Important News from AIS Michele Saduskas

From: Michele Sadauskas <msadauskas@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: April 22, 2015 at 3:14:07 PM CDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: proposed state budget will affect local land and water departments!

Good afternoon all-

Funding for County Land Conservation Departments (this includes the Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department and our AIS program) will be affected with the proposed 2015-2017 State budget cuts.  An estimated $815,900 is projected to be lost for local conservation projects.  If:

v  Reducing soil erosion and polluted runoff to lakes, streams, and groundwater, and

v  Addressing new threats (including aquatic and terrestrial invasive species) to water resources,

are important to you, please contact your representatives!  There is support in the legislature to restore “$1.3 million in appropriation levels for state aid to support county conservation staffing efforts”, but we need your voice to send an even louder message!

If you need to find contact information on your representative, please follow this link:   http://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/

Thanks for your time and continued support!

Scroll down to the next post to see a sample letter.

Alert your congressman about cuts for County Land Conservation Departments

Dear Senator Tiffany,

Please restore the funding for County Land Conservation Departments that has been cut in the proposed 2015-2017 State budget.  We understand that $1.3 million in appropriation levels for state aid to support county conservation staffing efforts is cut which will result in an estimated $815,900 lost for local conservation projects, including the Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department and  AIS program.

These conservation programs are a critical defense in the prevention of more AIS in our woods and waters.  The educational efforts and real support by the county conservation department professionals help the local volunteers that are working to keep invasives out of lakes, rivers and forests.  This is not an effort that a purely volunteer force can manage.

The economic value of clean lakes, streams and groundwater is incalculable.  A short term saving could cost huge economic and environmental damage in the long term.

Sincerely,

email

Sen.Tiffany@legis.wi.gov

ICE OUT Date and Time

The official Ice-Out for Lake Thompson

April 4 @ 3:10 pm

Reported by Kim Zambon

Lake Thompson is open for the spring, summer and fall enjoyment

The buoys that mark the rocks will be out by May 1st.

First Clean Boats Clean Water Workshop

From: Michele Sadauskas <msadauskas@co.oneida.wi.us>
Date: April 20, 2015 at 3:59:31 PM CDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: 1st clean boats workshop of season draws near!

Good afternoon everyone-

Just a reminder that our first Clean Boats Clean Water (CBCW) workshop is coming soon!  Please join us on Wednesday, April 29^th, at the Oneida County Courthouse, Rhinelander, WI. 

We have a NEW format for this workshop.  If you are a brand new volunteer or just wishing to refresh your CBCW skills, please join us a 4 p.m., Committee Room #1, 2^nd Floor.   The session will cover the basics of the program and participants are urged to stay for the main workshop.

If you are a veteran inspector, feel like you have a good understanding of CBCW basics, and/or would like to know what is NEW for 2015, please arrive at the County Board Room between 4:45-5:00 to register for the main CBCW workshop (see attached agenda).

Please respond to this email or call 715-369-7835 to register for this FREE event.  At this time we have only nine individuals signed up, and I know we can do better than that!  The sooner everyone registers the sooner I can put in our snack and door prize      orders J

For a sneak peak, check out the attached photo.  We just received these invasive species in the mail today!  Guess which ones are prohibited now and which will be prohibited soon!

Hope to see you all soon J

Has Spring Sprung??????

The snow has departed for the most part, wild life has returned, the ice is out, but has Spring really Sprung? Well in my book it's not official until the stakes are out of the cemetary on this side of the lake. But we have been able to enjoy some wildlife that appears when the season is making it's changes. I was lucky enough to capture some photos of these Eagles sitting on the ice right in front of our house, doing a little fishing on some spots that were open. 

 I took this one the other day when, I was watching several bunnies in the yard and all of sudden they all scurried away post haste. When this big boy landed in the top of one of our tall pines I knew why.

Has anyone seen the white squirrel  that seems to be making it's way around the lake? Kim Zambon reported it was at the resort and a couple days later here it was right under my feeder. My neighbor Leon Sammuelson sent some info on this rare little guy . Check here for more information   

http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/white-squirrel/ 

As always just click on the photo to enlarge it.