Wetlands, Wildlife Habitat, and Flood Hazards in the Rock River Basin Webinar Series: Wetland Restoration in the Rock River Basin

Scientists and managers have long recognized the utility and efficiency in connecting floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, and wetland management, but government resources are not allocated in such a manner as to foster collaboration among these institutions. Funding is often tied to specific agency priorities and hazard mitigation and habitat conservation staff rarely collaborate. The goal of the Wetlands, Wildlife Habitat, and Flood Hazards in the Rock River Basin webinar series is to identify opportunities for emergency, floodplain, and wetland management agencies to work together to maximize the flood control and ecosystem service benefits of our wetlands, thereby saving financial and environmental resources and building community resilience to climate change.

Wetland Restoration in the Rock River Basin

Protecting and restoring Wisconsin’s wetlands and watersheds requires the involvement of many partner agencies and organizations. This webinar will focus on a range of programs and partners conducting, overseeing, or monitoring wetland restoration projects in the Rock River Basin and throughout the state. First, Caroline Clarin from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Jeanne Scherer from the Rock River Coalition will discuss NRCS wetland restoration programs and public-non-profit partnerships. Caroline Clarin will focus on the technical aspects of restoring wetlands, drawing on her experiences with Jefferson Marsh, the Zeloski Marsh, and other wetlands in the Rock River Basin. Jeanne Scherer will present the results of post-restoration monitoring at Zeloski Marsh, including the results of the Bioblitz conducted there in May 2013. Then Kurt Waterstradt will talk about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and his one-on-one work with private landowners and other partners to plan, implement, and monitor restoration projects. Finally, Pam Schense from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will discuss Wisconsin’s new wetland mitigation regulations and how the new rules are likely to affect mitigation in the state.

WHEN: July 15, 2013, 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM CDT

SPEAKERS:

• Caroline Clarin, Agricultural Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Jeanne Scherer, Wetland Monitoring Coordinator, Rock River Coalition
• Kurt Waterstradt, Wisconsin Private Lands Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partners Program
• Pam Schense, Wetland Mitigation Coordinator, WI Department of Natural Resources