Dane County
Minutes - Final Unless Amended by
Committee
Park Commission
Consider:
Who benefits? Who is burdened?
Who does not have a voice at the table?
How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
5:30 PM
Lower Mud Lake Natural Resource Area
Hidden Farm Road, McFarland
A. Call To Order
Chair Thoresen called the Park Commission meeting to order at 5:30 PM.
Staff Present: Joleen Stinson, Sharene Smith, Chris James, Alex DeSmidt, Dan
Schmitt.
Youth Governance Member Steve Hoang present.
Others Present: Aaron Mullins, Kathy Pease, Marko Pease, Linda McKamey, Will Mann,
Peter Mann, Mary Treamaine, Tim Fiocchi, Theresa Conger.
6 -
Present:
NANCY BOGUE, STEFANIE BROUWER, ANALIESE EICHER, TOM THORESEN,
GRACE MORAN and KRISTIE GOFORTH
B. Consideration of Minutes
Minutes of the March 27, 2024 Park Commission
Attachments: 2023 MIN-599 PC Minutes 03-27-24
A motion was made by BROUWER, seconded by GOFORTH, that the Minutes be
approved. The motion carried by a voice vote 6-0, YGP 1-0.
C. Presentations
1. Lower Mud Lake NRA Certified Land Steward Volunteer Update
Certified Land Steward Kathy Pease is the lead volunteer at the Lower Mud Lake Natural
Resource Area. She introduced other very active and dedicated volunteers in attendance
at the meeting. The volunteers started in 2019 by reopening grassland and savanna
habitat leading down to sedge meadow along Mud Lake. Volunteers have since expanded
efforts to oak woodland restoration in the "upper woodland," which also contains a linear
mound. Alex DeSmidt reported that because of the volunteer work to sensitively remove
invasive vegetation growing on the mound, Dane County Parks has been able to survey
the mound and request that it be catalogued with the Wisconsin Historical Society. This
area of Dane County is rich with cultural features; the Lower Mud Lake Archaeological
Complex includes the Skare Site, Dyreson fish weir, Douglas Dam and sawmill, and
numerous mounds on both public and private property.
