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Conservation Commission MINUTES - 1/19/2012Approved 5/17/12 Conservation Commission (Commission) City of Muskego Minutes of Meeting Held on Thursday, January 19, 2012 Chairman Pilak called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM and led those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll Call - Commissioners: Ms. Julie Holubowicz, Mr. Leonard Pilak, Ms. Sharon Roy, Ald. Soltysiak, Mr. Howard Schneider and Conservation Coordinator Tom Zagar. Excused: Ms. Karen Hartwell, Mr. Bill Miller The meeting was posted in accordance with the open meeting law. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES — A motion was made by Commissioner Schneider to approve the minutes of the meeting held October 18, 2011. Seconded by Commissioner Roy; motion carried. PROJECT UPDATES Conservation Coordinator Zagar updated the commissioners on the following projects: Engel Conservation Area —A resident of the Woodland Creek subdivision inquired about access to Engel Conservation Area. Conservation Coordinator Zagar stated there was a 15-foot public access easement and the residents of the subdivision should be aware of it He plans are to mow connector the trail and is proposing to put a discrete sign that would identify it as a Woodland Creek subdivision outlot access to the Engel Conservation Area. Native Seeding at Park Arthur —They seeded areas of Park Arthur last summer and still have some seed left over and will be reseeding some areas. This will help reduce the maintenance costs of the park. Commissioner Roy inquired if there were any parks that could have a rugby field as the field at Blubm Park is bad. Would Park Arthur have any area? Conservation Coordinator Zagar advised her to contact Director Anderson. Ald. Soltysiak thought the second phase of Park Arthur had planned for a football/rugby area but he didn't know if they were going through with it due to added costs of park development. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Acquisition of Borst Property Lands— Conservation Coordinator Zagar reported they are close to closing on the Borst property. They are at the same point as they were in December. He believed they did come in with what is the final CSM land division. He provided a map showing the acquisition area which is about 103 acres in size. The city is also acquiring an access easement through her property to the uplands and Ridges site. Update on Conservation Plan —Commissioners were in receipt of the pertinent chapters to the conservation plan and were asked for their input. The biggest change in the inventory chapter was that "other conservation sites" category now includes subdivision outlots that have preservation restrictions. Most of these areas are wetlands. There are also some new acquisitions added to the plan. The plan's "Recommendations" chapter classifies certain land areas in the community as high, medium or low priority based on ecological significance of the land cover growing there. Some specific recommendations were discussed: • Big Muskego Lake is a natural area of regional significance with a lot of critical species living there. Partnering with the WDNR to help them acquire more lands in the Big Muskego Lake wildlife area should be a priority. Connect current areas with other areas to form a more contiguous area. Commissioners were in agreement that this should be pursued. • In regard to the Badertscher reserve, to come up with some formal plan to build facilities and to manage the land. Commissioner Holubowicz questioned what type of facilities? Conservation Coordinator Zagar Conservation Commission Meeting — January 19, 2012 — Page 2 responded with parking lot, some type of restroom, signage, trail system similar to Engel Conservation Area. Ultimately at Engel Conservation Area, to have a building where there is outdoor education, meetings, etc. He would like to fund it in other ways than taxpayer dollars such as private donations and a nonprofit "friends" group. It is also possible that another group such as Boy Scouts could develop such a building in exchange for getting preferential use. Chairman Pilak shared that there are groups that round up contractors, materials to build educational centers usually at no cost as they are looking for a tax break. Conservation Coordinator Zagar stated that it would then be a matter of maintenance costs that could be offset by renting the building or utilizing endowments. There are high priority lands to the north and west of the Engel Conservation Area in the northwest corner of Section 20 that could expand the conservancy with a swath of conservancy lands, or "greenway," with a trail that connects all the way to Muskego County Park. Promote conservation sites to raise awareness and so people develop a sense of stewardship in them. Commissioner Hartwell had called Zagar suggesting that volunteers become more involved in management. It was brought up to possibly have an adopt -a -conservation land program as a way to manage the lands. Conservation Coordinator Zagar was contacted by a former forester who was interested in volunteering to remove buckthorn at Veterans Memorial Park. In the past, residents from the Quietwood Creek subdivision volunteered to do work in the woods by Guernsey Meadows. Commissioner Holubowicz shared that some companies want to do a service day for their employees. Conservation Coordinator Zagar noted that the M&I bank employees had volunteered and collected prairie seeds at the Engel Conservation Area in 2010. In the recommendations chapter, Commissioner Schneider asked where the creek runs across the corner of College and Racine that the priority for the corridor be changed to medium. Conservation Coordinator Zagar felt that raising the priority of the creek corridor was a good idea. it could be; however, that area is commercial development land and the woods is low quality. Commissioner Schneider's concern was preserving the quality of this water which originates on the Borst farm. Commissioner Schneider made a motion to convert the area that follows the creek to medium conservation priority; the swath of land along the creek just southeast of College and Racine. Chairman Pilak seconded. Commissioner Holubowicz stated it was a great idea. The area will be changed on Map 10. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried. Ald. Soltysiak invited discussion on a trail up Hillendale to get to the Ridges, connecting through the Waste Management site; also, Hillendale to Racine and come off of Field Drive to the Borst property. It would be described as going from the northern half of Section 18 to Hillendale and then east of Hillendale to Racine with a spur on Field Drive to go to the Borst property. Ald. Soltysiak moved to approve the Commission's modifications to the Conservation Plan for 2012-2016. Commissioner Schneider seconded. Upon a voice vote, the motion carried unanimously. NEW BUSINESS Site Plan for Badertscher Reserve (Borst Land Acquisition) — Conservation Coordinator Zagar mentioned the plan would not only include parking lot and facilities, but uses of the property. He suggested consideration of the following uses: • Because of the use of stewardship money, hunting cannot be prohibited. However, they can regulate it. On the application, they can offer bow hunting and possibly turkey hunting. It would not have dove, duck, pheasant or deer hunting due to the proximity to the residences and the amount of the shooting. They would only want silent hunting activities and this would still meet the criteria of the stewardship. They could also set up a system where hunters would need permits which would be two -fold in providing revenue to maintain the area. • Consider an equestrian trail. • No dogs. Conservation Commission Meeting — January 19, 2012 — Page 3 • Possibly allow passage of snowmobile trail, but not ATV. This plan will be an ongoing agenda item. Zagar noted that the agricultural lands will be leased to the existing tenant farmer. Monies generated can be put toward restoration and facilities development. Zagar also noted he has been in contact with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and can likely get funding for the prairie plantings as well as wetland restoration. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW Parks & Recreation Department Seeks to Acquire Boxhorn Boat Launch Conservation Coordinator Zagar shared that the city is exploring the idea of purchasing just the boat launch access from the Boxhorn Gun Club. It would be a good portion of the parking lot, the launch and some wetlands to the south and also includes a pole barn across the parking lot from AJ's. The pole barn would be used to store a lot of the equipment that is used for conservation, the Lake District boat, ATV, the city boat, trailer/mower, and some parks equipment. The city may rent out some space to the gun club. As of now, it is still in the appraisal stage. Commissioner Schneider inquired on the funding for the purchase. Conservation Coordinator Zagar thought it would be landfill funds or park dedication fees. He stated it was important to get access to Big Muskego Lake and Chairman Pilak added that a certain number of trailer parking spaces are needed per acreage of lake to get DNR funding and assistance. MMSD Land Acquisition in Franklin and Muskego Conservation Coordinator Zagar reported the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District has a land acquisition project to do storm water abatement and wetland restoration in the Ryan Creek watershed which is tributary to the Root River. While a portion is in Muskego, most of the project area is just east in Franklin. On the map, he pointed out the lands around Dumke Pond across from where Durham Drive connects to North Cape Road that comprise the creek's headwaters. Much of the project area also lies within the Big Muskego Lake State Wildlife Area project boundary. MMSD works through a nonprofit conservation organization to acquire the land. They have deeded one parcel of 60 some acres to the Department of Natural Resources that is open to public hunting. Eventually, all of the acquired parcels (about 220 acres total) will become state land. One acquisition parcel lies in Muskego; the 40-acre parcel of land from the Blattner family. ADJOURNMENT—Ald. Soltysiak moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 PM. SCoE4 0=4hoo, CPS Recording Secretary