OPERATING AUTHORITY
AND PURPOSE
Pursuant to Chapter 92, Wisconsin Statutes, Wisconsin
Act 27 and Administrative Rules, ATCP 50 and NR120,
151, 153, 154, 216, and 243, Wisconsin has determined
that its soil resources are being polluted and depleted
by water and wind erosion. The Land Conservation Division
is responsible for planning, technical, engineering
and educational assistance in the areas of soil erosion
and water quality improvements.
Our office provides onsite technical engineering
investigations relating to soil erosion, sedimentation,
water quality and nutrient management, as well as onsite
reviews of soil erosion and sedimentation controls
for one and two family residences covered under the
county’s shoreland zoning ordinance. The staff
also works with landowners in developing conservation
plans, surveying, designing and installing engineering
practices on the land to reduce soil erosion.
We administer the State mandated Land & Water
Resource Management Program; WI-DATCP cost share program,
WI-DNR Non-Point Pollution Abatement Program, State
and Federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program,
and the State Farmland Preservation Program.
EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE
MEASURES
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Continue to reduce soil erosion to the allowable
rates on cropland acres in Racine County. Our transect
survey helps us determine our progress.
-
Meet the Sugar/Honey Creek Watershed Program goals.
We have achieved 115% of our upland soil loss on
cropland, gully erosion goals = 103%, and our stream
bank erosion goal = 111%.
-
Publish 6 newsletters to over 2,500 landowners;
we send 6 newsletters to an average of 2,900 each.
-
Do 200 onsite soil erosion control
investigations for P&D and Code; we are on
pace to do over 200.
-
Sell 45,000 trees and shrubs to landowners; we
sold 54,650 trees/shrubs, plus seeds and plants.
-
Educate the public. We plan a fall rural landowner
conference and have a county fair booth.
-
Institute conservation practices on lands that
are eroding unacceptably. We have put in thousands
of feet of grass waterways and stream bank rock riprap
protection and hundreds of acres altogether of wetland
restoration, high residue management tillage and
conservation buffers.
2005 GOALS AND BUDGET STRATEGIES
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Continue reducing soil erosion to allowable rates
for each type of soil for all cropland in the County.
-
Continue implementation of the State-mandated
Land and Water Resource Management Plan and Farmland
Preservation Program.
-
Meet our water quality goals for the Sugar/Honey
Creek Watershed Project.
-
Publish six newsletters.
-
Provide at least 200 onsite technical
investigations for the P&D and Code Administration
Offices.
-
Sponsor our tree program by selling seedling trees
and shrubs.
-
Provide educational materials and other information
to the public, including through our fair booth.
-
Institute conservation practices on land eroding
over the allowable soil loss rates.
-
Continue to promote and implement the Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program.
