Programs & Services

Agriculture / farmer assistance
Cost share program
Private Forest Land Assistance
Groundwater
Invasive species programs 
Lake organizations 
Shoreland management 
Wildlife programs 
Youth activities

 

Agriculture / farmer assistance

---Manure Runoff Risk Advisory news bulletin 
---Manure Runoff Risk Advisory audio

---Grazing Management – For excellent online sources and information about managed grazing:

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Cost share program
What is the Cost Share Funding Program?

---Vilas County Conservation Cost Share Program Application Form

---Who is eligible for the Cost Share program? 

---What are the landowners' responsibilities with the Cost Share Program?

---What portions of a Cost Share Project are or are not eligible for reimbursement?

 

Cost Share Program Forms:
---Cost share brochure

--- Conservation practice standards

--- Program application

--- Example contract

--- Example Operation & Maintenence form

--- Contractor List

--- Private property access permission form

--- Wisconsin Conservation Practice Standards
----- 1 - Clearing 
----- 2 - Excavation
----- 3 - Earthfill 
----- 4 - Concrete
----- 5 - Pollution Control 
----- 6 - Currugated Metal Pipe Conduits 
----- 7 - Mobilization and Demobilization 
----- 8 - Drainfill
----- 9 - Rock Riprap
----- 10 - Fences
----- 12 - Cathodic Protection
----- 13 - Geotextiles
----- 14 - Timber Fabrication and Installation 
----- 15 - Plastic Pipe Conduits
----- 16 - Stream Clearing and Snagging 
----- 17 - Wire Mesh Gabions and Mattresses 
----- 18 - Sack or Tubular Gabions
----- 19 - Well Abandonment/Decommissioning
----- 20 - Soil Bioengineering
----- 21 - Structural Measures for Streambanks and Shorelines 
----- 22 - Temp Wave Barriers (Breakwaters) 
----- 23 - Aluminum or Steel Roof Gutters
----- 24 - Construction Surveys
----- 26 - Topsoiling
----- 44 - Corrugated Polyethylene Tubing
----- 100 - Poultry Carcass Composter
----- 200 - Grouted Rock Riprap
----- 201 - Steel Sheet Piling 
----- 202 - Polyethylene Geomembrane Lining
----- 203 - Geosynthetic Clay Liner
----- 204 - Earthfill for Waste Storage Facilities 
----- 300 - Clay Liner

 

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Private Forest Land Assistance

2011 Private forestlands invasive species survey 
--- Project summary 
--- Project summary map 
Bachmann property 
--- Pre-visit survey report
--- Findings report
Cook property
--- Pre-visit survey report 
--- Findings report 
Drager property 
--- Pre-visit survey report
--- Findings report
Dunne property
--- Dunne map
--- Findings report 
Hovel property
--- Pre-visit survey 
--- Findings report
Joyce property
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Loar property
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Logan-Baraket property
--- Logan-Barakat map
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
McCarthy property
--- McCarthy map
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Miller property
--- Miller map
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Navratil Property 
--- Navratil map
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Nordine property
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Offerdahl property 
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Owen property 
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Popovich property
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Sharka property
--- Sharka map
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report
Uihlein property 
--- Uihlein map-1
--- Uihlein map -2 
--- Findings report
Wedell property
--- Pre-visit survey
--- Findings report

 

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Groundwater

Under construction, please check back again

 

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Invasive species programs

What are "Invasive Species"? 
From the U.S. Forest Service Website: "Thousands of non-native invasive plants, insects, fish, mollusks, crustaceans, pathogens, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have infested hundreds of millions of acres of land and water across the Nation, causing massive disruptions in ecosystem function, reducing biodiversity, and degrading ecosystem health in our Nation’s forests, prairies, mountains, wetlands, rivers, and oceans. Invasive organisms affect the health of not only the Nation’s forests and rangelands but also of wildlife, livestock, fish, and humans."

Wisconsin's 2010-2012 AIS Report ot the Legislature

From WI Statutes, chapter 23: ...non-indigenous species whose introduction causes, or is likely to cause, economic harm, environmental harm or harm to human health.

Vilas County's Aquatic Invasive Species Program

Vilas County's Terrestrial Invasive Species Program

Aquatic Invasive Species:

Species information:
--- Curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) 
----- WDNR Fact sheet
----- WI waters with CLP

----- Vilas waters with CLP

---Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM)
----- WDNR fact sheet
----- WI waters with EWM

----- Vilas waters with EWM

--- Giant (common) reed grass (Phragmites)
----- WDNR control methods

--- Hydrilla 
----- WDNR fact sheet
----- WDNR photo gallery

--- Purple loosestrife
----- WDNR fact sheet
----- WDNR photo gallery 
----- WDNR bio-control   

--- Spiny waterflea (SWF)
----- WDNR fact sheet
----- WI waters with SWF 

----- Vilas waters with SWF
----- UW Limnology

--- Rainbow smelt (RS)
----- WDNR fact sheet 

----- Suitability map
----- UW Limnology

--- Rusty crayfish (RC)
----- WDNR fact sheet
----- WI waters with RC

----- Vilas waters with RC

----- Suitability map
----- UW Limnology 

--- Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) 
----- WDNR rules 
----- WDNR news

--- Zebra Mussels (ZM) 
----- WDNR fact sheet
----- WI waters with ZM

----- Vilas waters with ZM
----- Suitability map 
----- UW Limnology

Vilas County AIS Partnership

 

WDNR Grant programs

----- AIS grant ranking criteria

------------ Established Population Control grants (revised 2012)

------------ Education, Planning & Prevention grants (revised 2012)

 

Vilas County Town Lakes Committees:

Creation of Town Lakes Committees was an early objective of the Vilas County AIS program. With over 1,300 lakes spread across 15 municpilities, subregionalizing the county into managble groups likely to have similar priorities was the objective of town committees.

A county-wide study of property values revealed that, on average, 70% of the county's tax base was waterfront property. Town boards were made aware of the importance of protecting and preserving lakes and encouraged to provide assistance to local lake organizations through creating and supporting Town Lakes Committees as standing advisory groups to town government.

Response to the idea was inconsistant by town boards and lake organizations alike, but many towns were successful in establishing highly effective and very productive lakes committees that have since proven to be the backbone of the county AIS partnership. As a result of these committees, there are now more town boards with lake management issues on their meeting agendas than at any time prior.

WDNR AIS grant awards have become an important aspect of many town lakes committees. A summary of projects and funding awards is provided elsewhere on this page.

 

Watercraft Inspection (Clean Boats, Clean Waters) program:

The intent of the state-wide "Clean Boats, Clean Waters" watercraft inspection program (originally developed in 2004 as a class project at the Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk Middle School in Oneida County) is to change boater behavior through direct contact with transient boaters at public boat launch sites. The state-wide program is coordinated from the University of Wisconsin, Steven Point at the office of the University of Wisconsin - Extension Lakes.

Vilas County volunteers (more recently augmented with paid personnel) have donated thousands of hours annually inspecting boats and talking to boaters about the importance of good boater hygiene. The collective effort of this program state-wide is credited with raising public awareness of AIS and reducing their spread.

General information about the program can be found by clicking HERE.

Lake by lake, county by county and state-wide historical data reflecting participation in the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program can be found by clicking HERE.

Vilas County recent three year annual CBCW raw data can be found by clicking HERE (SLOW DOWNLOAD).

 

 

WDNR AIS Grants program

The WDNR administers an AIS grant program to the extent that such funding is included in the State biannual budget approved by the Legislature. Between 2004 and 2006, the total statewide AIS grant budget increased from $500,00 to $1,500,000 per year. The 2007-2009 budget made slightly over $4,000,000 available annually to support AIS progrtams state-wide.

For detailed explanations of the WDNR AIS grant program, click HERE.

Vilas County project sponsors have made good use of the AIS grant program. The following summarizes awards since creation of the Vilas County AIS Partnership in 2004. The table does not include Lake Planning grant awards for proactive AIS projects such as conducting lake studies and developing lake management plans.

 

Links to miscellaneous AIS information

 

 

 

Terrestrial Invasive Species:

Wisconsin Headwaters Invasives Partnership (WHIP)

 

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Lake organizations

Website links:
--- Annabelle Lake Association

--- Anvil Lake Association

--- Armour Lake (Friends Of)

--- Big Bass Lakeowners Association

--- Big Portage Lake Rioarian Owners Association

--- Black Oak Lake Preservation Foundation

--- Cisco Chain Riparian Owners Association

--- Cranberry Lake Association

--- Forest Lake Association

--- Gresham Lakes Association

--- Harris Lake Association
--- Kentuck Lake P&R District

--- Lac du Flambeau Town Lakes Committee
--- Little St. Germain Lake P&R District
--- Long Lake of Phelps P&R District

--- Manitowish Waters Lakes Association

--- Muskellunge Lake Association

--- North & South Twin Lakes Riparian Association

--- Shishebogama Lake Association

--- Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission

--- Vilas County Lakes & Rivers Association

--- White Sand Lake Association

 

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Shoreland management 

Click to visit An Introduction to the Waterfront Property Stewardship Plan Modules

We recommend you use native plant species for your shoreland re-vegetation projects:
--- Recommended UPLAND plant species 
--- Recommended WETLAND plant species

 

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Wildlife programs

Under construction, please check back again

 

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Youth activities

Education is a critical element of the conservation effort at the local, state and national levels. Education our youth ensures that the next generation will be wise stewards of our natural resources.

Wisconsin Land & Water Conservation Association Annual Conservation Poster Contest 
--- Schedule 
--- Poster contest information
--- Poster contest rules
--- 2010 poster contest media release
--- 2010 poster contest regional winners
--- poster contest state winner

Conservation Camp
--- 2011 Conservation Camp:
--- Conservation camp brochure

--- 2012 Conservation Camp
----- Brochure
----- Registration 
----- Scholarship instructions 
----- Camp schedule 

 

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