Newsletter of the Conservation Waushara County Land Conservation Department

Corner Inside this issue: FEBRUARY 2016

D.A.S.H. Project 1 Proposal D.A.S.H. PROJECT PROPOSAL TO ASSIST Happenings- 2 Project LAKE DISTRICTS /ASSOCIATIONS Update NM Acres on the ______Rise Important Dates 3 The Land Conservation Department will be applying Grant Aids for a DNR grant later this year to fund a three year Farmers pilot project for Diver Assisted Suction Harvest (D.A.S.H.). The project will demonstrate the utility of a D.A.S.H. system and its’ effectiveness on eradi- Conservation 4& cating smaller populations of Aquatic Invasive Spe- Field Days 5 cies (AIS). Thank-you Volunteers/ As the next step in implementing the goals and Donors/ objectives of lake management plans created through the county lakes project, D.A.S.H. hopes Presenters to further assist lake districts/associations in reduc- ing AIS in area lakes. If funded, the project period 2015 Progress 6 will begin in spring 2017 and run through December Pictured: an example of the front and back of a Report 2019. The department hopes to be ready to advertise D.A.S.H. boat. WDACP Stats Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) by late summer/early fall 2016 in order to meet the December 2016 appli- cation deadline. Companies that wish to submit a Deer Facts 7 RFP must demonstrate they have a couple of years County Deer experience and success using the DASH system. Advisory Cmt. This system is expected to be used in conjunction with hand pulling and limited chemical treatment. Central Wi. 8 The project hopes to demonstrate the effectiveness Windshed of the DASH system under these removal methods. Partnership Currently, the department is working with the DNR to narrow down the where the DASH Environmental 9 system will be used for the study/grant period. Ulti- Poster Contest mately, lakes that are selected for the project would require some level of volunteer labor to meet project RC&D Program 10 deliverables. Other ideas being considered are the Highlights ability to add lakes to the project if new infestations of AIS appear, as well as an information and education NRCS Update 11 component.

The scope of the project and a proposed budget are being worked on by Ed Hernandez, Co. Conservation- ist. Waushara County is modeling their project similar to Marinette County, who is in their third season with some success. Page 2 ConservationConservation Corner Corner

LAKE HAPPENINGS—Waushara Co. Lakes Project Update

As we move into 2016, the County Lakes Project is in full swing. Over 30 lake groups have met to develop or update their lake management plan. With the assistance of “You” the concerned lake front property owner, University of -Stevens Point, UW-Extension, and the County Land Conservation Department, lake man- agement planning has been a huge suc-

“Tocess! catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from A typical lake management planning meeting The Lakesthe story here.” Project, funded in part by a challenges, therefore a property owner driven manage- Department of Natural Resources ment plan can be crucial. The Lakes Project was estab- grant in 2010, assists lake groups to lished to aid lakes in writing management plans that develop or update their lake manage- could eventually help them qualify for grant funds, if ment plans. needed. These funds would help afford activities or Each lake has it’s specific qualities and services to reach goals or objectives in their plans.

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT ACRES ON THE RISE

Waushara County’s nutrient management acres are again on the rise. In 2015 Waushara County had 34,898 acres under a nutrient management plan or approximately 23% of the counties cropland. This is an increase of over 4,000 acres from 2014. Along with the NMFE Grant adding 1,300 acres, 1,071 acres were cost-shared under the SEG funds from DATCP in 2015. Waushara County LCD encourages producers to have Nutrient Manage- ment Plans especially when their operation is utilizing manure as a crop input. Any pro- ducer wanting more information about nutrient management or wanting to become certi- This story can fit 75-125 and import into your newslet- fied to write their ownwords. plan may contact: Joshter. There Saykally are also— severalWaushara County Agronomist tools you can use to draw @ 920-787-0443. Selecting pictures or graphics is shapes and symbols. Note: Nutrient Managementan important planning part is basedof adding on soil type, slope, crop rotations, and residual nutrients, and takes both manure and commercialcontent fertilizers to your newsletter.into account. PlansOnce including you have all chosen these anelements im- minimize the risk of contam- age, place it close to the article. inating ground and surfacThinke wat abouters du youre to articlerunof fand. W hen Bem asurenage tod pplacerop etherly ,caption the nu oftr ients in manure can be beneficial for soils and plants. Knowingask yourself where if nutrients the picture are sup- needed and where they are not helps farmers allocate nutrients ports or enhances the message the image near the image. economically. NM plans you’reare reviewed trying to annually convey. Avoidand when necessary, updated. Wisconsin farmers made great strides toward implementing soilselecting and water images conservation that appear throughto the development of 67,088 NM plans on 2,875,779 acres, an 11% acre increase frombe 2014,out of coveringcontext. 31% of Wisconsin’s 9 million cropland acres, according to the November Wisconsin Nutrient ManagementMicrosoft UpdatePublisher prepared includes by Wi. Department of Ag., Trade & Consumer Protection. thousands of clip art images from which you can choose Page 3 WATCH FOR THESE UP-COMING EVENTS

I Watershed Lakes Council February 13 M Meeting 10:00 AM P Conservation Field Days May 5 & 6 O 9:00 AM– 2:00 PM R Watershed Lakes Council May 14 T Meeting 9:00 AM A WI Land & Water Conserva- June 20-24 N tion Camp-Vilas County T Sand Lake Conservation June 22-24 D Camp—Marinette County A Watershed Lakes Council August T Meeting 9:00 AM E Waushara County Fair August 18-21 S Watershed Lakes Council November 12 Meeting 10:00 AM

GRANT AIDS FARMERS IN NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANNING

In 2015 Waushara County was awarded a Nutrient for their operations. With Management Farmer Educa- assistance from the tion (NMFE) Grant from Waushara Co. LCD staff, DATCP. There were 13 samples were taken and producers that took ad- tested. The results were vantage of the grant to soil input into the Snap-Plus, sample and develop a nutri- UW-Wisconsin’s nutrient ent management plan on management planning com- their farm. The grant par- puter program, and they ticipants took a nutrient were all able to develop a management certification nutrient management plan course hosted by Waushara that met the 590 nutrient Co. LCD in the spring of management standard. The 2015. After the course the NMFE Grant was successful, producers had a better un- as it assisted 13 producers grant again for 2017. If anyone is derstanding of what a nutri- to write plans on over 1,300 interested in more information or ent management plan is and acres. Waushara County interested in taking advantage of what it consists of and they LCD will be applying for the the Grant in 2017 feel free to call were then able to write NMFE Grant and hopefully Josh Saykally—Waushara County nutrient management plans we will be awarded the Agronomist @ 920-787-0443.

CONSERVATION FIELD DAYS Page 4 ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING AT IT’S BEST

Waushara County Land Six learning stations were school setting. Conservation and Zoning rotated through by approx. For several years now the hosted the 9th annual CFD 106 students per day. In Raptor Education Group, event May 7 & 8, 2015 at cooperation with UW- Inc (REGI) out of Antigo has Lake Lucerne Camp & Re- Extension, DNR, NRCS, been contracted to present treat Center. Golden Sands RC&D, and a live raptor program for a Wild Rose High School as wrap-up group presentation. Comments: Since its’ inception in 2006, facilitators, the stations in- A wildlife educator brings this hands-on environmental cluded: soils, groundwater, the live “education birds” learning event for fifth grad- wildlife, invasive species, which are tethered. Each of ers has been well received fisheries and aquatic indica- four species is presented to by all county schools attend- tor species. Age appropri- the group while their attrib- ing: Parkside Middle School ate activities designed to utes, habitat and life cycle is Look forward to -Wautoma, Redgranite Ele- make learning fun and mean- discussed. A majority of mentary-Redgranite, Wild ingful were provided at each students indicate how fasci- this each year! Rose Elementary-Wild station. Professional envi- nating this session is, and to Rose, Tri-County Elemen- ronmentalists donate their see their reactions we be- tary-Plainfield and Coloma time and expertise to pro- lieve them. Adults are also Elementary-Coloma. vide this valuable training enthralled considering you Love the above and beyond what can seldom see birds of prey up- be offered the students in a close and personal. t-shirts!

Program relates well to the 5th grade curriculum!

Above: Students search for aquatic indicator species in sam- ples raked from the bottom of Lake Lucerne. With the help of the Wild Rose H.S. Environmental class and their instruc- tor, Brett Brooks, determinations as to the health of this were made based on the species found in it. Above: One of the raptors shown by REGI Inc. was an American Kestrel, a small falcon.

Left: DNR Fishery special- ists identify and present facts on live fish and other species netted in Lucerne Lake. Up close and personal, students are thrilled to view whatever is pulled up be it sunfish, blue gill, perch, northern, crappie, or turtles. After sessions, all species are returned to their habitat. Sometimes it is very interesting what gets caught in the nets!!! SNAPSHOTS TELL THE STORY Page 5

Thank you Donors

Alpine Lake P & R Wautoma Kiwanis Pine Lake Property Owners Deer Lake District Watershed Lakes Council Hancock Lions Club Friends of Long Lake Richford Game Club Rotary Club of Wautoma Mt. Morris Lk. Mngmt. Big Hills Lk. Management Spring Lake Management Bugh’s Lake Property Owners White River Flowage Stone Ridge Piggly Wiggly Creative Custom Design William & Katherine Hutchison Arnie & Marty Wilke Glenda & Mike Olszowy Waushara Co. Employees Jeans Day Promotion

Thank you Volunteers

Marty & Arnie Wilke Tom Catlin Mark Schumacher Joan Laabs LeAnne Wisbrocker Everett Eckstein Mike Abitz Gregg Foster Greg Dobratz Kevin Fitzgerald Deb Behringer Jim Pierce

Thank you Presenters

Raptor Education Group Inc. WI DNR Golden Sands RC&D UW-Extension Wild Rose HS Environmental Class NRCS

Page 6 Conservation Corner

2015 LAND CONSERVATION PROGRESS REPORT

Many different types of projects funding. This year a few of the were worked on simultaneous- projects funded were; Windbreak ly in 2015. With $52,000 in -Town of Dakota, Wetland Resto- state Soil & Water Resource ration-Town of Mt. Morris and a Management funds a wetland Waste Storage Facility-Town of restoration project was final- Rose. ized and two grassed water- ways were constructed. Con- LCD is still partnering with Gold- Assistance for Construction Site group. Management plans have tracts were also signed for a rip en Sands Resource Conservation Erosion Control was provided been approved by DNR for -rap bank stabilization, a wet- & Development on the Aquatic to 92 landowners. Twenty on- four lakes; Deer, Bugh’s, Spring land restoration and a 400 cow Invasive Species Grant Program. site visits were made to help waste storage facility. Helping riparian landowners, the landowners with standard and & Iragami Lakes.

partnership allows for invasive individual plans relative to ero- The Land Conservation Dept. Another $15,000 was slated for species and Clean Water/Clean sion control, stormwater man- continues to contract with nutrient management. In 2015 Boat stations training. agement and re-vegetation. This USDA Animal and Plant Health 34,898 acres of nutrient man- resulted in eight re-vegetation/ Inspection Service (APHIS) to agement were cost-shared, Waushara County still has over- stormwater management plans provide the Wildlife Damage 785 of those were new acres. sight of the Farmland Preservation and/or reviewals prepared for Program. Qualifying farmers in Abatement & Claims Program, NM acreage in 2015 increased landowners. the program have an opportunity see statistics below. by 4,066 over 2014 numbers. for tax relief. The Lakes Management Project, The Water Quality Improve- now in phase III (lake manage- ment Program supported and The 9th annual Conservation Field ment planning) continues. Plan- financed by Waushara County Day environmental learning event ning began in Oct. 2013 and will allows for $25,000/per year to was held in May. Attending were continue through 2016. The be used for cost-sharing wor- 212-5th graders from all public Department is hosting a series thy conservation projects schools in Waushara County. of four meetings for each lake which may not qualify for state

2015 WILDLIFE DAMAGE AND CLAIMS STATISTICS

12 ENROLLEES

8 AG SHOOTING TAGS ISSUED 73 DEER HARVESTED 7 CLAIMANTS FOR CROP DAMAGE

TOTAL DEER DAMAGE PAYABLE LOSSES $15,649.75

34 DEER DONATED/1323 LBS. THE WISCONSIN WILDLIFE DAMAGE ABATEMENT & OF GROUND VENISON CLAIMS PROGRAM PROVIDES DAMAGE PREVENTION ASSISTANCE AND PARTIAL COMPENSATION TO PROCESSED FARMERS WHEN WILD DEER, BEAR, GEESE AND FOR THE WISCONSIN DEER DAMAGE THEIR AGRICULTURAL CROPS. DONATION PROGRAM Newsletter of the Waushara County Land Conservation Department Page 7

WHITETAIL DEER FACTS

Some unusual deer facts:

 The deer’s eyes which are located on the side of it’s head give it 310 degrees of vision without moving it’s head. However this position of the eyes also makes it hard for a deer to focus on objects.  The term buck comes from the American Frontier when the skin of a Male Deer was worth one dol- lar or buck.  Only male deer or bucks grow antlers. Species in the deer family are the only animals on the planet with antlers. Antlers are the fastest growing tissue on earth. A whitetail bucks antlers can grow up to 1/2 inch per day.  Once a deer establishes a territory it will not leave it unless it is bumped out by humans or predators.  A deer’s powerful legs allow it to run at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour and jump fences up to 9 feet tall. A deer at a run can broad jump 30 feet.  The estimated nation wide population of the whitetail deer is believed to be 29 million strong, up from around 500,000 in the early 1890’s when unregulated commercial hunting threatened to elimi- nate deer all together.  Deer can live up to 11 years in the wild. If they don’t fall victim to a predator or hunter, at this age their teeth start to wear out and they can no longer eat. County Deer Advisory Committee (CDAC) This past year brought changes to how the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the deer herd. Each county in Wisconsin has a County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) to provide input and recommendations to the department on deer management within their county. In September 2014, each county in Wisconsin formed a (CDAC) to gather and consider public input from citizens and provide recommendations to the department and the Natural Resources Board on deer management issues in their county. Membership for these councils consists of individuals drawn from the general public who represent the large stakeholder groups in deer management and have a strong knowledge base on deer management issues affecting their stakeholder group. Each county council is chaired by a member of the Conservation Congress. At least three members must have purchased deer hunting licenses in seven of the past 10 years. The stakeholder groups represented on these councils include:  a hunting and/or sporting Group;  Agriculture;  Forestry;  Local government;  Transportation;  tourism; and  Deer Management Assistance Program.

Councils work with local department staff to schedule meetings, provide community outreach and an opportunity for public input, review population data and deer impacts on forests and agriculture, develop 3-year recommendations on county population objectives and create annual antlerless harvest quotas. Page 8 CENTRAL WISCONSIN WINDSHED PARTNERSHIP

Mission Statement: The vision of the Central Wisconsin Windshed Partnership Group (CWWP) is to use conservation & preservation methods to control wind erosion on cropland, and to protect farmsteads, residential area, roads, and highways in Central Wisconsin through the establishment of windbreaks, shelterbelts, and living snow fences. An additional CWWP focus is providing services to develop various wildlife habitats.

CWWP seeks solutions to wind erosion and wildlife habitat enhancement through the implementation of the three following beneficial public services to clients:

 Windbreak/Living Snow Fence

A full service windbreak/living snow fence planning, planting, and three year maintenance program guaranteeing a 95% survival rate is offered to customers in Central Wisconsin. Member counties and Federal programs offer cost-sharing at a rate up to 70% for installation and maintenance costs (on quali- fying projects), and 100% of planning and administration costs for agricultural producers in Adams, Ju- neau, Portage, Waushara, and Wood Counties.

 Wildlife Habitat Development

To provide and/or improve habitats for a variety of wildlife species; services such as native grass seedings, and wildlife plantings are offered.

 Information and Education

To provide an increased awareness and understanding of the problems caused by wind erosion and solutions, such as conservation tillage and windbreak establishment. I&E outreach will help to achieve the vision of the CWWP.

Lately CWWP has given more attention to Living Snow Fences. Although they have worked with local county highway departments in the past, recently they started working with state highway reps., which may help to expand living fence plantings and CWWP’s services throughout Wisconsin. Above is a pic- ture of a living snow fence project planted in Adams Co. for the state highway dept. just south of the Citgo gas station on the corner of State Hwy 13 and State Hwy 82.

Over the last 3 years CWWP has established 49 new miles of windbreaks and living snow fences in Cen- tral Wisconsin. In Waushara County alone 7.02 miles were established.

The biggest project complete this year in Waushara County was on the Laurizten property near the Wild Rose airport.

CWWP is always looking for new customers so if anyone is interested in a windbreak, living snow fence, or other types of plantings for their property, please call the office (toll free) 888-249-5424 or e-mail us at [email protected] “We All Need Trees” Page 9

LAND CONSERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL POSTER CONTEST Mission Statement: The vision of the Central Wisconsin Windshed Partnership Each year Wisconsin Land and Water holds a Conserva- Group (CWWP) is to use conservation & preservation methods to control wind erosion on cropland, and to protect farmsteads, tion Awareness Poster Contest where students in grades Kinder- residential area, roads, and highways in Central Wisconsin garten through 12 have the opportunity to submit their artwork. through the establishment of windbreaks, shelterbelts, and living snow fences. An additional CWWP focus is providing services Posters are evaluated on the conservation message, visual effec- to develop various wildlife habitats. tiveness, originality, universal appeal, and individual artwork. This year’s poster theme was, “We All Need Trees,” and the Wausha- ra County Land Conservation Department received 76 posters from five area schools. See below for this year’s winners.

Wild Rose Pleasant View Elementary Elementary School 1st Grade Grades 4-6 Hayden Elwood Groskreutz

Wild Rose High School Grades 7-9 Amber Quimby

Wautoma High School Tri County School Grades 10-12 Grades 2-3 Kailey Reynolds Valerie Garcia Page 10 Conservation Corner

Golden Sands RC&D Aquatic Invasive Species Program Waushara County 2015 Highlights

Big Silver Lake Kids Day -

Golden Sands RC&D continued to assist the Silver Lake Management District with their annual Kids Day held at Silver Lake each May. This outdoor education event gave the students a chance to see Silver Lake from a boat, and learn about lake processes, plants, animals, shore-line health, and impacts that invasive species are having on the lake. Over 100 students participated in the event. Volunteers generously donated their boats and expertise for a great day out on the water!

Flowering Rush Monitoring & Removal at Little Silver Lake -

An AIS lesson on the invasive and emergent plant, Flowering Rush, was given to the lake residents at Little Silver Lake. Volunteers were able to identify the plant and remove several clusters that were found near the boat launch. Monitoring will continue into the summer of 2016.

Eurasian watermilfoil manual removal trainings -

The organization worked with a number of lake group volunteers at Little Hills, Lucerne, Porters, Round, Spring, and Twin lakes, monitoring and removing eurasian watermilfoil. Mike Wittlieff and the dive team at Venture Crew 519 assisted at many of the removal trainings. Volunteers were trained on identification, monitoring, and removal techniques. Significant strides in removing populations of the plant were made at Spring Lake as well as Twin Lake. Point intercept and visual surveys were conducted on Lake Lucerne and Porters Lake, turning up only a small number of plants that were removed immediately. Both lakes are work- ing diligently towards the possible eradication of EWM, with continuous monitoring and hand removal efforts.

NRCS SERVICES UPDATE Page 11

The NRCS Westfield Service Center has once again had some staffing changed in 2015. Michelle Komiskey, the former District Conservationist, has moved on to a new office that covers Monroe and La Crosse Counties with NRCS. The current staff in Westfield still includes Scott Doherty, Soil Conservation Technician; and Meagan Hoffmann, Soil Conservationist.

The 2014 Farm Bill continues to offer popular programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE). The EQIP pro- Above, left to right: gram also offers special initiatives such as Honeybee Scott Doherty - Soil Conservation Technician Habitat, Cover Crops, and Seasonal High Tunnels. Ap- Meagan Hoffman—Soil Conservationist plications can be made at any time throughout the year for these programs; however, they are subject to December 23, 1985, and did not convert a wet- ranking cut-off deadlines each year. More information land after November 28, 1990, to make agricul- about our programs and applications periods can be tural production possible. If you drain, clear found on our website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/ trees, fill, or otherwise manipulate a wetland portal/nrcs/site/wi/home/. so that it can be cropped, you will lose eligibility for USDA programs. Before you do any altera- EQIP remains our main financial assistance program that tion to a wet area, including clearing trees or assists landowners with resolving resource concerns on maintenance of existing drainage, contact NRCS their cropland, pastureland, and forests. CSP is a 5-year or FSA to request a wetland determination. contract to promote whole farm environmental im- provement program that rewards good stewards of the New this year, is our NRCS portal called Con- land. Existing conservation efforts on the farm are servation Client Gateway. Client Gateway is an assessed a value and new conservation enhancements NRCS website that provides secure access to are chosen. WRE is an easement program used to re- conservation plans, practice implementation store wetlands to their original environmental state and schedules, financial applications and contracts, protect them into the future. These easements can be documents and payment information. This allows for 30 years or perpetual. producers the additional option to work with NRCS through their computers at home instead Don’t forget to maintain eligibility for USDA programs of driving to the field office multiple times. More by staying in compliance with Highly Erodible and Wet- information can be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/ land Compliance rules. On highly erodible cropland, clientgateway. farmers must follow an acceptable conservation system, including any new land being brought into production. Federal law requires that all persons that produce agri- For questions about conservation practices or culture commodities must protect all cropland classified program please contact the office in Westfield at as being highly erodible from excessive erosion. To 608-296-2815 extension #3. maintain wetland compliance, anyone participating in USDA farm programs, must self-certify that they have not produced crops on wetlands converted after WAUSHARA COUNTY LAND/WATER/ EDUCATION COMMITTEE

BERNADETTE KRENTZ-CHAIR EVERETT ECKSTEIN-V. CHAIR JERRY ROTHERMEL-MEMBER BARRY MASTRICOLA-MEMBER ENRIQUE SORIA-FSA REP.

WAUSHARA COUNTY LAND CONSERVATION & ZONING

209 S. St. Marie Street P.O. Box 1109 Wautoma, WI 54982 FAX: 920-787-6516

E-MAIL: lcdzoning@ co.waushara.wi.us LAND CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT STAFF: (left to right)

FRONT: Tammi Kenton-Administrative Secretary, John Olsen-Conservation Technician We’re on the Web! BACK: Terri DoppPaukstat-Director Land Conservation & Visit us at: Zoning, www.co.waushara.wi.us Josh Saykally-Conservation Technician, Ed Hernandez-County Conservationist

Test Your Knowledge

1. Which three of these waste products are safe and helpful to compost: Dairy products, Egg shells, Sawdust, Lard, Fish bones, Tea-bags, Pet waste?

2. What highly toxic element was traditionally used in thermometers, posing a substantial safety and disposal risk?

3. What colorless, odorless, poisonous polluting gas is chiefly emitted by small engines typically used in lawn- mowers and chainsaws, etc?

4. Sulphur/sulfur dioxide and (various) nitrogen oxides are the main contributory factors in what unhelpful envi- ronmental effect:: Acid rain; Landfill run-off; Climate Change; or Pesticides?

5. According to a global study of wind power in 2005 what extent of the world’s total energy usage could be sat- isfied if all viable wind power locations were exploited: 1%,; 10%; 75%; or five times?

6. In 2015 evidence of water was found on: Pluto; Mars; The Moon; or The Sun?

7. In June 2015 a French government minister asserted that immense environmental harm is being caused by:

Bees; Honey; Nutella; or Marmite?

trees other replacing were ingredient oil the for trees palm because Nutella, - 7 Mars - 6

times Five - 5 rain Acid - 4 Monoxide Carbon - 3 Mercury - 2 bags - Tea Sawdust, shells, Egg - 1 ANSWERS: