Program Notes from the Feb 26, 2008 Meeting of LKWA

February 26, 2008 at 6:00 pm

Milton Township Hall

Chairman, Rick Persson called the meeting to order at 6:07 pm. There were 18 persons in attendance.

Rick welcomed everyone and introduced Erin O'Brien, from the Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA).

We paused in memory of James Yates and Robert Hevey, members who passed away recently. Both men lived on Lake Koshkonong for more than 70 years and loved the lake and its wetlands.

A motion was passed to approve the minutes of October 30, 2007 and February 2, 2008 as Emailed.

The treasurer's report was distributed and discussed.

Sightings around the lake included several sightings of Bald eagles, Canada geese, flickers and northern shrikes. Another interesting sighting was a least weasel in its white winter coat.

Old business:

  1. The legal proceedings regarding Lake Koshkonong water levels progressed to the Circuit Court judicial hearing (Judge Dillon) on February 19 at the Rock County courthouse in Janesville. Three hours were devoted to briefs by the petitioners and response briefs from the WDRN, LKWA and Theibeau Hunt Club. The judge will probably take several weeks to months to consider his decision.

New business:

  1. Bill Zeman showed us an article about the history of duck hunting that recently appeared in Decoy magazine. He asked how many were interested in obtaining copies of the magazine. He determined that there was interest in 18 copies. He will look into the cost and feasibility of obtaining this many copies.
  2. Penny distributed an annual report and reviewed the highlights. She noted the major activities for 2007 including 1) our work to support the decision of the Wisconsin DNR that the water level of Lake Koshkonong should not be raised, 2) our work to build nesting structures for wood ducks, mallards, bluebirds and prothonotary warblers, and 3) our commitment to support bird conservation through participation in the Wisconsin Bird conservation Initiative. She also noted our monthly education programs. Our financial status was reviewed.

Announcements:

  1. Next meeting March 25, 6:00 pm: LOCATION: TALLGRASS RESTORATION OFFICE AT JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY 59 AND COUNTY N (on Highway 59 between Milton and Newville). Program: Osprey nesting in southern Wisconsin. Pat Ready
  2. April 29 meeting, 6:00 pm: Milton Town Hall; Program: Terril Knaack – The Ecology and importance of shallow lakes
  3. May 27 meeting, 6:00 pm: Location to be determined; Program: Prothonotary warbler nest box management.
  4. September 14 – October 4, 2008: Legacy of Duck Hunting on Lake Koshkonong; Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson. NOTE: anyone who has materials or information that might be included in this exhibit and programs, please contact Dick Wannie 920 563-6274

The meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.

The program was presented by Erin O'Brien who is the Wetland Policy and Conservation specialist for the Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA). Erin began by presenting the mission of the WWA which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, restoration and enjoyment of wetlands and associated ecosystems through science-based programs, education and advocacy. WWA works hard to educate the general public about the importance of wetlands, a very under-appreciated ecosystem. She noted that one first has to overcome daces of negative perceptions that persist through the use of phrases such as "wasteland" (a term used in property tax descriptions until recently), "swamped" and "bogged down". Wetlands were often thought to breed diseases and are also perceived as obstacles to progress. Another misconception is that wetlands are always associated with lakes and rivers. In fact, in Wisconsin 20% are isolated. Wetlands are defined by a special combination of the presence of water, hydric soils and a community of wetland plants. Wetlands are often NOT wet all year. Wisconsin has 12 types of wetlands. Examples include marshes, floodplain forests and sedge meadows.

Some of the important functions of wetlands are: 1) To prevent flooding. One acre of wetland can hold 1.5 million gallons of water! 2) To recharge ground water with clean, pure water. 3) Recreation 4) Support biodiversity – 1/3 of Wisconsin's threatened or endangered species live in wetlands and 3/4 of all Wisconsin's wildlife depends on wetlands. Of the original 10 million acres of wetlands in Wisconsin, only 5.3 million acres remain.

Seventy-five percent of Wisconsin's wetlands are privately owned so protection of the wetlands is a delicate balancing act between private property rights vs. the public need for the functions of wetlands. Another problem is that the functions of wetlands are taken for granted and they are thought (incorrectly) to be replaceable.

The WWA Education and Outreach activities include a Field Trip Series, an Annual Conference, Wetland Restoration Workshops and Workshops to train citizens how the Prevent Wetland Losses (e.g. what do you do when you see a backhoe in the marsh down the road?).

WWA tracks and responds to wetland issues in the capital. Erin follows legislation, large projects with wetland impacts, and precedent-setting regulatory decisions. A close eye is kept on pipeline construction, airport expansions and lake level management. An important area is that of wetland taxation. WWA is asking the state to look at how restoration affects taxes. For example, when marginal farmland is restored to wetland, the farmer may experience a large increase in taxes. This discourages good practices and should be changed. Attention to road building is also needed that often results in disturbance and filling of wetlands. Another issue of increasing importance is excessive ground water withdrawal with resulting dry-up of wetlands.

The WWA has developed a set of resources for citizens to use. These include their website www.wisconsinwetlands.org, a newsletter that is mailed to members and is also available on-line, a Wetland Restoration Handbook and a publication entitled "What does it cost to own a wetland". Anyone can join their Email network – directions are on the website.

Projects underway right now are preparation of a handbook called "A Local Decision Makers Guide to Wetland Protection" and a Wetlands Threat Analysis. The threat analysis will be used to set priorities for future action, research and will guide decision-making.

Question: What is WWA's "take" on wetland mitigation?

Answer: Many studies show that this causes loss of quality wetlands and their important functions. It takes thousands of years to achieve the balanced hydrology and biodiversity of a wetland and it functions in the context of the other habitats surrounding it. This simply cannot be reproduced from scratch somewhere else. The approach to this should be to avoid wetland disturbance completely, if possible. If not, minimize any impact. The last resort should be mitigation.

We thanked Erin for her very interesting presentation and adjourned at 7:45 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Penny Shackelford, Secretary-Treasurer