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Oneida County Approves Squash Lake District

Northwoods Land Trust

The Oneida County Board Tuesday approved the formation of the Squash Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District. A lake district is different than a lake association as local residents agree to tax themselves as a form of local government to fund improvements to the lake. Squash Lake is west of Rhinelander.

Supervisor Bob Mott said the backers found enough support...

"....the petition needed to be signed by 51 percent of the landowners or 51 percent of the owners of the land. Both of those criteria were met. I think 154 of 280 landowners, 55 percent, were in favor...."

67 percent of the frontage owners approved the petition. A question was asked whether property away from the water would be assessed like owners with water frontage. Supervisor Robb Jensen says property owners have an option....

"....the formation initially talked about charging per parcel, lets say $200 on the water and $100 off. Some thought(it should be different). We explained to them that is going to be determined at the annual meeting..."

One of the lead petitioners, Dan Butkus, says they've done much work by private donation to fight aquatic invasive species as an association, but state grant money is highly competitive as are private dollars. and if they wanted to continue the fight, they needed to form the taxing district.

He says hand pulling of Eurasian Water Milfoil has been effective..

"...and in an effort to achieve statistically a zero point zero occurance of Eurasian Water Milfoil....in 2016, an unusual feat for us to have achieved...."

The Oneida County Board approved the request by a vote of 17-0. They also approved the nominees for the governing board.

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