Wisconsin Buffer Initiative
Research Groups
- DATCP
- DNR
- FSA
- Kartikeyan researchers
- Land Classification researchers
- Nature Conservancy
- PALMS researchers
- PDPW
- River Alliance of WI
- School of Natural Resources
- Vander Zanden Researchers
- WALCE
- WFBF
- WI Trout Unlimited
- WLWCA
Who are the faces of WBI?
Pete Nowak
I am the Chair of the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative. My responsibility is to involve all vested interests in a meaningful way, develop a common vision of what role riparian buffer technology should play across the Wisconsin landscape, and then facilitate "best available science" to achieve this vision. The mission statement of the WBI is my mission statement.
Contact Information: Pete Nowak | (608) 265-3581
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP)
Keith Fuye
As the voice for the DATCP, my job is to serve the citizens of Wisconsin by assuring efficient use of agricultural resources in a quality environment and work towards vitality of Wisconsin agriculture and commerce.
Contact Information: Keith Foye | (608) 224-4603
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Gordon Stevenson, P.E.
I am a 20 year veteran of the Department of Natural Resources. Currently, I am Chief of the Runoff Management Section. My work includes general oversight of nonpoint source water pollution abatement programs. I am a registered professional engineer and also have significant teaching experience.
Contact Information: Gordon Stevenson, P.E. | (608) 267-2759
Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Susan Butler
I represent the Farm Service Agency in the WBI. FSA Vision Statement: "A customer-driven agency with a diverse and multi-talented work force, dedicated to achieving an economically and environmentally sound future for American Agriculture."
Contact Information: Susan Butler | (608) 662-4422 Ext. 114
Kartikeyan Research Group
KG Karthikeyan
My role in the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative is working to quantify phosphorus losses from agricultural fields with my team of researchers.
Contact Information: KG Karthikeyan | (608) 262-9367
Paul Miller
My role in the WBI: Develop and model phosphorus transport from agricultural fields, monitor and maintain instrumentation as appropriate, coordinate phosphorus lab analysis and data QA/QC, determine scale effects of DEMs used in our analysis approaches.
Contact Information: Paul Miller | (608) 262-1229
The Nature Conservancy
Paul West
I work with the WBI to represent The Nature Conservancy. The Conservancy sees the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative as an effort that can more efficiently target limited public funding to conserve important streams and lakes in the state and help clean the waters of many of our degraded ones.
Contact Information: Paul West | (608) 251-8140 Ext. 157
Precision Agricultural-Landscape Modeling System (PALMS)
John Norman
I am a Professor of Soil Science at UW-Madison and currently chair of the Monitoring and Modeling Subcommittee of the WBI Advisory Committee. The group I work with has taken on three challenges: 1) Monitor runoff, sediment and phosphorus losses on four Discovery Farms and the Arlington Research Station, 2) simulate these losses as a function of weather, soil characteristics and management practices with PALMS, and 3) link results from PALMS to the SNAP+/RUSLE2/P-Index implementation tool.
Contact Information: John Norman | 608-262-4576
Christine Molling
I am working with a research team to design a Decision Support System (DSS) for agricultural managers that combines what scientists know about the physical behavior of the agricultural landscape with the effects of management available to growers. The end result is a software package called the Precision Agricultural- Landscape Modeling System (PALMS).
Contact Information: Christine Molling | (608) 265-5350
Carlos A. Bonilla- Graduate Research Assistant, Soil Science.
My responsibilities in WBI: Develop a method for estimating soil loss and sediment transport from agricultural fields that is faithful to the complex topography common to managed landscapes. This main activity is divided into the following specific activities: 1) Create a soil-erosion grid-based prediction model and link it to the existing water-flow landscape sub-model in the Precision Agricultural-Landscape Modeling System (PALMS), 2) Measure soil erosion under different landscapes conditions, agricultural practices and soil properties, and 3) Compare soil erosion predictions from PALMS with field measurements.
Contact Information: Carlos A. Bonilla | (608) 262-0415
Jeff Topel
As a grad student in the Soil Sciences department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, my role in the WBI is that of a GIS Specialist and field monitoring researcher with John Norman's team.
Contact Information: Jeff Topel | (608) 843-1743
Professional Dairy Produces of Wisconsin (PDPW)
Alan Koepke
As a Wisconsin dairy producer, I'm working with the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative to incorporate PDPW input and views.
Contact Information: Alan Koepke | (920) 474-7083
River Alliance of Wisconsin
Rich Bogovich
My job with the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative is to represent the voices of the River Alliance of Wisconsin and the Clean Water Coalition on the WBI Advisory Committee.
Contact Information: Rich Bogovich | (608) 257-2424
Land Classification
Steve Ventura
For WBI, I am working on the statewide analysis of factors influencing stream responsiveness to buffers and overseeing the research on buffer design and maintenance.
Contact Information: Steve Ventura | (608) 262-6416
Heidi Moltz, Grad Student- Water Resources Management
I am working on a literature review covering the design, placement, maintenance and economics of riparian buffers.
Contact Information: Heidi Moltz | (608) 358-4136
School of Natural Resources
Kevin McSweeney
My roll in the Wisconsin Buffer Initiative is to represent Elton Aberle, Dean of College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Contact Information: Kevin McSweeney | (608) 262-6468
Vander Zanden Research Group- Stream Classification
Dr. Jake Vander Zanden, Assistant Professor of Zoology, Center for Limnology
I am involved in aquatic ecosystem studies and the classification and prioritization of aquatic ecosystems for buffer implementation.
Contact Information: Jake Vander Zanden | (608) 262-9464
Jeff Maxted, Research Specialist at the Center for Limnology
I'm working with Dr. Jake Vander Zanden on water body classification from the in-stream perspective. The results of our work will be used to locate buffers in the areas of Wisconsin that need them the most.
Contact Information: Jeff Maxted | (608) 262-3088
Matthew Diebel- Limnology
As a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, my WBI responsibilities deal with statewide classification to prioritize buffer implementation.
Contact Information: Matthew Diebel | (608) 262-3087
Maggie Holland
As a graduate student in Land Information and Computer Graphics, my job for the WBI is to work with the limnology researchers to plan for buffer implementation.
Contact Information: Maggie Buck | (608) 263-5534
Wisconsin Association of Land Conservation Employees (WALCE)
Mike Dahlby
I represent WALCS for the purpose of building from the experience of county (local) programs aimed at implementation of nonpoint source performance standards and buffer programs.
Contact Information: Mike Dahlby | (715) 726-7921
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation (WFBF)
Richard Gorder- Dairy Farmer
As a dairy farmer in Wisconsin, I am working with the WBI to ensure producer and landowner perspectives are represented by the WFBF in any advisory committee decisions.
Contact Information: Richard Gorder | (608) 987-3424
Wisconsin Trout Unlimited
Bill Pielsticker
Wisconsin Trout Unlimited's mission: "Wisconsin Trout Unlimited's mission is to conserve, protect, restore and enhance Wisconsin's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. We accomplish this mission at the local and state level with an extensive and dedicated volunteer network."
Contact Information: Bill Pielsticker | (608) 592-4718
Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association (WLWCA)
Rebecca Baumann
I'm working with the WBI to represent WLWCA. WLWCA is a "nonprofit organization representing Wisconsin's 72 County Board Land Conservation Committees and Departments. Our Mission is to assist Land Conservation Committees and Departments with the protection, enhancement and sustainable use of Wisconsin's natural resources and represent Land Conservation Committees and Departments through education and governmental interaction."
Contact Information: Rebecca Baumann | (608) 833-1833
