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National Park Service Headquarters, St. Croix Falls

In attendance:
Lee Dombrock - St. Croix Falls Planning Committee Member
Dave Ferris - Burnett County LWCD
John Haack - UWEX Basin Educator (note taker)
Kate Hansen - National Park Service
Amy Kelsey - Polk County LWRD
Blaire Kline - St. Croix Falls
Scott Peterson - Friends of the Upper St. Croix Headwaters
Mike Prichard - St. Croix Conservation Collaborative
Pete Prusak - DNR St. Croix Waste Water Engineer
Brook Waalen - Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters

Welcome and introductions:
Still Water Bridge Mitigation - Kate Hansen, National Park Service
Many partners were involved in the mitigation planning process and all of them eventually signed off on the existing plan. Estimated cost for the bridge crossing is 230 million dollars; the mitigation package is 4.5 million. The bridge completion date will be sometime between 2012 and 2020. There are no provisions for inflation costs in the mitigation portion of the bridge package. Kate highlighted a few of the natural resource mitigation measure proposed;
• Wetlands
• Zebra mussel controls and relocation of native mussels
• Removal of the Excel barge and loading facility at Bayport
• Bluff acquisition (WDNR and Minnesota Environmental Advocates lobbied hard for this) DOT legislation seems to limit bluff acquisition to ¼ mile of the project site.
• Removal of the grain elevator in Stillwater
• National Park Service received $300,000 for river way interpretation
• 1.2 million to MNDNR for boat landing construction & a bike/walking loop trail across the old lift bridge.
• Floating toilet facilities for N.P.S.
• Land protection easements will be placed on lands purchased for a previous bridge site.
• Spill response plan
• Growth management plan- 2.7 million mostly for St. Croix County
• Some $ for historic/ cultural sites mitigation
Click here for a complete listing of the mitigation provisions (see pg. 11 in the following web document).

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters - Brook Waalen
Brook began working with the league this past April. His region covers the Western portion of Wisconsin. The League has three branches or arms;
1. 501C (3)
2. 501C(4) a non profit status that allows some lobbing activities
3. A Political Action Committee (P.A.C.).
The League brings together over 50 conservation organizations and strives to focus collective efforts of these various groups on 6 primary common concerns. One of the League’s primary concerns is the renewal of the Warren Knowles – Gaylord Nelson Stewardship fund. (The fund is public program that provides outdoor recreation opportunities and helps protect critical natural areas, wildlife habitat, and water quality in Wisconsin. Since 1989, Stewardship funds have helped protect nearly 350,000 acres across the state. The Stewardship Fund is currently funded at $60 million annually, and will expire in 2010 if not reauthorized by the Legislature).

Updates
• Scott Peterson, Friends of the Upper St. Croix Headwaters (FOTSCH)
Scott discussed the recent formation of the Upper St. Croix Watershed Alliance. The group brings together FOTSCH, Upper St. Croix Lake Association and the Gordon Flowage Association. The Friends group has 25 volunteers working on water quality monitoring using the Water Action Volunteer standards as well as water chemistry monitoring in collaboration with UW Stevens Point staff. Beginning this past May the Friends group has worked to build stakeholders across the watershed. The group is also working with a cranberry marsh owner to encourage/seek funding for a closed loop operation of an existing cranberry marsh on this segment of river.

The 8 mile segment of the St. Croix River between Gordon and Solon is on a list of potential rivers to be added to the state’s list of ORW waters. This segment is also proposed for state Wild River Designation. The Friends group is working with Douglas County to promote nature based tourism on this unique physical and historical river segment with great natural resources for citizens and visitors to enjoy.

• Dave Ferris, Burnett County LWCD
Dave is directed by the county board to develop a purchase of development program in the county. Funding for the program comes from a portion of the sale of tax delinquent/tax deed lands. He is also working on revision of the county’s livestock ordinance. The Searle’s cranberry marsh on the Clam River is still for sale with potential NRCS EQUIP restoration funding available if a conservation buyer purchase the property. The County recently hosted a conservation field day for 170-5th graders. Ham Lake is spending 15,000/ annually on Eurasian Water Milfoil control. Ham Lake Association is applying for DNR funds to construct a boat landing with the hopes that the landing will facilitate financing through the DNR’s A.I.S. grants. The county is concerned with the potential for Ham Lake to export EWM once the landing is established. The County also plans to purchase and install remote cameras to monitor boat landing s at 5 different locations and then evaluate camera deterrent effectiveness using hidden cameras.

• Amy Kelsey, Polk County LWRD
The county is working to revise the Storm water & Erosion Control Ordinance to clarify issues with agricultural related buildings/ land disturbance. The County is completing a number of lake grants for the coming year, including funding request to purchase property on Bass Lake. In cooperation with Burnett County, Amy is working on a Round, Long and Trade Lake watershed grant for 20007 to focus on water quality (a 2005 study showed the 90% of runoff pollution coming from Polk County Agriculture).

• Blaire Kline of St. Croix Falls
Blaire discussed a land acquisition opportunity on a 450 acre parcel of land on the north end of the city. The present owner is willing to sell the land at a bargain sale price of $900,000, but needs to close on the property prior to 2007. Tom Duffus of The Conservation Fund needs a guarantee of an 18 month payback prior to funding acquisition with a deadline of Oct. 8th; for local units of government meet and decide on funding. Blaire is seeking support and financing for purchase of the property. Conservation easement would be placed on the land if it were purchased.

• Mike Prichard, St. Croix Conservation Collaborative
The collaborative is focusing on land protection and has met to discuss areas of priority protection. Karen Blaser of Gathering Waters continues to facilitate group discussions. The Next meeting is 9am on November 28th at the National Park Service Headquarters in St. Croix Falls. There is some questions and discussions regarding NR118 below the St. Croix Falls dam and the jurisdiction of NR115 in recently annexed areas above the dam.

• Pete Prusak, WDNR
This Saturday Osceola will host a downtown dedication at 1pm to celebrate downtown investment and improvement projects. They did a major upgrade to the waste water plant providing a great benefit for the St. Croix River. The Danbury hatchery is seeking a variance for their discharged wastewater to Loon Creek, an ORW stream. They are presently negotiating this request with EPA & the DNR.

• Kate Hansen, National Park Service
The St. Croix Research Rendezvous will be held at the Marine on the St. Croix on October 17th. For more information click here. Zebra Mussel numbers are increasing on the lower St. Croix, there are still none above Stillwater. Mark Hove’s research found the Channel Catfish is the host for the Winged Maple Leaf Mussel. USGS will be finalizing/ publishing the St. Croix Basin ground water study.

• Brook Waalen, League for Conservation Voters and Luck Citizen
The master plan on the Straight Lake Park is "a bit delayed and not actually on hold" according to Paul Kookier of the WDNR. Paul was a bit concerned about the description of the project being "on hold" as provided by Brook and so described in the original minutes. Paul offered these additional comments (he was unable to attend the last meeting due to a last minute change of plans); Snowmobiles are accessing the park despite signage and gates. It's locals who haven't accepted the fact that the parcel has new owners: the public. The DNR has been responsive to notification about rogue riders, but catching these folks is tough. There has been a ton of work happening out of sight in preparation (inventorying, etc) for the more public aspects of the master planning process. The agency is behind schedule, but that's due to lack of staff and multiple other planning efforts in the region and across the state. Planning is proceeding for the Straight Lake Park.

The concerns focus on the need to include canoe navigation and fisheries habitat in the removal and bridge construction. UWEX is working on a Gandy Dance Trail study to provide insight into how citizens enjoy the train tracks and what economic impact that provides to the local area. The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is inviting the public to help set the conservation and environmental agenda for Wisconsin. These briefing book listening sessions are a chance to tell the conservation community wat are the most pressing issues facing Wisconsin's environment. Sessions will take place October 4, 6:30-8:00pm at the LE Phillips Memorial Public Library, Eau Claire and October 5, 6:30-8:00pm at the Three Rivers House, LaCrosse. Please RSVP to Brook if you can attend.

Next Meeting:
January 24, 2007 from 9am - Noon at St. Croix National Park Headquarters, St. Croix Falls.
Proposed agenda will include a discussion with the River Alliance of Wisconsin