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Programs and Services Available from the Dodge County
Land Conservation Department
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Farmland Preservation Program
Changes are coming to the Wisconsin Farmland
Preservation Program that will affect Dodge County landowners that
participate and receive tax credits through the program. Revisions were
made to this 30-year old program and included in the 2009-2011 Wisconsin
State Budget.
Beginning with the 2010 tax year, $27 million will
be available statewide each year for farmland preservation tax credits.
Eligible landowners that participate in the revised program will be able
to collect up to one of the following amounts:
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$5.00 per acre for landowners with a farmland preservation
agreement signed after July 1, 2009 and located in an approved
Agricultural Enterprise Area (AEA). An AEA is an area in which five or
more contiguous landowners have agreed to keep land in agricultural use,
and get local and state approval of their proposed AEA. Currently, the
Dodge County Towns of Fox Lake, Chester, Westford, Beaver Dam, Hubbard,
Herman, Lowell, Clyman, Hustisford, Rubicon, Emmet, Lebanon and Ashippun
have not adopted exclusive agricultural zoning, and landowners here
could only participate in the revised Farmland Preservation Program
under this option.
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$7.50 per acre for landowners in an area zoned for farmland
preservation. Currently, the Dodge County Towns of Lomira, Leroy,
Trenton, Burnett, Williamstown, Theresa, Calamus, Oak Grove, Elba,
Portland and Shields have adopted exclusive agricultural zoning, and
landowners would likely participate in the revised Farmland Preservation
Program under this option.
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$10.00 per acre for landowners in an area zoned for farmland
preservation and also in an approved AEA, with a farmland preservation
agreement signed after July 1, 2009.
Landowner eligibility requirements will also
change. As with the current program, participants in the revised
program must still show a minimum of $6,000 in gross farm revenue for
the past year, or $18,000 in the past three years. There is no longer a
minimum acreage ownership requirement. Property taxes on the land must
be paid by the participant. Landowners must certify on their tax form
that they comply with state soil and water conservation standards.
The revised Farmland Preservation Program no longer
requires landowners to comply with county adopted soil & water
conservation standards. Rather, all landowners claiming tax credits
under the revised program must comply with statewide conservation
standards. The statewide conservation standards are specified in the
Wisconsin Administrative Rules ATCP 50 and NR151, and are summarized
below:
- All land where crops or feed are grown shall
be cropped to achieve a soil erosion rate equal to, or less than,
the “tolerable” (T) rate established for that soil, according to the
Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, Version 2 – (RUSLE2)
- All crop producers and livestock producers
that apply manure or other nutrients to agricultural fields shall
have and follow an annual nutrient management plan that complies
with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Technical Standard
#590
- Construction of a new manure storage facility
or alterations to an old manure storage facility must be done so as
to minimize the risk of structural failure or leakage. (Dodge County
also has an ordinance regulating manure storage construction and
closure)
- A manure storage facility shall be closed when
the facility has ceased operation, or manure has not been added or
removed for a period of 24 months; and closure shall be done in a
manner that will prevent contamination of groundwater or surface
water
- Failing and leaking manure storage facilities
that pose an imminent threat to public health or wildlife, etc.
shall be upgraded, replaced or abandoned
- Runoff shall be diverted away from contacting
feedlots, manure storage or barnyard areas within water quality
management areas (within 300 feet of a stream or ditch; or within
1,000 feet of a lake)
- There shall be no overflow of a manure storage
facility
- There shall be no unconfined manure pile
within water quality management areas
- There shall be no direct runoff from a feedlot
or stored manure into waters of the state
- There shall be no unlimited access by
livestock to waters of the state where high concentrations of
animals prevent the maintenance of adequate sod or self-sustaining
vegetative cover
Current participants will need to meet these
standards based on a 5-year schedule of compliance, and any new
participants for tax year 2010 (tax credits paid in 2011) must
demonstrate compliance with the conservation standards at the time when
applying for the program. Participants under long-term agreements must
comply with the conservation standards that were in place when the
long-term agreement application was submitted to the county.
Current and future program participants are
encouraged to begin taking action now to become fully compliant with the
statewide conservation standards. |
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Non-Point
Source Pollution Control |
Even though the state of Wisconsin no longer
sponsors a watershed based non-point source pollution control program,
the Dodge County Land Conservation Department performs a variety of
non-point source pollution control work activities. Current and
on-going work activities in this area include the following:
- Land & Water Resource
Management Plan Implementation - Planning, design,
installation, and cost sharing of non-point source pollution control
practices provided to landowners under the
Wisconsin Land & Water Resource Management Program.
- Nutrient
and Manure Management Planning - Technical, educational, and cost
share assistance provided to landowners to assist in the preparation and
implementation of cropland nutrient management plans. Manure
spreading restriction maps are prepared for land owners and land
operators needing to know the location of environmentally sensitive
sites where manure spreading is to be restricted.
- Wisconsin Non-Point
Runoff Rule Implementation - Working cooperatively with Wisconsin
DNR field staff, Dodge County Land Conservation Department staff assist
with the planning, design, installation and cost sharing of non-point
pollution control practices with landowners who have been determined to
be violating one or more of Wisconsin's Non-Point Runoff Rules under
Wisconsin Administrative Rule NR151.
- Horicon Marsh Watershed
Landowner Contacts - Dodge County Land Conservation Department
staff are currently contacting key landowners having cropland
adjacent to and draining to the Horicon Marsh. Such contacts
are intended to educate and encourage landowners to install specific
non-point pollution control practices such as grass filter strips,
nutrient management, wetland restorations, critical area
stabilization, grassed waterways, and barnyard runoff control.
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Dodge
County Manure Storage Ordinance
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Dodge County's Manure Storage and Nutrient Utilization Ordinance was
revised in June of 2007. The ordinance continues to require anyone
who is planning to build a new manure storage system, or anyone who is
planning to substantially alter an existing manure storage system in
Dodge County to obtain a permit from the Dodge County Land Conservation
Department, and to do this construction work in compliance with
construction standards. The revised ordinance now provides for the
following additional requirements:
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To properly close
manure storage facilities that have not been used for two or more
years.
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The issuance of a "Certificate of Use" prior to a landowner
being allowed to use a new or substantially altered manure storage facility.
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The preparation of an emergency response plan to be implemented
in the event of a
manure spill or discharge.
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To prepare and annually update and follow a nutrient management
plan for as long as
a permitted manure storage facility continues to be used to store
manure.
Manure Storage Ordinance. PDF
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Wildlife
Crop Damage Program |
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Dodge
County contracts with USDA-APHIS Animal Damage Control staff to carry out
daily work on this program. The program offers wildlife crop damage
abatement services for damage done by deer, geese, and turkeys. Crop
damage claims payments can be made to eligible landowners who experience
over $500 in damage to crops.
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Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP)
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The Dodge County Land Conservation Department is
administering the state's technical work responsibilities of the
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CREP program
allows landowners to enroll cropland or pastureland that is immediately
adjacent to rivers, streams or farm drainage ditches into 15 year
set-aside contracts or permanent easements. Eligible landowners
receive state and Federal incentive payments and cost share payments to
install practices such as grass filter strips, wooden buffer strips,
wetland restorations, or grass waterways. More information may be
obtained by contacting the Dodge County Land Conservation Department.
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Land
and Water Resources Management Program
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Cost share dollars are available to Dodge
County landowners for implementing soil and water conservation practices
that reduce soil erosion/sediment delivery, and that reduce non-point
source water pollution. Applications will be taken throughout the year
up to November 1st. However, funds are limited, so
applications for funding should be submitted as soon as possible.
Practices that will achieve the highest level of soil erosion and
non-point source pollution control will be given a high priority
ranking, but applications must be submitted by March 31st to
be given this consideration. Work performed under this program is
guided by the Dodge County Land and Water Resource Management Plan as
revised in 2007. To view the revised plan, please click on the
link below.
2007
Land & Water Plan (Adobe PDF
Document, 64.5 MB)
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Nutrient Management Program
NUTRIENT
MANAGEMENT EXCEL SPREAD SHEET (<<Click here to
download)
NEED TO HAVE MS EXCEL AND AFTER YOU OPEN PLEASE SAVE TO YOUR HARD DRIVE |
Nutrient
Management Farmer Training Program
This is an educational program for the producer who wants to learn how
to prepare a Nutrient Management Plan that meets the current standards.
Participants are required to attend 4 hours of classroom training. As
part of the training program participants will:
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Receive farm maps - (aerial,
soils, and manure spreading restrictions)
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Have their Manure Spreader
Calibrated to determine application rate
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Develop a Nutrient Management
Plan for their operation
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Receive a $3/acre stipend
(pending grant approval) to help cover the costs of soil sampling
For more information contact Robert Bird at 920-386-3660
Dodge County Land Conservation/DATCP
Producers can receive a one time payment of $28/acre for completing a
Nutrient Management Plan. Farmers can get on a waiting list to be
funded as monies become available.
For
more info contact Marc Bethke or Robert Bird at (920) 386-3660.
UW-Extension Nutrient Management
Workshops
Introductory Nutrient Management
(The basics)
This program is designed for
those that are curious about what a Nutrient Management Plan is. You will learn:
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the basic concepts of nutrient
management
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what information is needed to
prepare a Nutrient Management Plan
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who is required to submit a
Nutrient Management Plan
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information on cost share
programs available
Learn the basics of nutrient management planning without obligation.
There is no fee for this program. Call 386-3790 for more information.
Nutrient Management Farmer Training (Refresher)
This is a refresher program for individuals who
completed the Farmer Training Workshop previously.
You will be updated on the newest research and agronomy recommendations.
You will have a chance to work on your Nutrient Management Plan and pick
up current fast facts and other information.
Upon completion of this workshop participants will be certified to write
their own Nutrient Management Plan.
There is no fee for this program.
Pre-register by calling: 386-3790
USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service
(USDA-NRCS), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Livestock
producers can receive payment for nutrient management thru EQIP. A
Comprehensive Nutrient Management plan (CNMP) is required to receive
payment of $8/ac/yr for 3 years. Farmers wishing to submit an
application for manure storage cost-sharing through EQIP will need a
CNMP to be eligible in the future.
For more
info contact NRCS at 920-386-9999 ext. 3.
Call (920)
386-3660 for the most up to date information on Nutrient Management
programs.
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Small
Packet Tree Sales Program |
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Trees and Shrubs for Sale Now
The deadline for ordering small packets of trees from
the Dodge County Land Conservation Department has been extended to
March 18, 2010. Most of the tree and
shrub species being offered for sale are sold out. Trees and shrubs that can still be purchased
include Swamp White Oak, White Cedar,
White Pine, and Colorado Blue Spruce. Trees are being sold in bundles of 25, and are
being sold for $23.00 per bundle, tax included. In addition, tree protector
tubes are also being offered for sale in packs of five. For more
information, or to obtain an order form, please contact the Dodge County
Land Conservation Department weekdays at (920) 386-3660; or visit the Dodge
County Land Conservation Department Web site at [www.co.dodge.wi.us] where
you can print off an order form.
2010 Tree Order Form (Adobe PDF Document,
2.87 MB)
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Miscellaneous Services |
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Provide free conservation planning and technical assistance
to county landowners |
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Prepare manure spreading restriction maps |
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Provide two tree planters and one
herbicide sprayer for rent to landowners planting
large numbers of trees |
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Provide "spud bars" for those planting smaller numbers
of trees |
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Sponsor a small packet tree sales program |
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Serve as an outlet for the sale of tree protector tubes |
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Provide assistance in calibrating manure spreaders
for nutrient management planning |
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Coordinate a farmer network for those interested in
doing intensive rotational grazing |
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Maintain a list of available rental equipment for doing
conservation tillage & no till
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