NRB_Content Page_January 2024 agenda and meeting materials

January 2024 Agenda and Meeting Materials

Wisconsin Natural Resources Board

January 2024 Natural Resources Board agenda. This is the official agenda.

View Wisconsin Natural Resources Board agendas, meeting calendar, webcasts, biographies and public participation info online at: http://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/overview.html

Public Participation Deadline: NRB Liaison receipt of your request to testify and/or written comment is 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

The Natural Resources Board will meet in person. Remote testimony from the public via Zoom may be accepted for this meeting. In-person public appearances are also welcome. Members of the public can submit their request to testify remotely, in person, or their written comments by the posted deadline date for Board consideration.

The public is encouraged to watch the Board meeting via YouTube:

https://youtube.com/live/jNX5b4zHQeY?feature=share

WISCONSIN NATURAL RESOURCES BOARD

AGENDA

For the meeting at:
Room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2)
101 South Webster Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53703

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in public meeting room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 South Webster Street Madison, Wisconsin. Board will act on items 1-4 and 7-8 as listed on the agenda.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that matters concerning natural resource issues or the Department’s program responsibilities or operations specified in the Wisconsin Statutes, which arise after publication of this agenda may be added to the agenda and publicly noticed no less than two hours before the scheduled board meeting, if the Board Chair determines that the matter is urgent.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

  1.  ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
    1. Calling the roll
    2. Secretary’s Remarks
    3. Approval of agenda for Jan. 24, 2024
  2. CONSENT
    1. Approval of brief of action from Dec. 13, 2023
    2. Acknowledgement of Donation – The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. will donate $36,064.18. This donation will be used to protect and restore native plant communities and enhance habitat for wildlife species in the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway
      (Deputy Secretary Little)
    3. Acknowledgement of Donation – The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin will make three donations for habitat management: 1) $15,000 for management of barrens habitat; 2) $21,313.52 for Baraboo Hills State Natural Areas (SNAs); and 3) $19,800 for Waterloo Prairie SNA and Waterloo Wildlife Area
      (Deputy Secretary Little)
    4. Acknowledgement of Donation – The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Inc. will donate $21,313.52 from the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund. This donation will be used for a 350-acre grassland restoration and enhancement project at Leola and Buena Vista wildlife areas
      (Deputy Secretary Little)
    5. Acknowledgement of Donation – Belmont Mound State Park – Playground - The Belmont Mound Lions Club and Friends of Belmont Mound are jointly donating a playground valued at approximately $60,400
      (Deputy Secretary Little)
    6. Acknowledgement of Donation - Dane County Conservation League Board of Directors donated $100,000. This donation will be used to pay for half of a Cat 299 Skid Steer with Fecon Head for brush control/reduction towards the successful implementation of the Greater Prairie Chicken Management Plan
      (Deputy Secretary Little)
    7. Request that the Board authorize a preliminary public hearing and comment period for the Statement of Scope for Board Order WM-18-23, for proposed rules affecting chapter NR 10 related to the Deer Management Assistance Program
      (Scott Karel, Wildlife Regulation Policy Specialist)
  3. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION CONCERNING ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA
  4. ACTION ITEMS
    ADOPTION (Citizen Testimony and Written Comment Welcome)
    1. Request adoption of Board Order PR-03-20, proposed rules affecting chapters NR 1, 11, 45, 51, 115 and 116 related to related to Wisconsin DNR property management regulations
      (Brigit Brown, Parks and Recreation Management Bureau Section Supervisor)
    2. Request adoption of Board Order FH-14-22, proposed rules affecting chapters NR 20 and 26 related to minor changes to fishing regulations on inland, outlying and boundary waters (the 2023 Fisheries Management housekeeping rule)
      (Justine Hasz, Fisheries Management Bureau Director)
    3. Request adoption of Board Order DG-02-22, proposed rules creating chapter NR 854 related to statewide water supply service area planning for municipalities serving populations greater than 10,000 people
      (Adam Freihoefer, Water Use Section Chief)
    4. Request adoption of Board Order DG-03-22, proposed rules creating ch. NR 851 related to the management of diversions (transfers of water from the Great Lakes basin to outside of the Great Lakes basin) including the application and review process and other related criteria
      (Adam Freihoefer, Water Use Section Chief)
    SCOPE STATEMENTS (Citizen Testimony and Written Comment Welcome)
    1. Request that the Board approve the Statement of Scope for Board Order RR-14-23 and conditionally approve the public hearing notice and notice of submittal of proposed rules to the Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse, for proposed rules affecting chapters NR 700, 708, 714, 722, 724, 725, 726, 727, and 749 related to definitions, notifications, fees, agreements, reports, and procedures for interim action and remedial action continuing obligations for environmental contamination
      (Jodie Thistle, Brownfields, Outreach and Policy Section Chief)
    2. Request that the Board approve the Statement of Scope for Board Order RR-15-23 and conditionally approve the public hearing notice and notice of submittal of proposed rules to the Legislative Council Rules Clearinghouse, for proposed rules affecting chapters NR 700, 720, and 722 related to definitions, land use classifications, procedures for identifying environmental standards for soil, and soil cleanup standards used to investigate and remediate environmental contamination
      (Jodie Thistle, Brownfields, Outreach and Policy Section Chief)
    OTHER APPROVALS (Citizen Testimony and Written Comment Welcome) 
    1. Request approval of department recommendations for the 2024 bear harvest quotas
      (Eric Lobner, Wildlife Management Bureau Director)
    2. Request approval of donation made by the Rice Foundation Research to the Office of Applied Science. The Rice Foundation donated $50,000 to be used by the Office of Applied Science for research studying the responses of aquatic ecosystems to experimental manipulation of ice phenology
      (Scott Hull, Director - Office of Applied Science)
    3. Land Acquisition – Chiwaukee Prairie – Carol Beach Natural Area – Kenosha County. The department is requesting approval to acquire 10.1 acres for the Chiwaukee Prairie – Carol Beach Natural Area (CPCBNA) in Kenosha County from Wisconsin Electric Power Company, a Wisconsin Corporation d/b/a We Energies (WEPCO) for $300,000. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant will fund the closing costs and the appraised value of $275,000. The remaining $25,000 will be funded from land sales proceeds in accordance with s. 23.15(4), Wis. Stats.
      (Jim Lemke, Real Estate Section Chief and Stacy Hron, Office of Great Waters)
  5. OPEN FORUM (Testimony that pertains to topics not on the meeting agenda or not in litigation) – after items 1-4 or following morning break at approximately 10:15. Please refer to pages 3 and 4 of agenda for required pre-registration information and protocol.
  6. INFORMATION ITEMS (Written Comment Welcome)
    1. Fish & Wildlife Account Deficit
      (Paul Neumann, Budget & Policy Supervisor)
  7. DEPARTMENT SECRETARY’S MATTERS
    1. Retirement Recognition
      1. Beth J. Olson, Regional Administration, 13 years
      2. Melody A Marshall, Division of Environmental Management, 35 years
      3. Jeanne H. Cargill, Community Financial Assistance, 40 years
    2. Acts of the Department Secretary
      1. Real Estate Transactions
    3. Department Secretary’s Matters
  1. BOARD MEMBERS’ MATTERS
    1. Election of Board Officers
    2. Board Member Matters

The public is welcome to view the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB) meeting via YouTube. The NRB also provides opportunities for members of the public to testify and to submit written comment about issues that come before the NRB. See complete information on public participation at Board meetings at http://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/public.html.

The public is encouraged to watch the Board meeting via YouTube:

https://youtube.com/live/jNX5b4zHQeY?feature=share

The following meeting resources are also available: Agenda Item Packets (also known as green sheet packages are linked to the corresponding item on the online meeting agenda at https://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/ – click on the blue “View agendas” button then scroll down), supporting documents, and public comment. 

Live transcription of the webcast is autogenerated and not a legal record of the Board Meeting. The approved Brief of Action and meeting recording constitute the official Board’s minutes.

Public Appearance Protocol: Remote testimony from the public via Zoom may be accepted for this meeting. In-person public appearances are also welcome. Members of the public can submit their request to testify remotely or their written comments by the posted deadline date for Board consideration. You must be pre-registered to testify. Please include your name, daytime phone number, email address, city of residence, agenda item you request to testify on (include topic for item 5-Open Forum), and name of organization you will represent (if none, state “self”). Confirmed speakers will receive meeting logistics via email. Those confirmed to testify on a specific agenda item will testify on that item prior to vote. Please review: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/NRB/public.html.

NOTE: The Board welcomes citizen input on matters of natural resources management and Department programs and policies. Comments concerning any individual’s personal information or personal business are not appropriate and will not be allowed.

The time for item 5. – Open Forum - will be after items 1-4 or immediately following the morning break at approximately 10:15. If you request to testify during Open Forum, please be ready to speak when the Board takes up this item. Each speaker will have three minutes to give their testimony; however, the Board Chair has final discretion on time limit.

The following is from the Board’s meeting guidelines: Only one speaker per organization. Testimony that threatens, intimidates, or includes disparaging comments about Board Members, department staff, and other members of the public will not be allowed. Those that do so may be removed from the meeting or remote location. 

Please contact Ashley Bystol, NRB Liaison, at 608-267-7420 or by email at dnrnrbliaison@wisconsin.gov with NRB-related questions, to request information, submit written comments or to register to testify at a meeting.

Public Participation Deadline: NRB Liaison receipt of your request to testify and/or written comment is 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2024.

The DNR strives to ensure the comfort and safety of staff and visitors by encouraging a fragrance-free environment. Our chemically-sensitive staff and visitors thank you for refraining from using scented products.

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Natural Resources Board

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