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, $6Z March 2, 1994 TO: Dane County Zoning and Natural Resources Committee FROM: John Exo RE: Item # 4 on your 3/8/94 Public Hearing agenda: Rezone # 5869 and C.U.P. # 1125 I am writing to comment on the proposed rezone and C.U.P. by Mr. George Bell to expand a horse boarding stable. I am commenting in my capacity as Dane County's Watershed Management Coordinator and as a former seventeen-year resident of the Town of Verona, less than one mile from this site. While I have no objections to horse boarding stables in general, I am concerned about their potential impacts on the resources of our county. Beef, dairy and grain fanners are facing increasing regulations on how they impact the environment; it is only natural and fair that we examine, and perhaps attempt to minimize the impacts of other livestock activities as well. This particular site is of concern for several reasons. First, a moderately steep hill on the east and north portions of the property drain directly to a large wetland area to the southwest (along the Military Ridge State bike trail). Second, these upland areas have been severely eroded over the years by the heavy traffic of pastured horses. The bare soil, with no grass to hold it in place, has been washing into the marsh for many years. Third, a large pile of horse manure and bedding has been stockpiled in the far northeast portion of the property for many years. While I believe the owners or managers have attempted, by doing so, to keep the manure as far from the wetland (and nearby Sugar River) as possible, the manure pile presents an potential source of runoff to the wetland and river. Fourth, because of these conditions, the site is at best visually unappealing from both the adjacent roads, and the bike trail. I would like to suggest a few mitigating conditions that might be reasonable to require as part of the approval. First, as a minimum, an erosion control plan and implementation should be required to prevent further degradation to the water resources. This could be developed by and followed up in cooperation with a representative of the Land Conservation Department. It is not enough to just protect water resources themselves; we should also be concerned about how the surrounding uplands affect them. Second, consider requiring that a manure management plan be developed and implemented. There are several farmers in the neighborhood that might use the manure to their benefit. This would help eliminate the potential runoff of manure and nutrients to the wetland, and eventually the Sugar River.