Marathon Co. seeks funds for watershed protection

The Marathon County Environmental Resources Committee on Thursday unanimously agreed to forward a Fenwood Creek Subwatershed Project funding plan to the county’s Executive Committee.

The committee did not discuss the request except to say that a written rationale authored by Paul Daigle, county land and water program director, should be given to the committee.

In the proposal, Daigle says that all county landowners must currently meet “common sense basic conservation” requirements in state law, including those regarding erosion, phosphorus run-off and release of manure to state waters, but that the county should now pay for “superior” farming practices, such as reduced tillage, cover crops and managed grazing.

The plan would have the county pay $20 a year per acre for reduced tillage, longer hay rotations and cover crops, $30 a year per acre for these practices and no winter spreading of manure and $40 per year per acre for all of these practices plus managed grazing or planting of trees or perennial forages.

Daigle calls this scheme “a new approach” towards meeting conservation goals in the Fenwood Subwatershed Project.

The program director said the annual cost of his Fenwood Creek Subwatershed Project request is $527,000 a year, which would include hiring a conservation specialist for $80,000 a year with benefits.

A six-year cost for the proposal would be $3,162,000.

The Executive Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 15.