Dane County

Minutes - Final Unless Amended by

Committee

Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

Consider:

Who benefits? Who is burdened?

Who does not have a voice at the table?

How can policymakers mitigate unintended consequences?

This meeting is being conducted on land now known and recognized as Dane County, Wisconsin. We

acknowledge that this land is at the same time the ancestral, traditional, & contemporary land of the

Ho-Chunk, Sauk & Kickapoo nations.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

5:30 PM

Hybrid Meeting: Attend in person at 5201 Fen Oak Drive

Drumlin Room; attend virtually via zoom.

Interpreters must be requested in advance; please see the bottom of the agenda for more information.

Los intérpretes deben solicitarse con anticipación; consulte el final de la agenda para obtener más

información.

Yuav tsuam tau thov txog cov neeg txhais lus hau ntej; thov saib hauv qab kawg ntawm qhov txheej

txheem rau cov ntaub ntawv ntxiv.

معلوما

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من

لمزيد

ما

جدو

أسف

لى

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مقدما

رجمة

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خدمات

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The February 26, 2026 Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee meeting will be a hybrid

meeting. Members of the public can either attend in person or virtually via Zoom.

The public can attend in person at 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Drumlin Room.

The public can access the meeting virtually with the Zoom application or by telephone.

To join the meeting in Zoom, click the following link (after you fill out the form, the meeting link and

access information will be emailed to you):

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2YbnFYbiRvS-wZ6GTmcQjA

This link will be active until the end of the meeting.

To join the meeting by phone, dial-in using one of the following toll-free phone numbers:

1-833-548-0276

1-833-548-0282

When prompted, enter the following Webinar ID: 989 3840 7082

PROCESS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT:

IN PERSON: Any members of the public wishing to register to speak on/support/oppose an agenda item

can register in person at the meeting using paper registration forms. IT IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO

In person registrations to provide public comment will be accepted throughout the meeting.

VIRTUAL: Any members of the public wishing to register to speak on/support/oppose an agenda item

MUST REGISTER USING THE LINK ABOVE (even if you plan to attend using your phone). Virtual

registrations to provide public comment will be accepted until 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the

meeting.

In order to testify (provide public comment) virtually, you must be in attendance at the meeting via Zoom

or phone, you will then either be unmuted or promoted to a panelist and provided time to speak to the

body.

If you want to submit written comments or other materials for this meeting, please email them to:

lwrd@danecounty.gov. Staff will forward the email and materials to members of the committee.

A. Call To Order

Chair Chawla called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm.

Youth Governance Member present: Sophia Pientka

Others present: Mike Carlson, Stephanie Judge, Heidi Habeger, Reid

Bartholomew, Filip Sanna, Andy Bingle, Rich Henderson, Lacy Fox, Tyler Engler,

Carousel Bayrd, Sharene Smith

Committee Staff present: Amy Piaget, Laura Hicklin

5 -

Present:

YOGESH CHAWLA, PATRICK DOWNING, STEVEN PETERS, KERRY MARREN

and COLIN BARUSHOK

B. Consideration of Minutes

Minutes of the February 12, 2026 Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources

2025

Committee

MIN-569

Environment and Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

Sponsors:

Attachments: EANR 2-12-26

A motion was made by DOWNING that the Minutes be approved. The motion

carried by a voice vote 5-0, YGP 1-0.

C. Fund Transfers

D. Referrals (Resolutions & Ordinance Amendments)

E. Items Requiring Committee Action

Environment, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee Recommendations

to the 2026-2028 Dane County Legislative Agenda

2025

ACT-355

Attachments: 2026-28 Legislative Agenda Working Draft_committees

Color Key

EANR - Leg Agenda Memo

2026-2028 Legislative Agenda Update Process - Final

A motion was made by MARREN to recommend the following text to the

2026-2028 Dane County Legislative Agenda under Land Use, Land Records, and

Land Regulation (485-490):

Oppose any state proposals that weaken Dane County’s or its municipalities’

ability to regulate land use and responsibly manage growth through zoning, land

division, subdivision regulations, and shoreland, floodplain, and wetland

protections.

Support legislation requiring that all state agencies treat adopted municipal and

county comprehensive plans, farmland preservation plans, and zoning

ordinances as binding in siting determinations.

Require formal approval by resolution of the affected municipality’s governing

body prior to state authorization of large-scale energy generation facilities,

utility-scale solar installations, transmission corridors, battery storage facilities,

data centers, or other high-impact infrastructure projects.

Reject state preemption that overrides locally adopted land use protections or

permits the expansion of such projects without municipal consent.

A motion was made by BARUSHOK to recommend the following text to the

2026-2028 Dane County Legislative Agenda:

Safeguarding Lakes and Community Safety: Consider lake ecosystems,

shorelines, docks, and community safety in regulating wake-enhanced activities,

such as wakesurfing. Allow local communities to set stronger standards than any

state minimums that are imposed through legislation.

The motions carried unanimously 5-0, YGP 1-0.

F. Presentations

Nonprofit Organizations that have utilized the Dane County Conservation Fund Grant Program in recent

history or that may be interested in applying to the program are invited to present their organization to

the Committee. Presenting is not a prerequisite to apply for a Conservation Fund Grant. The list is not

inclusive of all nonprofit organizations that have received Conservation Fund Grants and the grant

program is also available to local units of government and other entities. Presentations will be limited

to 5 minutes.

- Badgerland Foundation

- Driftless Area Land Conservancy and Southern Driftless Grasslands Partnership

- Gathering Waters (Wisconsin's Alliance for Land Trusts)

- Groundswell Conservancy

- Ice Age Trail Alliance

- The Prairie Enthusiasts

- Other organizations that wish to present and that have registered by 5:00 pm on February 26th

The following individuals presented on behalf of their respective organizations:

1. Mike Carlson, Gathering Waters

2. Andy Bingle, Southern Driftless Grasslands and Stephanie Judge, Driftless

Area Land Conservancy

3. Heidi Habeger, Groundswell Conservancy

4. Sharene Smith on behalf of Kevin Thusius, Ice Age Trail Alliance

5. Reid Bartholomew and Rich Henderson, the Prairie Enthusiasts

6. Filip Sanna, Badgerland Foundation

Land Trust Presentations

2025

PRES-271

Attachments: Gathering Waters

Southern Driftless Grasslands

Driftless Area Land Conservancy

Groundswell

Ice Age Trail Alliance

The Prairie Enthusiasts

Badgerland Foundation

G. Reports to Committee

H. Future Meeting Items and Dates

The next meeting will be Thursday, March 12th or at the Call of the Chair.

I. Public Comment on Items not on the Agenda

J. Such Other Business as Allowed by Law

K. Adjourn

A motion was made by DOWNING that the Meeting be adjourned. The motion

carried unanimously.

Meeting adjourned at 7:04 pm.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Laura Hicklin and subject to committee action

at a future meeting.

Note: If you need an interpreter, translator, materials in alternate formats or other accommodations to

access this service, activity or program, please call the phone number below—preferably at least three

business days but no fewer than 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Nota: Si necesita un intérprete, un traductor o materiales en formatos alternativos o cualquier otra

adaptación para tener acceso a este servicio, actividad o programa, llame al número de teléfono que

puede encontrar a continuación — de preferencia con al menos 3 días de anticipación y como mínimo

24 horas antes del evento en cuestión.

Sau tseg: Yog koj xav tau ib tug neeg txhais lus, txhais ua ntaub ntawv, cov ntaub ntawv uas nyob rau

lwm yam kev lawm los sis lwm yam kev pab nkag rau qhov kev pab no, kev ua si los sis kev pab cuam,

thov hu tus xov tooj rau hauv qab no—xav kom hu li peb hnub ua ntej tuaj tab sis tsis pub tsawg tshaj

24 xuab moos ua ntej rau lub rooj sib tham no.

صا

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رجمة

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جلس

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قم

Paul Eder, 608.224.3730 TTY WI RELAY 711 or eder.paul@danecounty.gov