DNR Public Hearings and Meetings
Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be provided for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. Please call the contact person listed for the meeting or hearing with specific information on your request at least 10 days before the date of the scheduled hearing.
Hearings
October 4 - A Class 1 contested hearing case pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 227.01(3)(a) in the matter of the application of Maryke and C.J. Schmidt for Water Quality Certification to place a culvert and fill 0.15 acres of wetland on property located in the Town of Ahnapee, Kewaunee County will be held at 8:30 a.m. in the Meeting Room at the Algoma Public Library, 406 Fremont Street, Algoma. Maryke and C.J. Schmidt, 2551 Oak Ridge Circle, De Pere, Wisconsin, 54115, filed an application with the Department of Natural Resources for water quality certification pursuant to Section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act and Wis. Admin. Code § NR 299, to place fill in 0.15 acres of cedar swamp wetland and place a culvert for construction of a private driveway. The proposed project is located in the NE ¼, SE ¼, South 33, Town 25 North, Range 25 East, Town of Ahnapee, Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources denied the application for Water Quality Certification as outlined in a letter to Maryke and C.J. Schmidt dated April 10, 2006. On May 15, 2006, the Schmidts filed a request for a contested case hearing. On May 30, 2006, the Department granted a contested case hearing pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 227.42. On August 13, 2007, the Department filed a Request for Hearing with the Division of Hearings and Appeals. For information contact the Division of Hearings and Appeals at (608) 266-7709.
October 5 - The Accumulated Sediment Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will meet at 10 a.m. in the Board Room of the Offices of the Wisconsin Department of Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), 2811 Agriculture Drive, Madison to begin developing a regulatory framework for the regulation/management of the sediment that accumulates in stormwater detention ponds. The committee will begin by discussion the TAC's objectives, the process to arrive at possible rule/exemption language and ultimately any documents to assist the user/stakeholder in implementation. For more information contact Tom Portle at (608) 267-0877.
October 9-10 - Pursuant to Wis. Stat. §§ 31.06 and 31.185, a Class 1 contested case hearing in the matter of the application of North Central Power Company, Inc. for abandonment of the Grimh Dam on the Couderay River, Village of Radisson, Sawyer County will commence at 9 a.m. on Oct. 9, at the Radisson Community Center, 3795N Clark Street, Radisson. The hearing will continue, if necessary, on Oct. 10 at the same location. The issues for hearing are whether the application of abandonment shall be granted or denied and, if it is granted, whether the applicant shall be required to comply with any conditions in order to preserve the public interest in navigable waters, to promote public safety, and to protect life, health and property. North Central Power Company, Inc. (NCPC), 104 South Pine St., Grantsburg, is the owner of the Grimh Dam, a hydropower facility located approximately 1.5 miles upstream of the confluence of the Couderay and Chippewa Rivers in Section 22 (NW ¼ of SE ¼), Township 38 North, Range 7 West, Sawyer County in the Village of Radisson. After an inspection of the Grimh Dam, the Department of Natural Resources issued an order to the NCPC to drawdown the impoundment held by the Grimh Dam and not refill the impoundment unless and until the dam was reconstructed. As an alternative to reconstruction of the dam, the department gave the NCPC the option of abandoning and removing the dam. By application dated July 3, 2003, the NCPC applied for a permit pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 31.185 to abandon the dam. On July 3, 2007, the Division of Hearings and Appeals received the Request for Hearing from the Department of Natural Resources. For more information call the Division of Hearings and Appeals at (608) 266-3865.
October 12 - Pursuant to §§ 285.11(1) and (6) and 285.21(1)(a), Stats., interpreting § 285.21(1)(a), Stats., the Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on revisions to chs. NR 404 and 484, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to ambient air quality standards for total suspended particulates (TSP) and particulate matter (PM) and affecting small business at 1:30 p.m. in Room G09, of the State Natural Resources building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster St., Madison.. The State Implementation Plan developed under § 285.11(6), Stats., is also revised. The proposed rule will repeal ambient air standards for TSP and annual PM10 from ch. NR 404 and federal monitoring requirements for TSP and annual PM10 from ch. NR 484. The proposed rule will adopt U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 into ch. NR 404 and incorporate the corresponding federal PM2.5 monitoring requirements for that ambient air standards into ch. NR 484. The proposed rules would assure that the Wisconsin Administrative Code is consistent with the NAAQS for particulate matter, as required under s. 285.21(1)(a), Stats., and reflect the science of particle pollution effects on human health. If any areas in the state are designated as nonattainment for the new air quality standards, the Department is required to develop an air quality state implementation plan to ensure that the ambient air quality standards are attained and maintained in those areas. The proposed rule may have an impact on small businesses emitting particulate matter. The department made a preliminary determination that this action does not involve significant adverse environmental effects and does not need an environmental analysis under ch. NR 150, Wis. Adm. Code. The proposed rule and supporting documents, including the fiscal estimate may be viewed and downloaded and comments electronically submitted through the Wisconsin Administrative Rules Web site [http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov/] (Search this Web site using the Natural Resources Board Order No. AM-23-07). Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted via U.S. mail to Bill Adamski, DNR Bureau of Air Management, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 or by e-mail to William.Adamski@wisconsin.gov by Oct. 22, 2007. For information contact Bill Adamski at (608) 266-2660.
October 19 - The Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing pursuant to §§ 29.014, 227.11 and 227.24, interpreting §§ 29.014, 29.041 and 227.885, Wis. Stats., on Natural Resources Board Emergency Order No. WM-20-07(E) pertaining to the 2007 migratory game bird season at 1 p.m. in Room 606, of the State Natural Resources building (GEF 2), 101 S. Webster Street, Madison.. This emergency order took effect on August 30, 2007. The significant regulations are: Ducks: The state is divided into two zones with 60-day seasons. The season begins at 9 a.m. Sept. 22 in the north and closes on November 20. In the south, the season begins at 9 a.m. on Sept. 29 and continues through Oct. 7, followed by a 5-day split, reopening on Oct. 13 and continuing through Dec. 2. The dates of the youth waterfowl hunt are Sept. 15 and 16. The daily bag limit is 6 ducks including no more than 4 mallards (one hen), one black duck, one pintail, 2 canvasbacks, 2 wood ducks, 2 redheads and 2 scaup. Canada Geese: The state is apportioned into the Horicon, Collins and Exterior zones plus four subzones within the Exterior zone. Season lengths are: Collins zone – 62 days (periods, first period beginning Sept. 16); Horicon zone – 92 days (4 periods, first period beginning Sept. 16); Exterior zone in the northern duck zone – 85 days (Sept. 16 to Dec. 9); Exterior zone in the southern duck zone – 85 days (Sept. 16 to Oct. 7 followed by a 5-day split and Oct. 13 to Dec. 14); and Mississippi River subzone – 85 days (Sept. 29 to Oct. 7 and 13 to Dec. 27). The Burnett County subzone is closed to Canada goose hunting. The statewide daily bag limit for Canada geese is 2 birds per day. In addition to these annual regulatory issues, the emergency rule requires the use of non-toxic shot for rail, snipe and moorhen statewide and allows the placement of decoys and shooting at birds that are within a 75-yard area around the boundary of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge as long as the hunter is more than 75 yards from the boundary. The emergency rule may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted through the Wisconsin Administrative Rules Web site: [http://adminrules.wisconsin.gov]. Written comments on the emergency rule may be submitted to Kent Van Horn, DNR Bureau of Wildlife Management, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 no later than Oct. 23, 2007. For information contact Kent Van Horn at (608) 266-8841.
Meetings
October 3 - The DNR Sex-Age-Kill Advisory Team will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the UW-Stevens Point Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor's Center at 2419 North Point Dr. in Stevens Point. The meeting will include DNR employees and non-DNR stakeholders to the SAK audit. At the meeting, there will be SAK updates shared since the last meeting, updates on the SAK report presented to the NRB, progress updates on topics such as the Buck Recovery Rate, development of an implementation plan, and a final conclusion to the team. The SAK review was recommended by the NRB after an audit was conducted of the Department's SAK model for deer population estimation. For information contact Keith Warnke at - (608) 2646023.
October 3 - The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming - Industry Work Group will meet from 9 am to 12 noon in room 413, GEF 2 - DNR, 101 S. Webster St., Madison. The agenda includes: a discussion of emission estimates and a discussion of draft policy templates developed by Work Group members. For more information, or if you need special accommodations to attend this meeting, contact Nick Sayen, DNR, at (608) 267-2466 or nick.sayen@wisconsin.gov
October 4 – The Groundwater Advisory Committee created by 2003 WI Act 310 will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in room G09 of the Natural Resources building (GEF 2) at 101 S. Webster St., Madison. Contact Jill Jonas at (608) 267-7545 for more information or view updated agenda on the drinking water pages of the DNR Web site.
October 4 - The Department of Natural Resources will host a public information meeting to update area residents on the agency’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) control efforts. The meeting, which will be conducted under an informal Open House format, runs from 6 to 9 p.m. in the UW-Baraboo cafeteria, 1006 Connie Rd., Baraboo. DNR staff will discuss the status of CWD management in general, and the Baraboo Surveillance Area in particular. The Baraboo Surveillance Area, including Devil’s Lake State Park, marks the northern most extent of the deer disease in Wisconsin. Wildlife experts recommend preventing CWD spread by eliminating outbreaks near the edge of the known infection area. For this reason, the DNR is offering free disease testing of deer killed by hunters this fall in the surveillance area. For information contact Don Bates, CWD Operations Supervisor, Dodgeville, at (608) 935-1947 or Nancy Frost, CWD Biologist, Dodgeville at (608) 935-1924.
October 4 - The Advisory Council on Well Drilling and Pump Installing will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 613 of the State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101South Webster, Madison. For more information contact Dorie Turpin at (608) 266-0162.
October 5 - Representatives of the Wisconsin DNR, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Eagle Lake Management District will meet from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Sturtevant DNR Service Center, 9531 Rayne Road, Suite IV, Sturtevant. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss recent developments regarding implementation of the Eagle Lake Management Plan - including delaying the rotenone treatment, results and expectations for herbicide management, as well as grant issues related to the Plan. For more information, contact Craig Helker, DNR Water Resources Biologist, at (262) 884-2357.
October 10 - The Implementation Oversight Committee of the Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, just east of Michigan Ave. on the UW Stevens Point Campus. Contact: David R. Lentz, Division of Forestry (608) 261-6451.
October 13 – The Brule River State Forest will hold its annual fall public open house meeting at noon at the Cloverland Town Hall, located off County Highway 13 between Skoglund Road and Balsam Bend Road. The agenda includes presentations by Brule River State Forest staff on their annual operations and projects including; recreation program, law enforcement, development projects, real estate transactions and the recent land purchase in the Town of Cloverland. Additional information is available on the Department’s Web site at
http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/stateforests/ or by calling the State Forest Headquarters (715) 372-5678 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
October 15 - The Mid-Kettle Moraine Partners Group will meet from 9 a.m. until noon at the Forest Room in the Retzer Nature Center, S 14 W28167 Madison St., Waukesha. The Mid-Kettle Moraine Partners Group is a group of individuals representing governments, private nonprofit conservation agencies and others interested in the Mid-Kettle Moraine. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss activities related to the Partners Group education and outreach activities and to share information on members activities. For additional information, please contact Paulette Harder at (414) 263-8525 or (262) 255-0227.
October 16 – There will be a Richard Bong ATV/OHM Riders INC. meeting, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Richard Bong State Recreation Area inside the Molinaro Visitors Center, 26313 Burlington Road, Kansasville. The meeting is designed to gather members and volunteers for the newly created Richard Bong ATV/OHM Riders INC. with support of the Wisconsin ATV Association (WATVA). The newly created club intends to assist the park in the maintenance and redevelopment of the ATV/OHM trails at Richard Bong. For more information contact John R. Meyer, DNR, at (262) 878-5606.
October 16 – The DNR fall wolf population monitoring meeting will take place from 10:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Park Falls Public Library, 121 4th Ave N., Park Falls. The main items for discussion will be: wolf trapping & collaring results from summer; wolf howl surveys; wolf depredation management; wolf depredation payments; plans for winter track surveys; plans for any winter trapping; and equipment and supply needs. Updated pamphlets of "Wolves in Farm Country" will be available for people to take back to their offices or distribute. For information contact Adrian Wydeven, DNR mammalian ecologist/ conservation ecologist at (715) 762-1363.
October 17 - The Migratory Game Bird Committee will meet at 9 a.m. at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point to discuss several different topics including the waterfowl strategic plan, the new duck hunter survey, waterfowl stamp projects and more. For information contact: Kim Benton, DNR Assistant Migratory Game Bird Ecologist, at (608) 261-6458.
October 18 - The Groundwater Advisory Committee created by 2003 WI Act 310 will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in room 613 of the Natural Resources building (GEF 2) at 101 S. Webster St., Madison. Contact Jill Jonas at (608) 267-7545 for more information or view updated agenda on the drinking water pages of the DNR Web site.
