Walter Combee

The Rusk County Strategic Plan is a comprehensive hazardous materials county-wide plan designed to develop policies and procedures for responding to incidents involving the use, storage, manufacture, and transportation of hazardous materials. The plan focuses on ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, identifying facilities and transportation routes, establishing clear notification, evacuation, and response procedures, and detailing resource management, training, and exercise protocols. Its primary objective is to protect the community from the harmful effects of hazardous materials releases and define the roles and responsibilities of government and private sector entities.

The meeting commenced with the approval of officer nominations, resulting in Kathy Halbur assuming the Chair role and Mark Schmitt serving as Vice Chair. The committee subsequently accepted the current membership list for March 2024. Discussion points included informational updates on the Hazmat/Computer grant application, approval of updates to Off Site Plans for several listed sites (including Walmart, Brightspeed, and Dairy Farmers of America), and approval of the 2024 Strategic Plan update. It was noted that the EPCRA notice would be published in June, and spill information is documented within the Strategic Plan.

The meeting included discussions and actions regarding seven spills and the status of the LEPC EPCRA grant for 2024 ($6916.97). The committee debated the County's role in charging responsible parties for spills and subsequently approved a motion to use the Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) for a compliance officer. The committee also approved its by-laws without changes and ratified the September 24th membership list. Furthermore, approvals were granted for Off-Site Plans for several facilities, including Tractor Central, Weathershield, DFA, Walmart, and Dunn Paper, as well as approval and signing of the strategic plan. Committee members also discussed retirements and member replacements, and a DNR representative provided an update on late-season wildfire risk.

The Rusk County Land and Water Resource Management Plan is a comprehensive document designed to guide natural resource managers in protecting and improving the county's natural resources. The plan outlines strategies, goals, objectives, and outcomes for the program years 2016-2020. Key focus areas include identifying and prioritizing natural resource issues, coordinating efforts to resolve these issues, determining agency roles, and securing funding for protection and improvement initiatives. The plan emphasizes a locally led process to enhance decision-making, streamline administrative mechanisms, and optimize the use of local, state, and federal funds to safeguard Wisconsin's land and water resources.

This Land and Water Resource Management Plan for Rusk County, covering 2025-2035, aims to identify and prioritize natural resource concerns, coordinate efforts, and guide funding for resource protection and improvement. It focuses on six key goals: protecting and improving surface water quality, conserving productive agricultural land, protecting and improving groundwater quality, expanding outreach and education programs, demonstrating program effectiveness, and integrating wildlife habitat with conservation efforts. The plan seeks to foster locally led processes to enhance decision-making and optimize funding to conserve and protect the county's natural resources.