Ted Ritter, AIS Project Coordinator - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 1
About This Presentation
Title:

Ted Ritter, AIS Project Coordinator

Description:

So, 'What's the big deal with aquatic invasive species in Vilas County? ... The Lac du Flambeau tribe of Chippewa Indians has provided financial and ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:60
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 2
Provided by: vilasland
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Ted Ritter, AIS Project Coordinator


1
VILAS
COUNTY AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES PARTNERSHIP
(funded by WDNR Grant ALPT-001-05 Vilas
County)
Ted Ritter, AIS Project Coordinator Vilas
County Land Water Conservation Department 330
Court Street, Eagle River WI 54521
330 Court Street Eagle River, WI 54521
PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATION The volunteer based AIS
Partnership is actively supported by a growing
number of people from a wide range of interests
and resources. Town Lakes Committees have
evolved to become a critical element of the
Partnerships success. It is through them that
much of the massive volunteer education and
prevention effort is coordinated. In addition,
local Chambers of Commerce are providing a vital
link to area visitors who are being encouraged to
properly clean their boats and trailers before
traveling to Vilas County. Many businesses
having routine contact with the public have found
innovative ways to join the effort to educate
lake users. Awareness outreach continues to
develop through the UWEX system. Many civic
groups have called upon the Partnership to
provide educational presentations for their
membership meetings. The Lac du Flambeau tribe
of Chippewa Indians has provided financial and
educational support not throughout the County.
Local media has been incredibly supportive in
maintaining a high visibility of the
Partnerships activities. Personnel from the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, both
locally and in Madison, have committed financial
and operational support to this project.
TOWN LAKES COMMITTEES Individual lake
organizations are limited in their ability to
address AIS issues. Most of Vilas Countys 14
town boards have created advisory committees
consisting of lake organization representatives
from lakes within their communities. The Town
Lakes Committees pool their resources and
function as a single body under the umbrella of
town government. This structure enables them to
address AIS issues more efficiently and
effectively than would be possible for individual
lake organizations. Every grant for AIS
prevention and education programs applied for by
a Vilas County Town Lakes Committee during the
February, 2006 DNR grant cycle was awarded.
VILAS COUNTY PARTNERSHIP So, Whats the big deal
with aquatic invasive species in Vilas County?.
A quick glance at a map provides the obvious
answer. Everything in Vilas County is about
water! Tourism is the foundation of the local
economy and pristine unspoiled lakes draw
visitors in great numbers. The Countys 14
towns would not be the thriving communities they
are without the abundance of unspoiled lakes.
Furthermore, approximately 70 of the tax base is
lakefront property. The threat of invasive
species reducing the appeal of the Countys most
vital natural resources strikes fear in the
hearts of business and property owners and local
government officials. Degradation of lakes,
whether perceived or real, simply cannot be
tolerated. In response to the growing concern
of how invasive species might negatively impact
the area, a county coordinator position was
created to bring together a large group of people
representing a wide range of interests and
resources to address the growing concern.
COUNTY LEVEL AIS ACTION TEAMS In addition to Town
Lakes Committees becoming common place in Vilas
County, additional groups of people have
assembled for the purpose of addressing AIS
concerns at a higher level. The groups are
referred to as Vilas County AIS Partnership
Action Teams. The Infestation Management team
has conducted surveys in all 14 county towns and
cataloged 130 infestations in 85 county lakes.
The status of those infestations will be
maintained on the county web site. The
Research team is developing working
relationships with various research programs.
For instance, the University of Wisconsin and
Notre Dame maintain limnology and aquatic
invasive species research facilities in Vilas
County. The Research action team is developing
lines of communications with those institutions
for the purpose of sharing research findings with
local lake organizations and Town Lakes
Committees. The Economic Impact team
(consisting primarily of one retired economics
professor and researcher) is preparing a
comprehensive report on the actual economic
impact of AIS in Vilas County. In recognition of
the need for improved AIS laws, the Ordinance
Development team has evaluated statutes from
other states and has drafted a set of proposed
rules as a starting point for establishing new
AIS laws in Wisconsin. The Planning Team,
consisting largely of individuals with career
experience in long range planning, is in the
process of developing guidelines to assure that
the initial efforts of the grassroots partnership
are sustained for years to come.
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com