Land Conservation

Land Conservation Committee December 3, 2024 County-USDA Service Center Meeting Room 2, Medford Call Meeting to Order: Tim Hansen called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Members Present: Tim Hansen, Joe Tomandl, Catherine Lemke, Karen Cummings Members Absent: Sara Matyka Other Attendees: Brent Tessmer, County Conservationist; Klayton Kree, Engineering Technician; Pamela Holz, Conservation Assistant; Jenevieve Hartung, USDA-APHIS; Liz Usborne, DNR Approve Minutes: Tomandl moved to approve the minutes of the October 1, 2024 meeting; Seconded by Lemke. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Lemke moved to approve the agenda with 12 items; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Review and approve 9/24/24 to 11/22/24 bills and September -October 2024 budget analysis. Tomandl moved to approve the bills; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. Reports: Wildlife Damage Program – Hartung requested and received signature for the one claim she presented. Upon inquiry, she provided further details regarding the resulting bear management. Golden Sands RC&D – Tomandl noted each LCC member received a copy of the latest meeting minutes. He highlighted the recent Harpers Lake survey, reporting rather few invasives which were managed upon discovery. He added the lake’s landowners meeting had roughly 80 people in attendance, demonstrating a high interest in lake protection. Tessmer added the agency had submitted and expected to receive a DNR grant for aquatic invasives and, after a recent review, was on sound financial footing. Natural Resource Conservation Service – No report received. Farm Service Agency – Written reports from the previous two months were provided. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Representative – Tessmer informed the LCC there was no current update except the next area meeting was January 24 in Shell Lake. Discuss/Take Action on request for Brost manure permit wetland setback variance – Tessmer began by reviewing Taylor County’s stricter ordinance in comparison to state and federal standards. He then provided details on this specific request, answering the committee’s inquiries as needed. The staff and LCC weighed the financial hardship to the farm with the potential threat to the wetland and the quality of the wetland itself. Given the construction specifications, it was determined sufficient precautions would be taken for the requested variance. Cummings motioned to approve the variance; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Discuss/Take Action on election for three representatives to WI Land & Water Board: The LCC submitted their votes to Tessmer to relay to WI Land & Water. Discuss/Take Action on installing GPS in LCD truck: The LCC discussed the factors involved in installing a GPS unit in the agency’s truck, including taxpayer cost, staff safety, current staff usage and procedure, and accountability. The Committee requested more information before taking action and directed staff to cultivate recordkeeping that corresponded to the issues at hand. The discussion was then tabled until the April 2025 meeting. Discuss/Take Action on replacing tires on LCD truck: Tessmer reported on the need to replace the truck’s tires and listed an approximate cost. Committee members recommended Tessmer shop around for the best deal. Lemke moved to replace the tires; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. LCD Staffing and program update: Klayton Kree: Kree reviewed the programs and projects he had been working on over the last two months. Kree reported assisting at two school field trips to school forests. He had assisted through the entire procedure of a manure closing, inspected a grass waterway for vegetative growth development, and was working on a permanent watering facility. He had met with several landowners regarding various projects, including a cattle project, rain garden, and a wetland scrape with Stacy from DATCP. He had also performed several zoning inspections on behalf of that department. Recent trainings included POWTS webinars needed to maintain his license and fire extinguisher and CPR through the county. Brent Tessmer : Tessmer reported on his regular projects. Nutrient Management Planning: January classes were scheduled for providers; this year’s acreage was approximately the same as last year’s; and he was currently working with farmers on 2025 plans. Cover Crops: the LCD had reached its maximum allowed for cost-sharing cover crops despite increasing interest. However, the following year the cap would be eliminated and more funds could be dedicated to this practice. No-till drills: the two drills were used on 814 acres, about average, and had been stored for the winter. Stream sampling: Tessmer was still waiting on phosphorus results for his October sampling, last of the year. He provided the metal results from the Yellow River watershed area, noting the readings were as expected and were providing baseline data due to the potential location of a mine in the vicinity. Invasives: Tessmer had removed honeysuckle from a property on Rustic Road. County Waste Ordinance: two manure waste plans were being reviewed with another one anticipated next year. A dairy transfer system permit was also given. Pamela Holz: Holz provided summaries of the Drinking Water Testing Program. Of the 103 wells tested, 19 had positive bacteria tests (2 with e-coli), 2 high nitrate tests, 4 high arsenic tests, and 6 high manganese tests. They had re -sampled six of the bacteria positive wells, with three returning negative counts. Holz provided the budget for the program, summarizing the net cost to the county was $4633. Holz updated the LCC on the progress of the annual Tree Sale, noting that two species were already 50% s old. Holz reported on her attendance to a groundwater quantity conference and outreach committee meetings. She had a positive experience at the Grazing retreat and had also had recent training in bloodborne pathogens and fire extinguisher use, with CPR renewal upcoming. She reported on end of year and beginning of new year duties. She also reorganized the office entry space, updating LCD services flyers and organized and inventoried the VRA building storage space. Future Meetings and Events: Next LCC Meeting, Tuesday, February 4; 9:00 a.m. Golden Sands RC&D, Wisconsin Rapids, Thursday, January 16; 10:15 a.m. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Shell Lake, Friday, January 24 WI Land & Water Conference; KI Convention Center, Green Bay, March 5 -7, 2025 Motion by Lemke, seconded by Cummings, to adjourn at 10:03 a.m. Motion carried. Land Conservation Committee October 1, 2024 County-USDA Service Center Meeting Room 2, Medford Call Meeting to Order: Tim Hansen called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Members Present: Tim Hansen, Joe Tomandl, Catherine Lemke, Karen Cummings, Sara Matyka Members Absent: None Other Attendees: Brent Tessmer, County Conservationist; Klayton Kree, Engineering Technician; Pamela Holz, Conservation Assistant; Nick Besasie, NRCS; Beth Points, NRCS; Jenevieve Hartung, USDA-APHIS; Liz Usborne, DNR Approve Minutes: Lemke moved to approve the minutes of the August 6, 2024, meeting; Seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Cummings moved to approve the agenda with 11 items; seconded by Lemke. Motion carried. Review and approve 7/27/24 to 9/23/24 bills and July -August 2024 budget analysis. Lemke moved to approve the bills; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Reports: Wildlife Damage Program – Hartung reported having roughly 17 enrollees, primarily apiaries and corn/soybeans. Golden Sands RC&D – Tomandl reported on the last meeting with the RC&D which he and Tessmer had attended at Mead State Wildlife Area. A rough draft of the minutes was passed out at the meeting. Tomandl added programs were slowing down, per usual, after Labor Day. Reports were given from different counties and they had toured the marsh. Tessmer added the RC&D had received $500,000 for 3 full time grazing planners and gave highlights on AIS lake and river survey reports (also included). Natural Resource Conservation Service – Besasie reported on new NRCS staff, including introducing Points as a floating Resource Conservationist for the region. He added Points would primarily be based in Taylor County due to the current high load of projects in the area. Besasie informed the committee Taylor County was in the top busiest region in the state, in every metric, with 46 projects totaling over $1 million. Besasie notified the LCC of a necessary upcoming MOA between the LCC and NRCS. He also reminded the Committee of the current state of the Farm Bill. Farm Service Agency – Matyka provided highlights from the written report, including filling the current staff shortage and the effects on producers as a result of the spring/summer rains. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Representative – Tessmer reported on the recent meeting, which included nominating Terry White of Douglas County for the upcoming WI Land & Water Board elections. The meeting also included a presentation from the DNR regarding standards and how the DNR and LCDs can work together as well as the usual roundtable updates from each county. Discuss/Approve Wildlife Damage Program 2024 crop prices and damage assessment deadline – Hartung recommended $3.77 per bushel of corn and $10.53 for per bushel of soybeans. Lemke moved to approve the recommended crop prices; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Hartung recommended a deadline of December 1 for damage assessment. Tomandl motioned to approve the deadline; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. Discuss/Approve 2025 Wildlife Damage Program: Hartung and Tessmer presented the budget, noting the funds primarily run through the agency with a small administrative fee for the LCD. Lemke move to approve the budget; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. Discuss/Approve 2025 participation in the Wisconsin Deer Donation Program: Hartung reported currently no lockers in Taylor County are participating. Tessmer reported roughly 8 to 10 deer were donated to the program in the county the previous year. Lemke motioned to approve participation in the program; Tomandl seconded. Motion carried. LCD Staffing and program update: Brent Tessmer: Tessmer reported he will be meeting with 4 other local counties on October 25 to plan upcoming NMP education classes, of which one is expected to occur in Medford, per usual. Tessmer informed the LCC of his training on DATCP’s update on SNAP+ and the expectation it will be transitioned to a web -based platform for 2026. In response to Matyka’s inquiries regarding concern over producers’ awareness and training level regarding the new system, Tessmer added he would prepare for that eventuality. On the invasive species front, Tessmer reported spraying 18 sites of Japanese Knotweed, 4 of which were new resulting from changeover in landowners. Tessmer gave a brief summary of his stream sampling with the next one planned for the following week, which would include a metals test on the Yellow River. He reported the No -Till Drill was used on 785 acres this year and was currently still in use. He has plans to work on basic maintenance over the winter. Klayton Kree: Kree listed the projects he had been working on and their current status, including the final payment on the Feddick project; some last -minute design on well and waste closures; and assisting NRCS with a large grazing system by designing the waterlines and fencing. Kree reported on finalizing his first stream bank erosion project with the Town of Greenwood and a grass waterway north of Gilman. He was waiting on a planning meeting with NRCS regarding a pit closure plan and finalized a fence around a manure pit. He also assisted with the Drinking Water Education Program as needed and answered several landowner inquiries. Pamela Holz: Holz reported on the annual Drinking Water Education Program, which had 103 participants and 161 tests (59 of which were metals). Over $6400 was deposited from the program. To date, 19 tests came back positive for coliform bacteria, with two also being positive for e-coli. Holz reported following up on inquiries. Holz reported the Tree Sale Photo Contest was a success and thanked the judges for their assistance. She updated the LCC on the prep work for the 2024 -2025 Tree Sale and the minor chan ges for this year’s sale. Holz announced the Sale would open later that day. Holz notified the LCC she had completed her Sustainable Ag and Organic Soils class and would be finishing her Grazing program at a retreat the following week. She thanked Tomandl for his tour of his grazing operation to give her a real -world example of her studies. Future Meetings and Events: Next LCC Meeting -Tuesday, December 3; 9:00 a.m. Golden Sands RC&D, Wisconsin Rapids - Thursday, November 21; 10:15 a.m. Motion by Tomandl, seconded by Cummings, to adjourn at 10:06 a.m. Motion carried. Land Conservation Committee August 6, 2024 County-USDA Service Center Meeting Room 2, Medford Call Meeting to Order: Tim Hansen called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Members Present: Tim Hansen, Joe Tomandl, Catherine Lemke, Karen Cummings Members Absent: Sara Matyka Other Attendees: Brent Tessmer, County Conservationist; Pamela Holz, Conservation Assistant; Nick Besasie, NRCS; Jenevieve Hartung, USDA -APHIS; Liz Usborne, DNR; Saskatoon Damm, Star News Intern Approve Minutes: Lemke moved to approve the minutes of the June 4, 2024, meeting; Seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Tomandl moved to approve the agenda with 9 items; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. Review and approve 5/31/24 to 7/25/24 bills and May -June 2024 budget analysis. Clarification was sought and received regarding the NMFE expenses. Cummings moved to approve the bills; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Reports: Wildlife Damage Program – Hartung reported having a few claims currently and a few calls. Most claims centered around an apiary and were not unexpected. Golden Sands RC&D – Tomandl reported on the last meeting with the RC&D which he and Tessmer had attended. Highlights included election of officers, whether to break up the Ag/Wildlife/Forestry Committee Tessmer chaired, and an interesting speaker on secondary uses for solar arrays, such as goat grazing. Tessmer reported on behalf of AIS coordinator Chris Hamerla. Hamerla had confirmed and reported the presence of Eurasian milfoil on two county creeks. He had performed an aquatic plant survey on North Harper Lake and plans to attend that lake association’s meeting over Labor Day weekend. Natural Resource Conservation Service – Besasie provided a summary of NRCS programs that were related to the LCD. He added they currently have 44 active projects in the EQIP and CSP programs within the county, higher than normal. He gave a staffing update, informing the LCC of being in the process of hiring a conservation technician for the area, which is a current gap, and eventually gaining a conservation planner for the Medford office. Besasie stated he would have a detail report for the LCC’s October meeting when he was finished with his end of fiscal year reporting. Farm Service Agency – Emailed report was provided in LCC packets. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Representative – Tessmer reported on the recent meeting, which included elections, board of directors and committee representations. Per committee inquiry, he updated the LCC on barriers and considerations over the wake boat issue. 2025 Department Budget – Tessmer explained the draft of the 2025 budget, including final numbers from DATCP but none yet for staffing. Tessmer kept within the 0% budget increase and explained where he offset any increase in line items. In response to Cummings inquiry, Tessmer reported the 0% increase only applied to the operations budget, not to staffing or grant -funded projects. Other committee members added due to a statewide cap, the county has been limited for 15 years on any budget growth and that it was not feasible given the increases in the basic costs of living over time. Tessmer informed Cummings that due to how the entire LCD budget was designed, the separate operations portion had so far been able to absorb the rise in costs. Usborne provided more information in response to inquiries about the MDV program and Tessmer explained how it fit within the LCD overall budget. Cummings moved to approve the budget; seconded by Lemke. Motion carried. LCD Staffing and program update: Brent Tessmer: Tessmer reported on the Nutrient Management – SEG monies and reported half of the funds were allocated. He informed the LCC the funds could now be used to cost -share a wider range of projects than previously and that they had received more funds than usual. Tessmer reported on his activities related to invasive species eradication in the county, including the loosestrife biocontrol status. He had recertified as a pesticide applicator and was continuing the stream sampling program. Tessmer reported the no till drills were utilized on over 670 acres. Klayton Kree: Tessmer gave Kree’s report in his absence. Kree reported he had assisted with the chemical clean sweep and attended a POWTS webinar. He covered zoning inspections during that department head’s absence. He began and is nearly finished with a fencing project and is working on a streambank construction project. He completed a well closure plan. The Feddick amendment request was approved and is waiting on formal approval to write the final check. He began preliminary designs for a rain garden. He is also drafting a letter to landowners who appear to have poor manure pits based upon aerial photographs to offer them cost share options to close them. Pamela Holz: Holz reported she had assisted with WI L+W middle school camp at Upham Woods. She had promoted the LCD programs several times on Facebook as well as been promoting the tree sale photo contest. She had begun prepping for the Drinking Water Program, including marketing. She had also ordered most trees for the 2024 -25 Tree Sale and had begun updating the store website accordingly. Holz reported she was finishing two online classes with field days later this week and her Grasslands 2.0 Academy with a few more online classes followed by a retreat in October. She had also participated in a statewide Zoom Outreach Committee meeting. Future Meetings and Events: Next LCC Meeting - Tuesday, October 1; 9:00 a.m. Golden Sands RC&D, Wisconsin Rapids - Thursday, September 19; 10:15 a.m. Motion by Tomandl, seconded by Lemke, to adjourn at 9:56 a.m. Motion carried. Land Conservation Committee June 4, 2024 County-USDA Service Center Meeting Room 2, Medford Call Meeting to Order: Catherine Lemke called the meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. Members Present: Joe Tomandl, Tim Hansen (@9:20 am), Catherine Lemke, Karen Cummings Members Absent: Sara Matyka Other Attendees: Brent Tessmer, County Conservationist; Klayton Kree, Engineering Technician; Chris Hamerla, Golden Sands RC&D Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator; Saskatoon Damm, Star News Intern Approve Minutes: Tomandl moved to approve the minutes of the April 2, 2024, meeting; Seconded by Lemke. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Tomandl moved to approve the agenda with 9 items; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. Review and approve 3/26/24 to 5/28/24 bills and March -April 2024 budget analysis. Tomandl moved to approve the bills; seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. Reports: Wildlife Damage Program – No report. Golden Sands RC&D – Hamerla reported that he works with Aquatic Invasive Species or AIS. Recently, Hamerla has helped with digging up the invasive species plant, Purple Loosestrife, to use as host control plants for beetles. These beetles are a way to control this invasive plant. The beetles eat down the plant and keep it at a smaller size to allow natives to grow and catch up. Harvesting the beetles and placing them on the host plants with a net allows the beetles to reproduce. Later in the summer, after the eggs hatch and the larvae grow, they will be released into known areas where Purple Loosestrife is growing. Hamerla reported that he helped with the Buckthorn Bash on the Medford Riverwalk with the 5th -grade class at MAMS. Hamerla and Pamela Holz educated the 5 th graders beforehand about invasive species, specifically Buckthorn. Hamerla helped at the Outdoor Expo giving education on AIS. He plans on beginning lake surveys. Hamerla also reported that Sebastian is a new hire for Golden Sands as an LTE position for Forestry in Taylor/Price Counties. Natural Resource Conservation Service – No report. Farm Service Agency – Emailed report from Lanice Szomi. Highlights include a final planting date has been set for Corn -grain May 31, 2024 and Soybean -grain is June 10, 2024. FSA is gearing up for crop reporting. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Representative – Meeting on June 14th, 2024. 2024 Drinking Water Testing Program rates – Tessmer reported that pricing from the labs should remain the same. The 2023 rate was set at $40/package. It was discussed that decreasing the cost for the public might not be a good idea in case the prices jump in future years. Tomandl moved to approve the $40 /package rate. Seconded by Cummings. Motion carried. LCD Staffing and program update: Brent Tessmer : Tessmer reported that most NMP plans are in with some still coming in yet. Tessmer has soil sampled a few afternoons for NMP. He reported that Taylor County is the financial manager for the grant with other counties this year. After completion of the NMP class, farmers will be reimbursed. Tessmer reported that 7 farms used the new no-till drill on 356 acres and 15 farms used the old no-till drill on 250 acres. Tessmer has had to replace multiple parts on both the old and new drills. Tessmer has helped dig up purple loosestrife and gather the beetles as well. He sprayed garlic mustard and helped with the Buckthorn Bash. Tessmer will continue spraying Wild Parsnip and Leafy Spurge along roadsides and private land. Tessmer reported that he has begun stream sampling for testing for phosphorus. Klayton Kree: Kree reported that he has worked with NRCS in completing a watering and fencing construction plan. LCD will be cost sharing the fencing portion of the project with NRCS cost - sharing the other portion of the project. Kree attended a stream crossing training in Iron and Bayfield counties. He reported touring multiple stream sites with culvert crossings. Kree said that it was a great learning experience seeing and talking about how to tackle the issues that these counties were facing. Kree helped dig out purple loosestrife plants and collect beetles, assisted with the 5th grade Buckthorn Bash, and ran a station focused on tree id and forestry for the SES 3rd grade School Forest learning event. Kree helped sort, package, and distribute the trees from the tree sale and helped run the booth at Maple Fest selling leftover trees and talking with the public. Kree has finalized a NOD report and has that approved through the DNR as well. He is waiting for results from an upcoming DNR meeting regarding an amendment request before he can file the reimbursement request. Kree is almost finished with getting a streambank erosion protection plan approved for construction. Pamela Holz: Tessmer reported for Holz as she is at a field day in New London. Tessmer reported that she compiled the information together for the Drinking Water Program and will update the display board. The tree sale report was also compiled and the profit was up. Tessmer reported that Holz assisted in 3 education program (3 rd grade school forest, 4 th grade COWS event, and 5 th grade Buckthorn Bash). Holz also helped with the tree sale and Maple Fest, invasive species plant dig up and beetle gathering and assisted zoning department with the Clean Sweep. Tessmer reported that Holz attended the building active shooter/aggressive individual training scenarios and the WI Land and Water Outreach Committee meeting. Holz has continued with grassworks education training where she is currently at a field day. Holz will be assisting with the Upham Woods Middle School Conservation camp next week. Future Meetings and Events: Next LCC Meeting - Tuesday, August 6; 9:00 a.m. Golden Sands RC&D, Wisconsin Rapids - Thursday, July 18; 10:15 a.m. Motion by Cummings, seconded by Tomandl, to adjourn at 10:05 a.m. Motion carried. Land Conservation Committee April 2, 2024 County-USDA Service Center Meeting Room 2, Medford Call Meeting to Order: Ray Soper called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. Members Present: Ray Soper, Joe Tomandl, Tim Hansen, Catherine Lemke, Sara Matyka Members Absent: None Other Attendees: Brent Tessmer, County Conservationist; Klayton Kree, Engineering Technician; Pamela Holz, Conservation Assistant; Nick Besasie, NRCS District Conservationist Approve Minutes: Tomandl moved to approve the minutes of the February 6, 2024, meeting; Seconded by Hansen. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Lemke moved to approve the agenda with 12 items; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Review and approve 1/26/24 to 3/25/24 bills and January -February 2024 budget analysis. Hansen moved to approve the bills; seconded by Lemke. Motion carried. Reports: Wildlife Damage Program – No report. Golden Sands RC&D – Tomandl reported on the recent Golden Sands meeting in Hancock where they toured an Experimental Farm. Tomandl provided a summary of the meeting. Tessmer added a report from Hamerla, the Regional AIS Coordinator, including operating a booth at an upcoming Taylor County Expo and recommending Wellington Lake for a possible survey for aquatic invasives. Natural Resource Conservation Service – Besasie introduced himself and reported on the major and upcoming projects with NRCS. He reported 37 projects – higher than normal – in Taylor County were funded with the first round of EQIP this year for an amount of $800,000 total, with a second -round deadline in May. NRCS also had twenty sign -ups for the ongoing stewardship program. Besasie explained the unique relationship between NRCS and WI LCDs, compared to other states’ SWCDs, and how he was working to ensure both agencies benefited. He added he was working with Tessmer to create a MOU between NRCS and Taylor County LCD in order to delineate each other’s roles and rights and expedite their working relationship. Besasie added having both offices near each other greatly enhanced their relationship and ability to provide services in conjunction with each other. Besasie informed the LCC of a possible high level NRCS position which may be based in Taylor County and other local staffing updates. Besasie requested two LCC members provide input to the National Civil Rights Review his district will be undergoing the following month. Farm Service Agency – Matyka supplemented the written reports by informing the LCC the most pressing manner recently had been cropping adjustments due to the recent drought, but otherwise activities were typical. In response to Soper’s inquiry about the Farm Bill, Besasie responded Congress had extended the current bill through September 2024. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Representative – Tessmer reported no meeting had been held and that beyond the poster and speaking contest, little business was currently in the works. 2025 Staffing Grant – Tessmer reviewed the grant with the LCC, with explanations. Lemke motioned to approve the grant as written; Hansen seconded. Motion carried. 2024 Annual Work Plan – Tessmer reminded the LCC the work plan derived from the LWRMP and the goals set within that document. In response to Tomandl’s inquiry about annual reporting on the plan and the LWRMP, Tessmer reported annual reporting was required, in detail. Tomandl motioned to approve the plan; seconded by Lemke. Motion carried. Closed Session: Tomandl made the following motion, seconded by Lemke: The Land Conservation Committee will enter into Closed Session pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes, 19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation, or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility – County Conservationist. Soper then called a roll call vote: Hansen: Aye; Tomandl: Aye; Matyka: Aye; Lemke: Aye. Those not involved in the closed session then left the meeting. Reconvene Open Session: at 10:09, Hansen made the following motion, seconded by Tomandl: The meeting will reconvene in Open Session pursuant to Wisconsin State Statures, Section 19.83 to take any necessary action on the matter discussed in Closed Session. Remaining attendees returned to the meeting at this time. No action was taken. LCD Staffing and program update: Brent Tessmer: Tessmer reported on his current projects. NMPs: Assisting producers with their NMPs was an ongoing activity currently. No -till drill: He had performed maintenance on the drills and contracts were being returned. In response to member inquiries, Tessmer reported the current rental rate and the general procedure for transferring the drills to producers. Invasive Species: Tessmer reported soon he will be prepping for loosestrife biocontrol and leading Buckthorn Bash. Klayton Kree : Kree reported the Feddick construction is complete and he is awaiting official approval of as-built certification in order to close that project. He and Tessmer had attempted to locate an old well for a landowner in order to close it but was unable to pinpoint the location. Kree reported he hoped to find ways to connect with more landowners over well closures. Kree reported he was working with NRCS in finding ways of assisting Kyle Hill with his NOD deadline. Kree also was overseeing the tech services for NRCS’s complex Hargot project. He had attended several area tech meetings in Park Falls as well as the Land+Water Conference, serving as county representative for the business meeting. He would most likely be joining the state Tech Committee as an area representative. Kree added he had many summer projects for this year. Pamela Holz: Holz reported on her attendance at the Land+Water Conference and was considering joining the Outreach Committee. She was also registered for several summer ag - related classes, including one on the foundations of grazing and was increasing her background knowledge for the drinking water program with well water webinars. Holz updated LCC on the progress of the Tree Sale and preparing final details for Sale Week. Holz reported on her educational programs and upcoming field trip, providing more information on potential services due to her background following member inquiries. Future Meetings and Events: Next LCC Meeting - Tuesday, June 4; 9:00 a.m. Golden Sands RC&D, Wisconsin Rapids - Thursday, May 16; 10:15 a.m. Final Business: The LCD presented Ray Soper a plaque for his many years of service, including functioning as chair for a good portion of those years. Motion by Tomandl, seconded by Hansen, to adjourn at 10:29 a.m. Motion carried. Land Conservation Committee February 6, 2024 County-USDA Service Center Meeting Room 2, Medford Call Meeting to Order: Ray Soper called the meeting to order at 9:14 a.m. Members Present: Ray Soper, Joe Tomandl, Tim Hansen, Members Absent: Catherine Lemke, Sara Matyka Other Attendees: Brent Tessmer, County Conservationist; Klayton Kree, Engineering Technician; Pamela Holz, Conservation Assistant; Liz Usborne, DNR Approve Minutes: Tomandl moved to approve the minutes of the December 5, 2023, meeting; Seconded by Hansen. Motion carried. Approve Agenda: Hansen moved to approve the agenda with 8 items; seconded by Tomandl. Motion carried. Review and approve 11/28/23 to 1/25/24 bills and November -December 2023 budget analysis. Tomandl moved to approve the bills; seconded by Hansen. Motion carried. Reports: Wildlife Damage Program – Holz reported she had received notification from Jenevieve Hartung’s supervisor that Hartung was off through March and there was nothing to report. In response to Hansen’s inquiry, Tessmer reported the program is paid quarterly. Golden Sands RC&D – The January 18, 2024 meeting minutes were provided. Tomandl reported the chair had stepped down and a Wood County representative was elected to replace him. In addition, the RC&D were expanding their contracts with invasive species due to need. Tessmer added their grazing specialist has offered to write grazing plans for area graziers as part of a grant, and therefore at no cost to landowners. Natural Resource Conservation Service – No representative present and no report given. Farm Service Agency – No representative present and no report given. Northwest Land Conservation Association, Representative – Tessmer reported on the last meeting held on January 26. Their budget was approved and essentially the same as the previous year’s. The counties present gave updates, the regional poster & speaking contests were held, no meeting will be at state, and the next meeting is expected in June in Sawyer County. In response to Tomandl’s inquiry, Tessmer reported no referendums were passed, but reported on the serious discussion and concern over wake boats which had the potential to lead to a referendum somewhere along the line. LCD Staffing and program update: Brent Tessmer: Tessmer reported he had assisted with the local NMP classes though attendance was down. He also had assisted at the Spencer and Wausau classes. NMPs will be worked on until spring. Tessmer reported he had been working with the Chelsea Sanitary District for a Phosphorus trading program application. The 2023 bond and SEG funds from the state have been spent or extended into this year. Tessmer had recently submitted the numbers for 2023 salary reimbursement from the state. The LCD recently paid Hickory Nutz Sausage as part of the Wildlife Damage program and will be submitting reimbursement for that program soon. Eleven deer were donated which is an increase from the previous year. Klayton Kree: Kree reported the Feddick construction was essentially complete, finishing up the concrete work and pump installation in December. During the survey for As -Built, Kree discovered the need for more backfill. That and the confirmation the pump works is all that is needed to close on the project, which thus cannot be done until spring. As he was informed the backfill work was done the previous day, Kree needs to confirm correct specs onsite. Kree has also been working on a waste closure facility near Gilman. He had received all needed December signatures with three carryovers into 2024. He performed a well pump test for grazing. He recently attended a tech meeting in Park Falls where he presented the Feddick project. Stacy Dehne, DATCAP conservation engineer, will be meeting with Kree later today on several projects, including pondscapes, river erosion, and Feddick’s. Pamela Holz: Holz reported she had updated LCD’s two display boards, followed the retention policy for removal of old records, and cleaned up the backroom. The poster contest had 28 entries with three going to Regionals, resulting with one moving on to State. She also had presented a tree program in Stetsonville as an introduction to the contest. Holz reported on the current status on the tree sale, including which trees were sold out, almost sold out, and which were barely selling. In response to Tomandl’s inquiry, Holz stated she was planning on discussing with Tessmer the possibility of changing their tree order to reflect the actual need. Holz gave her best comparison to sales at this time the previous year but noted some differences that made it difficult to provide a good assessment. However, the number of orders were roughly the same. Holz stated she had attended Regional with Tessmer. Future Meetings and Events: Next LCC Meeting - Tuesday, April 2; 9:00 a.m. Golden Sands RC&D, Hancock - Thursday, March 21; 10:15 a.m. WI Land & Water Annual Conference; KI Convention Center, Green Bay - March 6-8 Motion by Hansen, seconded by Tomandl, to adjourn at 9:37 a.m. Motion carried.