At their March 11 meeting, the Crawford County Land Conservation Committee (LCC) discussed hiring processes and various projects. The department is currently working to hire a Sanitation & Zoning Technician, and a summer Invasive Species Coordinator.

“So far, we’ve received one application for the Invasive Species Coordinator position,” Troester reported. “The applicant is a college student from New Hampshire, and likely saw the posting I made to various college websites.”

Troester said that he, Becky Nagel and committee chair Gary Koch would be conducting interviews for the Sanitation & Zoning Technician position later in the week. He said he’d received 12 applications, and they would interview five.

Projects

Troester told the committee that a decision will need to be made about 2025 Conservation Award winners in April so the Prairie du Chien High School shop students can make the Aldo Leopold benches before the end of the school year.

“We have also been continuing to hold discussions about the Driftless Area Water Study (DAWS) between Crawford, Vernon and Richland counties,” Troester said. “We are exploring the possibility of applying for grant funding to allow a broader project.”

In public input, Crawford Stewardship Project’s Forest Jahnke explained that the DAWS group is considering applying for the last EPA ‘Thriving Communities’ grant before the program is cancelled at the federal level.

Troester reported that he had completed a draft of his 2024 work plan report to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), and submitted the county’s application for their Soil and Water Resource Management grant funding.

“In 2024, our work plan had a goal of adding 300 nutrient management plans in the county, and we actually added 700,” Troester told the committee. “We assisted with 778 acres of cover crop planting, helped install 260 acres of contour strips, assisted with implementation of four grazing plans, and helped install 16 grade stabilization structures.”

Troester said that he is working on submitting a Farmland Preservation Program planning grant application. The grant application is due on March 28. He reminded the committee that the last time the county received such a grant, they had worked with Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission, and the grant had paid 50% of the cost up to $30,000.

Real Property Lister Gionne Collins reported that the new county GIS mapping system is now live on the county website, and that the IT Department had done a great job on the project.

“This upgrade has made a world of difference when working on mapping,” Collins said.

Resolution passed

The committee unanimously passed a resolution, drafted by the statewide Land+Water Board, calling for full funding for county conservation staff in the upcoming biennial State of Wisconsin budget. That resolution reads:

SUPPORT FOR INCREASING BASE FUNDING FOR COUNTY CONSERVATION STAFFING TO $20.2 MILLION

WHEREAS, County Land and Water Conservation Department (LWCD) staff are relied upon to carry out a range of Wisconsin’s state agricultural and resource management programs that reduce non-point pollution, preserve farmland, protect waterfront property, reclaim non-metallic mines, limit aquatic invasive species control, manage forests, and reduce floods; and,

WHEREAS, LWCDs assist Wisconsin’s farmers in many ways, including supporting producer-led watershed groups, developing nutrient management plans, engineering manure storage and transfer systems, and applying conservation practices that promote soil health and build profitability; and,

WHEREAS, the shared conservation work of LWCD professionals and landowners has major water quality benefits, including preventing soil erosion, protecting drinking water supply, increasing rainwater infiltration into groundwater aquifers, and restoring native habitat; and,

WHEREAS, LWCD experts are trusted, technical advisors that consult with landowners to understand their land management goals and then propose customized solutions that includes project planning and contracting, engineering, quality control, and securing of cost-share funding to reduce project expenses to; and,

WHEREAS, building a partnership based on trust and understanding with farmer and landowner clients cannot happen instantly, but rather, requires a sustained commitment over time from LWCD professionals; and,

WHEREAS, LWCDs leverage cost-share funding from federal and private sources, providing a 2:1 return on the state investment, and spurring local economic growth in industries including agriculture, construction, tourism, forestry, and recreation; and,

WHEREAS, the State of Wisconsin codifies LWCDs’ role in carrying out of state conservation standards via Wis. Stats Chap. 92, defining a goal that the State fund staff positions in every LWCD at 100% of the first, 70% of the second, and 50% of each additional staff position; and,

WHEREAS, the State of Wisconsin has not ensured baseline support of LWCDs by meeting this funding goal since its inception, and in the 18-year period from 2006 to 2024, base funding relative to LWCD staffing needs decreased by 24%.

WHEREAS, supporting county LWCDs is a widely supported priority supported by conservation, environmental and local government groups alike; and,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Crawford County does hereby urge the Wisconsin State Legislature to strengthen the viability of the State’s County Land and Water Conservation Staffing program by increasing base funding for the program by $11,035,900 on an annual basis to a total of $20.2 million annually.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of the resolution be sent to WI Land+Water Conservation Association, all State Legislators, the Governor, DATCP Secretary, DNR Secretary, DOA Secretary, the Wisconsin Counties Association, and the Wisconsin Towns Association.

Poster winners

Troester told the committee that none of the county’s poster submissions had advanced beyond the regional competition level, but that many great posters had been received. Since only the Seneca School District had submitted posters this year, the committee discussed strategies to involve more schools in upcoming years.

Winners of the Crawford County Land Conservation 2025 Poster Contest, dedicated to the theme, ‘Home is Where the Habitat Is,’ include:

K-1st grades

• First: Addison Hansel

• Second: Larkin Jerrett

• Third: Gabe Martinez

2nd-3rd grades

• First: Jack Heisz

• Second: Brindle Check

• Third: Paxton Martin

4th-6th grades

• First: Sophia Erdenberger

• Second: Braxton Ostrem

• Third: Mary Sime

7th-9th grades

• First: Kinsley Jelinek

• Second: Carlee Hammell

• Third: Makenna McCullick

In other business

In other business, the committee

• learned Sanitation & Zoning’s Becky Nagel issued four sanitary permits, performed one soil test, and issued one zoning permit in the last month, and that on April 7 there would be 21 septic system non-compliance citations on the court docket

• learned that Troester had attended the statewide Land & Water Conference the prior week, where he attended a workshop about using artificial intelligence in a communications workshop, a presentation about renewable energy siting, and a presentation entitled, ‘15 years of manure spills,’ which he said was very interesting, and detailed where the spills were occurring, either on the land or on roads

• approved a total of $100 in scholarships available to county middle school or high school students to attend summer conservation camps

• learned that Conservation Technician Travis Bunting was starting the 2025 planning process, and navigating uncertainties about federal funding for USDA-NRCS programs

• learned from Josh Bushel, USDA-NRCS District Conservationist for Crawford and Richland counties, that NRCS Resource Conservationist Karyl Fritsche had left federal service, and that acting a new Resource Conservationist would be in the office soon

• learned that the county had submitted 25 applications for the USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which is the highest number in Southwest Wisconsin, and that one of the applicants is Trout Unlimited

• learned that the Fair Board had hired Lyrica Marks as the new Fair Coordinator, and that she is off to a good start.