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 Lake Happenings- 2 Lakes 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 objectives of lake management plans created Donors/ 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 list of lakes 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 Wisconsin-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” wildlife, invasive species, learning event for fifth grad- 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 body of water 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.