Last Updated: Thursday, March 22, 2007 2:11 PM CDT
County hires AIS Coordinator
by Daily News Staff
Watkins to safeguard area's 1,127 lakes
Just in time for spring, Oneida County has hired its Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator.
Radley Watkins started his position Monday.
The days are getting warmer and ice on area lakes is melting fast. Soon fishermen will take to their boats, which means Watkins has a big job to undertake.
Watkins will be responsible for coordinating efforts to fight the spread of aquatic invasive species such as milfoil in the area's 1,127 lakes.
Watkins will also be expected to organize a strategic effort to identify prevention and control techniques for combating the spread of other invasive species such as the rusty brown crawfish, and purple loosestrife.
“The big take home message is that we don't have a horrible problem in Oneida County,” said Watkins. “We have pristine waters but AIS is present and the possibility of explosive growth is present.”
Watkins has a background in natural resource research and land use planning. According to information in his biography, he “studied biogeography as an undergraduate at the University of Montana and landscape ecology while obtaining his master's degree in Forestry at Michigan Technological University.”
Awarded the Alliance for the Wild Rockies Conservation Award in 1993, Watkins has been certified as a Master Woodland Steward by the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point College of Natural Resources since 2003.
Watkins' family has a long history with Oneida County, having owned lakefront property for the past 58 years. Watkins says he loves the northwoods and enjoys canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, hiking, cross country skiing and horseback riding. Watkins resides in Hazelhurst with his wife Gretchen, daughter Lena and their horses and dogs.
The AIS coordinator position was approved by the county board in October of 2006 but progress toward finding a person to fill the position was slowed by supervisors' concerns over a vague job description and worries over duplication of effort within other departments.
Aquatic invasive species have long been a concern of the county board with supervisors frequently commenting that more must be done to ensure invasives don't destroy the area's tourism economy.
“Recreation and tourism dollars heavily contribute to the economy of the county and loss of quality fishable and swimmable lakes would affect not only our natural resources but also the economy,” the resolution that authorized the new position stated.
According to the resolution, the county will re-evaluate the need for a full-time AIS coordinator after three years.
Money to fund the position comes from the tax levy.
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“The big take home message is that we don’t have a horrible problem in Oneida County.”
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