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Effigy Mounds: No damage  to mounds, but ripple effect  of violations may affect entire NPS

By Trudy Balcom

According to a preliminary review of the data, no archeological features appear to have been disturbed as a result of the partial installation of the Nazekaw Terrace Trail at Effigy Mounds. Anne Vawser, the archeological Information Management Team Leader for the National Park Service's Midwest Archeological Center, said that preliminary review of the data has been completed. "Nothing jumped out at us," she said. "Nothing in the immediate area of the trail was impacted." An archeological survey of the Nazekaw Trail was triggered after a National Park Service internal review conducted in the spring of 2009 revealed that the staff at Effigy Mounds had not completed preliminary historical and ecological surveys required by law before beginning construction of the trail. "The discovery of these projects was the impetus to get that survey going," said Steve Adams Midwest Associate Regional Director for the National Park Service (NPS). Vawser said that the team found two anomalies near the linear mounds at the site. They may be mounds that were previously destroyed by plowing or other historic activities, but there is no way to tell with out getting a core sample. But since mounds may have been burial sites and are considered sacred by Native Americans, it is unlikely that any coring will be conducted. The general rule with mounds, Vawser says, is to disturb them as little as possible. A more thorough analysis of the data will be completed by midsummer, and a report detailing the results of the archeological survey will be submitted to the park and Iowa Historic Preservation Office.

High Cost
The cost to the park and the taxpayers for the mistake has been very high. The reputation of the park has been necessarily damaged by the incident. And the monetary cost to taxpayers for the materials, construction, and archeological mitigation survey is over a quarter of a million dollars. According to figures supplied by Adams, the cost for the Nazekaw Terrace Trail including materials and construction was $197,042. The cost for the archeological survey is $76,000. The Yellow River Bridge Trail project which is also currently under review, cost $389,100. That trail project was also discovered to be missing required documents. "Since we had so many projects without compliance, we've had to reevaluate everything," explained Adams. The National Park Service still needs to make a decision about what to do with the partially completed Nazekaw Terrace Trail. The next step in the decision-making process will be a meeting with the 12 affiliated tribes, which is scheduled for May 25. Also attending that meeting will be staff from the State Historic Preservation Office, and the State Archeologist, and staffers from the NPS Midwest office, including Adams. The tribes will have the opportunity to advise the Park Service on what they feel the next steps should be. Based upon all the information and comments gathered, including public comments, the Park Service will make a decision about what to do next. Adams said he expects that decision to be made by early July. Fixing a systemic problem One possible result of the investigation at Effigy Mounds will be a change to NPS procedures for application and funding new projects. According to Adams, parks use an online application system called Project Management Information System (PMIS). The PMIS application system requires projects have a project description, and justification and a funding component with at least one cost estimate. They do not require the park to show that they have completed preliminary resource assessment work, such as Section 106 Historic Preservation Review or an Environmental Impact Statement’Äîthe documents that Effigy Mounds was supposed to have completed before undertaking any trail or construction projects. Since there are 392 units in the National Park Service and a limited amount of funding. Parks apply for money for new projects years in advance. Adams said it is not unusual for projects to wait five years. When they do receive funding, parks must spend it within the fiscal year or they will lose the money and must reapply. "We end up with a system where parks finally get funding but they have not done planning and compliance," explained Adams. As a result, in part, of events at Effigy Mounds, the National Park Service is considering re-engineering the PMIS application process to create a step-by-step system in which parks would first apply for funding to study a proposed project, then for planning funding, and finally for implementation funding. "We're looking at ways of changing the process," Adams said.

Permit allows  Wauzeka hog farm  to expand further

By Ted Pennekamp

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a runoff management permit to Roth Feeder Pigs Inc. of rural Wauzeka. The permit was issued and became effective on May 1. It will expire on March 31, 2015. In the latest, and perhaps the last, chapter in the expansion of Roth Feeder Pigs, the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit allows Roth to expand from 2,400 to 2,900 head within the year, an addition of 500 head. During the eight years that he has owned the farm, A.V. Roth has expanded from 550 to 1,450 to 2,400, and soon to 2,900. According to the DNR, "Animal unit numbers are reported to the DNR only at the time of each permit issuance, which occurs every five years. The number of animal units on any given operation may increase or fluctuate significantly during the course of the permit term." Over the years, Roth's expansion has generated a large amount of opposition from individuals as well as organizations such as the Crawford Stewardship Project. Hearings at the county and state level in 2007 and 2008 regarding Roth's livestock siting permit application drew standing-room only crowds with numerous people speaking on both sides of the issue. The livestock siting permit was approved by the Crawford County Land Conservation Committee in January of 2008. The permit was granted by the Wisconsin Livestock Siting Review Board in May of 2008. A hearing on March 18, 2010 in the Wauzeka Town Hall was packed with more than 100 people. Approximately 30 people were registered to speak at the hearing, which regarded Roth's WPDES permit. In granting the permit on May 1, the DNR has ruled that Roth's nutrient management plan meets state standards. A nutrient management plan is designed to protect groundwater and surface water, and is meant to be revised so as to best fit the situation at any given time over the years. According to the DNR website, farms with 2,500 feeder pigs or more need a water protection permit. WPDES permits are aimed at ensuring that these farms use proper planning, construction and manure management to protect Wisconsin waters. Permit applicants must submit detailed information about the operation, a manure management plan, plans and specifications for all manure storage facilities, and a completed environmental analysis questionnaire. They must undergo an environmental assessment and public review.

The permit requirements of the state administrative code apply only to water protection. They do not give the DNR authority to address air, odor, traffic, lighting, land use or other concerns, nor many of the social concerns people have about large farms.

Council updates City Hall policy and gives okay to  Redevelopment Authority  for the Sheckler property

By Jen Schultz

The City Hall usage policy was brought before the City Council in a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, May 4 before the regular City Council meeting. Council members discussed the current City Hall usage policy and fees related to renting rooms within City Hall. The council passed a motion to change the policy to include that all groups will be charged $20 for a yearly pass to use any of the rooms available for use. The council also decided to add to the policy that the key to the City Hall building must be returned to City Hall within 48 hours after an event or the City will re-key the building at the group's expense in order to keep the City Hall secure. Later during the regular City Council meeting, the motion to approve the new policy passed unanimously.

A presentation was given by Attorney Day Key for the Council to give preliminary approval for the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Prairie du Chien to proceed with the blight determination for the Sheckler property located at the southwest quadrant of the intersection of Blackhawk Avenue and Main Street. Key outlined Scott and Jill's plans to build a 60-room hotel with a convention center, meeting complex, condominiums and a restaurant. The development project is estimated to exceed $11 million. Blight determination on the property is needed in order for the Redevelopment Authority to issue bonds to assist the Developer in financing the project.

In other business:

Council approved the Downtown revolving loan committee members. They include PDRI Economic Restructuring Committee, Jamie Jones-Stram; PDRI Design Committee, Ken Wall; Redevelopment Authority, Fred Heubsch; Industrial Development Corporation, Bob McDonald; Council, Judeen Ames; Planning Commission, Dan Key and At-Large Mayor's Choice, Aaron Kramer.

City Assessor Don McGuire made a presentation on the City's reassessment and equalization work. It is required to be done by the state of Wisconsin once every five years. According to the state, properties within Prairie du Chien fall within the 80 percentile compared to other properties within Wisconsin. McGuire said that the values will need to be raised to fall within the 90 to 100 percent range. City Administrator Aaron Kramer stressed the point that this will not affect property taxes, it only raises the value of properties within Prairie du Chien.

Perennial sale benefits garden

By Jen Schultz

The St. Feriole Island Annual Perennial Exchange/Sale is set for Saturday, May 8 from 8 to 11 a.m. in the gardens on St. Feriole Island. This is the 3rd year volunteers have organized the event for the gardens. The sale is co-sponsored by the Prairie du Chien Park and Recreation Department.

All proceeds from the sale will go to improvements in the gardens. The sale is supported with a matching grant from Thrivent Financial.

The Prairie du Chien Fire Department Womens’Äô Auxiliary will be operating a foodstand on the grounds.

All kinds of perennials grown in the area will be for sale and exchange including pink and purple coneflowers, black eyed susans, siberian irises, many different types of day lillies, lilac shoots, many variations of hostas, perennial geraniums, phlox, sedum, various types of groundcovers and much more. Besides perennials, mulch will also be available to purchase.

Plant donations for the sale are greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at the gardens in the afternoon on Friday, May 7 and during the sale on Saturday. If possible, please label donations as to the type of plant and the color of the flower when it blooms.

Volunteers meet every Monday night at 5 p.m. to work in the gardens. Plenty of volunteers donate their time to help keep the gardens looking their best including Doug Dickman, the "Lawn Mower Man" who mows the park once a week and Dave Brunner, who trimmed the apple trees earlier this spring just to name a few. Volunteers consist of a wide variety of people including Master Gardeners, the Rotary Club, Eastman 4-Leaf Clovers 4-H Club, Prairie du Chien Fire Department and Auxillary and lots of individuals that come and donate their time. Anyone who wants to help in the gardens is welcome to come.

For more information about the perennial sale, contact Mary Wayne at 326-0554 or Barb Toberman at 326-4039.

Minutes in Motion gets people active

By Jen Schultz

Minutes in Motion is a Coulee Region Activity challenge presented by Gundersen Lutheran. This is the fourth year Gundersen Lutheran has held the challenge and the first time it was also targeted outside of La Crosse into the Prairie du Chien area.

The six-week challenge began on March 22 and ended on May 2. Family, friends and co-workers signed up as teams with the goal being to strive for 30 minutes of physical activity everyday or 210 minutes a week. Participants could pick activities that worked best for them.

"The idea is to have fun and get moving," says Brian Gilberts, Gundersen Lutheran Media and Communications.

According to Gilberts, over 3,600 people participated in the event throughout the Coulee region and 247 of them were from the Prairie du Chien area. Participants partook in a variety of activities including walking, biking, jogging, yard work, chopping wood and aerobic exercise’Äîjust to name a few.

A celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 12 at 5 p.m. in the Gundersen Lutheran - Prairie du Chien clinic.

Prairie du Chien Police Department Sergeant Chad Abrams is participating in the event.

"For part of my activities, I try to walk Tobi everyday. We go all over the city, but there' less traffic on the island, so we often walk around here," explains Abrams. Tobi is Abram' 11 year old chocolate labrador.

Other activities that Abrams partakes in is walking, running, rollerblading, biking and WII Fit Plus exercises. He tries to average about an hour each day of some sort of physical exercise. Abrams can often be seen walking with his family. Lisa, Abrams’Äô wife is also participating in Minutes in Motion.

"Getting out and exercising is a good stress releaser after work. I’Äôve found that by exercising my energy is higher and I feel like my health is better" admits Abrams.

Recording exercise activity was easy according to Abrams. "Even when my wife and I were on vacation, we were able to keep a list of our activities and log onto the website to record our activies when it was convenient for us."

"I think Minutes in Motion is a great idea for promoting healthy lifestyles," comments Abrams.

For more information about Minutes in Motion, call Gundersen Lutheran' Community and Preventive Care Department at (608) 775-4717.

Chad Abrams walks his dog Tobi as part of his exercise routine for Minutes in Motion.

Treasure-seekers go  high tech with geocaching

By Ted Pennekamp

Ever since hand-held GPS units became popular in the early 2000s, they have been used by hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Many people may not know, however, about another hobby that has been spawned by GPS units.

Geocaching, a form of treasure hunting, has become quite popular worldwide and continues to grow. In fact, as of December 2009 there were 951,877 caches worldwide and 80,467 geocachers. It is estimated that there are 84 account holding geocachers within the 53821 zip code.

"It' a fun thing to do," said Tom Nelson of Prairie du Chien. "I have been messin’Äô around with it for about three years."

Nelson explained that there is a website www.geocaching.com through which people can become registered members of a geocaching society. It is free to join and each person is given his our her own account. Nelson' geocaching name is "Nellie" for example.

In order to participate in geocaching, one logs onto the website and receives information about caches that they might want to try and find. Information may include an area of a city in which a cache is located and the GPS coordinates of the cache.

Nelson explained that most caches involve a waterproof container with a notebook inside. The container is hidden in an interesting place and geocachers travel to the area and attempt to find the cache using their GPS device. When people find a cache, they write down their registered name, the date and any other information they want to share in the notebook. Some people also leave small objects behind. A golf ball and a toy car were recently found in a cache in Prairie du Chien, for example. These trinkets can be traded for items of equal or greater value. When a person finds a cache, they also register their find on the website. Many people post comments about the lovely area that they visited and the interesting things that they saw and did. There is also an environmental saying, "Cache in, Trash out," in which one is supposed to pick up at least one piece of trash on every geocaching adventure.

"It' kind of a club," said Nelson. "It' a fascinating hobby and now it' going high tech."

Nelson said that geocaching is a relatively inexpensive hobby and that families often do it together when visiting an area.

"It gets you to go places you wouldn’Äôt normally go," he said, in noting that geocaching can help to promote the attractions and activities of a community.

In fact, Nelson and his son Mitch have created two caches on St. Feriole Island, one in the Sculpture Park and the other in the St. Feriole Island Garden. The caches help to bring people to these two attractions. Many interesting comments have been posted since the caches have been created.

There are numerous other caches in the Prairie du Chien area. Some of the more well-known include several caches at Pikes Peak State Park, caches at three artesian wells in Prairie du Chien, and a cache at the old bridge lookout in Marquette.

In addition to a note pad, some caches contain a medallion. Whoever finds a medallion, such as a Boy Scout medallion, can take the medallion and put it in another cache. The person who created the medallion cache gets feedback and can track everywhere the medallion goes. For example, a geocacher may find a medallion in a cache in Chicago. He might then place the medallion in a cache back in his home state of North Dakota. When a medallion travels to the far corners of the globe, it is considered quite a coup.

There are avid geocachers in numerous countries worldwide and medallions have quite a potential to travel long distances. Mitch Nelson, for example, has done geocaching in Italy and in China.

Geocaching.com says it is "a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people of all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment."

"Geocaching is an interesting and educational hobby that can be enjoyed by the whole family," said Tom Nelson. "You can learn a lot in your travels."

Prairie du Chien geocacher Tom Nelson poses in the St. Feriole Island Sculpture Park alongside Chief Blackhawk. Nelson is holding his GPS unit and the cache that can be found somewhere in the sculpture park.