Jacqueline Protection and Rehabilitation District Meeting-Omernik C. McDill Pond Inland Lake and Rehabilitation District Meeting-Sowieja D. Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. Meeting-Eggleston/Arnold E. North Central Land & Water Conservation Association Meeting-Bassett/Arnold F. Portage County Drainage District Meeting-Arnold Page 14 of 19 Land and Water Conservation Committee Meeting Minutes July 14, 2026 Page 2 of 2 G. Nutrient Management Farmer Education 2027 grant application-Arnold H. County Conservationist update-Arnold I. June Dairy Month-Warzynski Farm https://www.waow.com/video/warzynski-farm-ad/video_17655fe9-6ec0-5509-adf7- 2ba968e4585d.html PUBLIC NOTICE Members of the public who wish to address the Committee on specific agenda items must register their request at this time, with such comments subject to the public comment ordinance and the reasonable control of the Committee Chair as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order. No members of the public spoke. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 8. Approval of Amended June 2, 2026 Minutes A motion was made by Barry Jacowski, seconded by Travis Bassett, to approve. Motion to approve passed by voice vote, with no negative votes. DISCUSSION/POSSIBLE ACTION 9. Farmland Preservation Plan grant application opportunity—Arnold Discussion on how the county has not met the percentage of land able to be apart the Grant. Comments were made about how the current economy and healthcare restrains farmers from locking land up for such a long time. It is difficult for farmers to tie their land into a grant that will prevent them from selling land if something happens to them on their farms. Farmers wish they could save farmland and put it in a security grant measure to preserve farmland, but that is not the state of the economy. That the land being able to be sold is their only insurance of financial security. No action was taken. 10. Per Diem and standing appointments—Eggleston A motion was made by Barry Jacowski, seconded by Travis Bassett, to move changes to Per Diem and standing appointments to executive and/or any other committees involved in the decision. Motion to approve passed by voice vote, with no negative votes. NEXT MEETING DATE August 11, 2026, time to be determined. The next meeting is August 11, 2026, at 6:00 P.M. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at Meeting adjournmented at 8:21 P.M. Page 15 of 19 Grant Project Resolution Note: In order to fill and save this form electronically, it must be opened using Adobe Reader or Acrobat software. Save a copy of the file, open Adobe Reader, select File > Open and browse for the file you saved. State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources dnr.wi.gov Instructions: Each applicant must submit to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) an Authorizing Resolution that is approved by the governing body of the organization and indicates which officers or employees of the organization are authorized to do the following: 1. Sign and submit the grant application 2. Sign the Agreement/Contract between applicant and the DNR 3. Submit required reports to the DNR to satisfy the Agreement/Contract (See Agreement/Contract for Requirement, if any) 4. Submit reimbursement request(s) to the DNR 5. Sign and submit other required documentation that maybe required for your specific project. We strongly recommend that the applicant indicates the authorized person(s) by the title of position in the Authorizing Resolution, rather than by the name of the employee or officer. Employees have been known to retire or change jobs in the middle of a project, and, were this to happen, your resolution would be ineffective if it only lists the employee by name. If your organization requires that a person be named in an Authorizing Resolution, then the resolution should also include the title of position and contact information for the named individual. Note: If applicant is required to submit a draft “intergovernmental agreement (IGA)” along with your agreement, an Authorizing Resolution is not a substitute for an IGA. STANDARD AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION WHEREAS, (applicant) is interested in obtaining a cost- share grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the purpose of (as described in the application); WHEREAS, the respondent attests to the validity and veracity of the statements and representations contained in the application; WHEREAS, an Agreement/Contract is required to carry out the project; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that (applicant) will meet the financial obligations necessary to fully and satisfactorily complete the project and hereby authorizes and empowers the following officials or employees to submit the following documents to the DNR for financial assistance that may be available: Task Title of Authorized Representative Email address and phone number if alternative is used / / / / / BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that respondent will comply with all local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and ordinances relating to this project and the cost-share Agreement/Contract. I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by at a legal meeting Authorized Signature Date NOTE: The Authorized Signature and the Representative should not be the same person, unless minutes of the meeting where the resolution was adopted are attached. Title held on this day of , 20 . Page 16 of 19 1 RESOLUTION NO. _________ TO: THE HONORABLE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE PORTAGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: RE: REVISING PORTAGE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES SECTION 3.1.17, RESULTING IN THE ADDITION OF A CITIZEN MEMBER TO THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE WHEREAS, Portage County Code of Ordinances Section 3.1.17 addresses the Land and Water Conservation Committee including its membership; and WHEREAS, Ordinance Section 3.1.17 provides for a six-member Land and Water Conservation Committee, yet even-numbered committees can result in a tie with no majority vote on action items; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin Counties Association publications suggest committees have an odd number of members when possible; and WHEREAS, Wis. Stats. § 92.06 sets forth the membership of the Land and Water Conservation Committee and contains authority for additional members; and WHEREAS, the attached revisions to Portage County Code of Ordinances Section 3.1.17 add one citizen member with environmental stewardship interests to the Land and Water Conservation Committee, resulting in the committee having an odd number of members. FISCAL NOTE: This resolution requires no changes or further appropriation to the County’s 2026 adopted budget. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Portage County Board of Supervisors hereby approves, enacts, and ordains the attached revisions to Portage County Code of Ordinances Section 3.1.17. DATED THIS 18th DAY OF AUGUST, 2026. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Date: August 11, 2026 _______________________ _________________________ Nancy Eggleston, Chair Doug Stingle, Vice Chair ________________________ ________________________ Bob Gifford Travis Bassett ________________________ ________________________ Barry Jacowski Tyler Bulgrin Page 17 of 19 2 EXECUTIVE/OPERATIONS COMMITTEE Date: August 4, 2026 _______________________ _________________________ Dax Burroughs, Chair Suzanne Oehlke, First Vice Chair ________________________ ________________________ Nancy Eggleston, Second Vice Chair Scott Soik ________________________ Nathan Sandwick Page 18 of 19 Created: 2026-03-17 08:03:01 [EST] (Supp. No. 8) Page 1 of 1 3.1.17 Land and Water Conservation Committee (Wis. Stats. § 92.06). (1) Seven Six Members. Five County Supervisors and two one citizen members. (a) One County Supervisor from each of the following: Planning and Zoning Committee, Solid Waste Management Board, Park Commission. (b) Two County Supervisors from the Agriculture and Extension Education Committee. (c) One citizen member shall be a person who is engaged in and agricultural use, as defined under Wis. Stats. § 91.01(2)(a)1. to 7. (d) One citizen member with environmental stewardship interests. (2) All members shall be appointed by the Executive/Operations Committee as specified in Portage County Ordinance 3.1(3)(a). (3) Chair to be County Supervisor. (4) Term of two years coinciding with the term of the County Board of Supervisors. (5) To set policy and provide policy guidance and legislative oversight for the activities of the Land and Water Conservation Office and carry out such duties as provided in Wis. Stats. ch. 92. (6) To deal with all matters relating to wind and water erosion and the prevention of water and air pollution including provisions of Wis. Stats. ch. 33. (7) Per Diem: County Supervisors and the citizen member shall be entitled to per diems and mileage. Page 19 of 19