EANR 2022 to 2024 Accomplishments!
/It is my great honor to serve as the Chair of the Environment, Ag and Natural Resources Committee. We have a really strong group of supervisors: Sarah Smith, Pat Downing, Aaron Collins and Holly Hatcher and a wonderful Director Laura Hicklin along with great staff.
Here is a list of accomplishments for our term that just concluded with our last meeting.
Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
2022-2024 Accomplishments
This is a partial list of accomplishments and may include errors and omissions.
• Launched the Soil Health Equipment Program o Helps agricultural producers purchase farm equipment to implement soil health practices, such as no-till, cover crops, and low disturbance manure injection.
o $538,000 awarded to 18 producers in 2022 (2023 numbers pending)
• Conservation Practice Implementation o Reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, improve water infiltration, build soil health, increase wildlife habitat, sequester carbon and diversity agricultural practices.
o Awarded 171 contracts with agricultural producers to implement conservation practices with $3.1 million in funding assistance 2022 (2023 numbers pending)
• Urban Water Quality Grant Program o Improve quality of urban stormwater runoff
o Lincoln Street stormwater facility was completed by the City of Verona using funding from Dane County through the Urban Water Quality Grant Program on land donated by Dane County. The facility receives runoff from 750 acres of development. (District #32)
o Tribeca stormwater facility in the City of Middleton received funding from the County’s Urban Water Quality Grant Program, reducing the amount of runoff to Graber Pond. (District #26)
• Yahara River Sediment Removal o Creates flood resiliency by improving the flow of water through the Yahara Chain of Lakes during high-water events.
o 18,500 cubic yards removed in 2022
o 118,700 cubic yards removed in 2023
o 191,200 cubic yards total removed to date (work took place mainly in Districts #23, #24 ,#34,#35 but benefits many more)
• Legacy Sediment Removal o Improve water quality by removing phosphorus from tributary streams that enter the Yahara Lakes.
o Removed 25,000 tons of sediment from Six Mile Creek in 2022 (work took place in District #21 but benefits many more)
o Planning for the next segment through the Door Creek Wetlands is underway and construction anticipated to start in 2024. (work will take place in District #34 but will benefit many more)
• Friends of Dane County Parks Grant Program o Provide grants to partner organizations to implement projects at Dane County Parks.
o $40,600 awarded in 2022
o $27,000 awarded in 2023
• Parc & Ride Grant Programs o Provide grants to municipalities for bicycle trails and bike parks.
o Grants provided to Village of Windsor (District #22) and City of Madison (District #14)
• Completed Technical Work Group Report for Fish & Crystal Lake Flooding (District #28)
• Made significant accessibility improvements at Salmo Pond County Park (District #28)
• Completed a segment of the North Mendota Trail through Governor Nelson County Park (District #21).
Restored pavement at Token Creek County Park (District #21)
• Reconstructed the tennis court at Goodland County Park for both tennis and pickleball. (District #34)
• Completed the Dane County Parks and Henry Vilas Zoo Equity and Access Evaluation
• 300 acre wetland restoration at Walking Iron Wildlife Area (District #28)
• Began construction of Phase 2 of the Lower Yahara River Trail between Fish Camp County Park and Lake Kegonsa State Park (Districts #34 & #37)
• Began construction of the Waucheeta Connector Trail (Districts #23 & #34)
• Began construction of accessible improvements at Fish Camp County Park, including a kayak launch pier and ramp. (District #34)
• Began collecting soil samples from restored properties to monitor soil carbon reservoirs.
• Launched Dane Demo Farms, a network of farmers that will research and showcase innovative conservation practices to improve water quality and soil health.
• Completed 3 years of restoration of the 160 acre addition to Pheasant Branch Conservancy. (District #29)
• Continued partnership with Operation Fresh Start by funding conservation crews and graduate conservation crews that are trained by Dane County Parks staff and perform work throughout the community, including a new focus areas on stormwater facility maintenance.
• Actively restoring and maintaining thousands of acres, including prairie, oak savanna, oak woodland and wetland sides. This work includes seed collection (3,000 pounds were collected in 2023 from 220 native species with an estimated worth of $1 million), planting of tress and native shrubs (1,000 planted in 2023), and prescribed burning (1,352 acres in 2023).
• Continued partnership with Rooted for gardens at Anderson Farm County Park. (District #31)
Here is a list of land purchases throughout the county:
