Bob Micheel,  Director                                                                       
Office: (608) 269-8975 / Cell: (608) 797-4587                    
Email: bob.micheel@co.monroe.wi.us

Tracy Antonneau, Administrative Associate
Office: (608) 269-8973 
Email: tracy.antonneau@co.monroe.wi.us

Roxie Anderson, Land Use Planner
Office: (608) 855-5020 
Email: roxie.anderson@co.monroe.wi.us

Tom Torkelson, Soil and Water Conservationist                
Office: (608) 269-8974 / Cell: (608) 855-0666                     
Email: thomas.torkelson@co.monroe.wi.us

Brad Robson, Conservation Agronomist                
Office: (608) 269-8762 / Cell: (608) 696-8664                     
Email: bradley.robson@co.monroe.wi.us

 Resource Contacts 

Natural Resource Conservation Service - NRCS:

Justin Olson, District Conservationist                                      Nikki Krause, Resource Conservationist         
 (Monroe and Vernon, based in Viroqua)                                       Office: (608) 269-8136 x113 
Office: (608) 637-2183 x219                                                             Email: nicole.krause@usda.gov
Email:  justin.olson@usda.gov                                  

Veronica Blount, Soil Conservationist                                        Dan Gunderson, Civil Engineering Tech
Office: (608) 269-8136  x116 / Cell: (608) 633-8780         Cell: (608)208-2460
Email: veronica.blount@usda.gov                                                    Email: dan.gunderson@usda.gov

Eric Ressel, Soil Conservationist                                                   Tracy Antonneau, Program Support Specialist 
Office: (608)269-8136 x110 / Cell: (608)475-9652            Office: (608) 269-8136 x115   
Email: eric.ressel@usda.gov                                                                Email: tracy.antonneau@usda.gov                                                                      

Farm Service Agency - FSA:

Dennis Niedfeldt, Chief Program Technician                         Mary Koltermann, Program Technician
Office: (608)269-8136 x121                                                              Office: (608)269-8136 x 100
Email: Dennis.Niedfeldt@usda.gov                                                 Email: Mary.Koltermann@usda.gov

Adam Steffen, County Executive Director                                Jen Williams, Program Technician
Office: (608)269-8136 x124                                                              Office: (608)269-8136 x108
Email: Adam.Steffen@usda.gov                                                        Email: Jennifer.Williams5@usda.gov

Meghan Servais, Program Technician                                          Garrett Benzing, Loan Technician
Office: (608)269-8136 x105                                                              Office:(608)269-8136 x129
Email: Meghan.Servais@usda.gov                                                   Email: Garret.Benzing@usda.gov

Carrie Zimmer, Program Technician                                                
Office: (608)269-8136 x101                                                             
Email: Caroline.Zimmer@usda.gov                                                       

*Hunters, if you are interested in donating a deer, please send us you name and email! Call 608-269-8973

Click the links below to watch DNR Biologist demonstrate accessing and removing a deer's lymph nodes at the 2022 CWD Summit

Exposing the lymph nodes

Removing the lymph nodes

SW News 4 U Recap on 2022 CWD Summit!

*CDAC Presentation 2022 - Monroe County*

News Release - Deer Baiting and Feeding Ban In Effect In Monroe County - June 2021

12 Recommendations

Letter to Contacts

Pat Mulvaney CWD Article

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/cwd.html

CWD Task Force Members:

• Stan Brownell – Conservation Congress (Deer Committee)
• Jack Herricks – Farm Bureau – President
• David Beckman – Fort McCoy – Wildlife Biologist
• Tim Wilder – Fort McCoy/Landowner
• Jim Raiten – Landowner/County Deer Advisory Committee (CDAC)
• Rick Case – Beef Farmer
• Scott Giraud – Landowner
• Wayne Edgerton – Landowner/Quality Deer Mgt. (QDM)
• Chad Zeigler – County Forester administrator/Landowner
• Bob Micheel – LCD Director/Landowner
• Brad Robson - LCD Conservation Agronomist
• Nicole Demarb – DNR CWD-Wildlife Biologist

Town of Wells Comprehensive Plan 2025-2045

Town of Wells Appendix E - Maps

Town of Tomah Comprehensive Plan 2024-2044

Town of Tomah Appendix D - Maps

Town of Tomah Comprehensive Plan 2024-2044 Adoption Ordinance

       

Monroe County Open Spaces Acquired through the Voluntary Buyout Program

In late 2018, Monroe County applied for FEMA Grant Funding through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to provide relief to property owners whose homes sustained significant flood damage from the 2017 and 2018 flooding events.  Several property owners along the Little La Crosse and La Crosse Rivers were identified in the grant application as voluntary participants for property acquisition.  

The FEMA grant funding was awarded in September 2020.  Additional grant funding from the Wisconsin DNR Municipal Flood Control Grant Program and Couleecap’s Community Development Block Grant was also secured and provided matching funds and covered project costs for alternate properties.  Grant funding covered the costs of acquiring the properties and demolishing and removing structures from the site to return the property to open space. 

The voluntary buyout program offers property owners within the floodplain that have experienced significant flood damage, an opportunity to sell their property at its fair market value and move away from a flood-prone area.  Buying and removing these flood-prone structures also ensures that they are not further damaged by floods in the future.

Monroe County’s Zoning Director, Alison Elliott, and Land Use Planner, Roxie Anderson, co-managed the voluntary buyout project and successfully acquired eight properties and returned approximately 18 acres of land within the floodplain to open space.

The Voluntary Buyout program is a cost-effective way to reduce long-term flood damage and create community benefits by providing more open space within the floodplain.  An open space management plan has been developed to outline management activities and allowable open space activities according to open space deed restrictions that are recorded with the properties. 

Any questions about the open spaces or the voluntary buyout program can be addressed to Alison Elliott, Zoning Director Alison.Elliott@co.monroe.wi.us or Roxie Anderson, Land Use Planner Roxie.Anderson@co.monroe.wi.us