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In response to feedback from conservation partners, the WDNR Waterway and Wetland Program
is planning to public notice a DRAFT new
general permit for waterway and wetland activities (see official notice, below). This will streamline the
regulatory process for several agricultural water quality conservation
activities including: grassed waterways, filter strips, lined waterways, grade
stabilization structures, stream crossings, water and sediment control basins,
dams, sediment basins, and constructed wetlands. This general permit will dramatically streamline the regulatory process for these activities and facilitate innovative programs including water quality trading, adaptive management and TMDL implementation. This proposed general permit
is intended to be used by county, state, and federal agencies and was developed
in partnership with NRCS. See the following announcement for more information;
In
Green Lake County, cooperative conservation contributes to cleaner water through the
National Water Quality Initiative. Learn more about the 6-year effort involving
various partners and landowners to install over 130 best management practices
in Green Lake Watershed.
NRCS
will accept applications for enrollment in the nation’s biggest conservation
program, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Through CSP, NRCS helps
private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices
that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation.
Applications
must be received by March 2, 2018 to be considered for this funding
period. Read more
The 2018 Ag Outlook Forum was Jan 25, 2018 (topics below). The presentation
videos are now available online.
- Farm Income and Cost Outlook
- Dairy Situation and Outlook
- Grain and Livestock Situation and Outlook
- Specialty Crop Situation and Outlook
- Wisconsin Economy Situation and Outlook
- Navigating the Rural Urban Divide
- The Politics of Resentment
- Myths and Realities of the Rural Urban Divide
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
provides Nutrient Management Farmer Education (NMFE) grants to local
organizations to teach farmers how to develop their own nutrient
management plans. Producer-led groups that qualify under the grant criteria are
eligible to apply. Applications will be due on April 16, 2018 for 2019 funding. This funding will be available from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
Tier 1 funding,
$20,000 maximum: Provide nutrient management training to producers and plan writers to
develop 590-compliant nutrient management plans.
Tier 2 funding,
$2,500 maximum: Offer nutrient management training and education, but developing a
590-compliant plan isn't required. Tier 2 funding can be used for
administrative, training and support costs.
Application materials can be found on our webpage
For questions, please email: Mark Jenks or Rachel Rushman
The waterway and wetland program just finalized a guidance
document that might be of interest to CAFOs and others in the dairy industry.
Feel free to take a look and pass along: Placing
pipes and similar structures over navigable waters.
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Volunteer Training, Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy, Middleton; begins June 21, 2018
The Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy is hosting a Master Naturalist Course in Middleton beginning June 21, 2018. The course will include some classroom time, but will focus mostly on outdoor experiences in the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and field trips to other exceptional sites for learning in our topic areas.
The Wisconsin Master Naturalist Program is a network of well-informed citizens dedicated to conservation education and service within Wisconsin communities. The Master Naturalist Volunteer Training Course provides 40 hours of coursework in natural history, interpretation, and conservation stewardship. Courses combine classroom instruction with field experiences and are taught by professional natural resources educators and scientists. Once trained, Wisconsin Master Naturalist Volunteers provide 40 hours of service and take 8 hours of advanced training each year to maintain their certification and receive a recognition pin.
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The Southeast Fox River Partnership is hosting their sixth annual Fox River Summit on March 23rd, 2018 at Veterans Terrace at Echo Park, Burlington, WI. The Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth Riggs, Deputy Director, Huron River Watershed Council, will speak about the Economic Impact of the Huron River. Additional topics of interest include:
- Urban Leaf Management and Stormwater Quality,
- Impacts of Road Salt and Chlorides on Water Quality,
- Changes in Oak Openings from the 1930's,
- Waukesha County Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan
- Community Planning, and
- numerous other topics! Click HERE for more information
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The MS4 eReporting Webinar recorded on January
10, 2018, has been posted on the Municipal storm water permit eReporting web page under
the User Support Tools section. The webinar provided an overview of the new MS4
eReporting system.
Municipal
Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit is required for many municipalities to
help protect public health and local waterway quality. MS4 storm water
programs are to include practices to prevent pollutants from municipally-owned
transportation infrastructure, maintenance areas, storage yards, sand and salt
storage areas, and waste transfer stations entering the storm sewer
system. Municipal field crews are on the front lines for implementation
of these practices as well as the detection and elimination of illicit
discharges.
This training, administered by
Maureen McBroom, Environmental Coordinator for Ruekert-Mielke, will consist of
short lectures and interactive elements to share experiences to highlight
practical storm water management best practices for municipal staff to follow
and share with seasonal staff.
TIME: Friday, March 23
from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
LOCATION: UW-Whitewater
campus; Esker Dining Hall Room 118 – Esker is located at 420 N. Prairie St.
Whitewater WI and parking is available in Lot 4. Guest parking permits
will be made available at the Visitor’s Center on Starin Road.
TO ATTEND THE TRAINING:
Send an email to sustainability@uww.edu
with number of registrants, and municipality represented. There is no
cost to attend and all are welcome up to the capacity of the room.
Participants will be asked to sign in with name and email upon arrival for
tracking participation. Additional attendance verification can be
provided upon request.
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There is ever-growing progress with watershed-based permitting as more and more communities and facilities choose to opt for Water Quality Trading or Adaptive Management. This map depicts WPDES permit holders that have formally selected adaptive management or water quality trading as their preferred phosphorus compliance option.
If you have questions or feedback about phosphorus implementation or the MDV, contact your regional or statewide MDV coordinator [PDF]
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 Grants
The Targeted Runoff Management (TRM)
Grant Program offers competitive grants for local governments for the control
of pollution that comes from diffuse sources, also called “nonpoint source
(NPS)” pollution. Grants from the TRM Program reimburse costs for agricultural
or urban runoff management practices in targeted, critical geographic areas
with surface water or groundwater quality concerns.
All application materials for projects beginning
in 2019 are due April 15, 2018.
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