Yahara WINs Strategic Planning Workgroup madsewer.org October 9, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Yahara WINs Strategic Planning Workgroup madsewer.org October 9, 2012

Agenda • Opening • Welcome Guests/Members • Additions? Questions? • Yahara WINs Pilot Project • Discussion/direction on project funding (MMSD) • Next steps • Future agendas • Other Business • Adjournment • Executive Committee Meeting Follows

Discussion of draft Agricultural Practices - Work Plan • Phosphorus Reduction Goal – ~1 lb/acre/year on average • Actions: • Comprehensive Inventory • Establish baseline • Identify and prioritize high contributing areas • Implement targeted practices • Calculate phosphorus reductions • Verify the effectiveness of phosphorus control practices and verify practices are effectively maintained. • Tiered System & Payments

Discussion of Draft Agricultural Practices - Work Plan • Three Tiers • Inventory and Background • Phosphorus Reduction BMP’s • Water Management Practices • Pay for Verified phosphorus reductions ($/lb) • 2013 focus on inventory and background • Leverage MOU dollars with other available dollars (MRBI, Urban Water Quality Grants, existing farm programs, etc. ) Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Discussion of draft Agricultural Practices - Work Plan • Goals: • How to engage and unite with producers/agronomists • How to develop effective communication • How to accurately calculate phosphorus loss • How to determine the most cost-effective practices • How to track and store records Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Updates since last meetings: • Fully-executed Memorandum of Understanding • USGS gaging stations gathering data with help of Sand Co. funding • The Fund for Lake Michigan announced they would help fund the Leaf Management Project. Madison, DNR, Dane Co, USGS, + have started. • USEPA Region V administrator Susan Hedman toured the pilot project area. • The UW WRM started work on transient sediments • The UW Soils Department, and partners, received notification of CIG funds and started two projects, Winter Runoff and Barnyards • The first signup for Mississippi River Basin Initiative Grant • CLA and Dane Co. initiated cover crop demonstration project

Current Partners Cities Villages Towns Others Fitchburg Arlington Blooming Grove CLA Cottage Grove Bristol Clean Wisconsin Madison DeForest Burke Dane County Middleton Maple Bluff Cottage Grove MG&E Monona McFarland Dunn MMSD Stoughton Oregon Middleton Sand County Foundation Shorewood Hills Westport Stoughton Utilities Waunakee Windsor USGS WDNR Yahara Pride Farm Group Other Interested Parties* WI Dept. Ag Trade Consumer Protection Capitol Area Regional Planning Commission NRCS/USDA The River Alliance of Wisconsin US EPA Yahara Lakes Association * Periodically updated

Communications Approach • Semi-Annual Report • Currently Developing First Report • Newsletter • Interest in more-frequent updates? • Interest in email format that would be printable as handouts? • Website • Continues to be Updated • Content Request Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Size of Executive Committee • Should the Adaptive Management Executive Committee be expanded to include representation from the Yahara Pride Farm Group? • Background • Discussions at last SPW and Exec. Committee • Discussion • Yahara Pride Farm Team producers are important partners for the success of the pilot project. • Opening the MOU is complicated • Recommendation: MMSD does not recommend reopening the MOU at this time, but does recommend that the strategic planning workgroup support creating a liaison position between the executive committee and the Yahara Pride Farm Group. Doing so would not require formally reopening the MOU. • Motion? Discussion? VOTE required

Full-Scale Implementation Discussion (10-minutes): • As each partner contemplates participation in a full-scale adaptive management project, what information is critical? Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Yahara Pride Farms – Update • Bob Uphoff – Board Member • Organization formalized • Board members appointed • Cover Crop Program Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Cover Crop ‘Pilot’ Project • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kml_qC6SH5w&feature=y outu.be Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Clean Lakes Alliance • Update • Future Initiatives Yahara WINs Pilot Project

Discussion/Direction on Project Funding • Financial report; 2012 and 2013 Budget Forecast (10- min) • Possible Alternative Delivery Method (5-min) • Manure Digester-Water Treatment Proposal (10 min) • The Conservation Fund Proposal (10-min) • The Fund for Lake Michigan update • Others Project Funding

2013 Forecasted Expenditures MOU Contributions MRBI Contributions Total Anticipated Funding Level $505,000 $350,000 $855,000 Anticipated Expenditures MOU MRBI Total Phosphorus Reduction Practices $179,000 $350,000 $529,000 BMP Management (planning/installation/verification) $150,000 $150,000 Water quality monitoring $85,000 $85,000 Defined Projects USGS/DNR/COM Leaf study $20,000 $20,000 Conservation Fund $17,000 $17,000 Water Resources Management Practicum $9,000 $9,000 Research-Innovative projects $40,000 $40,000 Miscellaneous and Contingency $5,000 $5,000 Total Forecasted Expenditures $505,000 $350,000 $855,000

Alternative Delivery Method • Reverse Auction Concept • Competitive: based on $/lb-P reduced • Encourages Innovative Practices • Yahara Pride Farm Team Interest • Investigate Pilot of this Alternative Delivery • Steps for consideration • Yahara WINs interest • Funding Availability • Timing Project Funding

Manure Digester: Water Treatment • Dane County has requested Yahara WINs funding for engineering, design and business planning for advanced water treatment at the new manure digester in Middleton. • $30,000 cost has been proposed. • Additional Background provided by Dave Merritt • VOTE Required Project Funding

The Conservation Fund  Non-profit focused on balancing environmental and economic goals  Currently helping Milwaukee’s Green Seams program secure $7 grant for every $3 public.  Proposal to help Yahara WINs identify potential new funding sources. Breakdown on following page.  VOTE required

Fund for Lake Michigan  Approved the funding of the Leaf Management Project proposal – allowing the project to start a year earlier than originally planned.  USGS Stations are installed  Project will be collecting baseline data this fall.

Project Funding • Any additional items? Project Funding

Final Agenda Items: • Next steps • Future agendas • Other Business • Adjournment