Town of Montana

Land Use Plan

Adopted:

Town of Montana

Land Use Plan

Buffalo County, Wisconsin

Town Board: Jim Ellis, Chair

Dennis Bork, Supervisor

Joe Bragger, Supervisor

Town Clerk: LeeAnne Bulman

Town Treasurer: Karen Ellis

Assessor: Darrell Kleven

Planning Committee:

Daniel Bragger

Mary Bragger

Anna Bragger

Chris Ellis

UW-Extension facilitator: Carl Duley

Town of Montana Land Use Plan

Table of Contents

Page

Definitions………………………………………………………….. 4

Planning Process …………………………………………. ……… 5

History of the Town of Montana…………..………………………. 5

Planning Elements

Issues and Opportunities…………..………………………. 8

Housing Element…………………………………………… 14

Transportation Element……………………………………. 14

Utilities and Community Facilities Element……………… 18

Agricultural, Natural and Cultural Resources…………….. 19

Economic Development Element…………………………. 24

Intergovernmental Cooperation Element…………………. 27

Land Use Element………………………………………… 28

Implementation Element………………………………….. 30

Maps

Road Map…………………………………………………. 31

Prime Soils Map…………………………………………… 32

Hydrology Map……………………………………………. 33

Wetland Map………………………………………………. 34

Floodplain Map……………………………………………. 35

Non-metallic Mining Map…………………………………. 36

Current Land Use Map……………………………………. 37

Snowmobile Trails Map…………………………………… 38

Code of Montana…………………………………………………. 40

Definitions:

Bluff- A steep headland, promontory, riverbank, or cliff.

Dugway- A section of roadway extending from the top of a bluff to the bottom of a bluff, generally through the wooded portion of the bluff with a steep grade, often with sharp curves and/or switchbacks. The term originates from construction by digging into a hill.

Prime Farmland- Rural land with the best combination of physical & chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops, and is available for these uses. Normally includes classes I, II, III land as defined by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Works Cited

“Bluff.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4^th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

“Dugway.” Brevick, Dave. Buffalo County Highway Commissioner. Personal Interview. 4 Oct. 2001.

“Prime Farmland.” Official definition. National Resource Conservation Services.

Planning Process

In May of 2023 the town board committed to updating their land use plan, which is required by state statute to be done every ten years. Carl Duley, the county extension agent, was contacted to facilitate with updating the plan at the July board meeting. Residents were asked to participate in the planning process.

The board built upon the work done in 2014 which was also facilitated by Carl Duley. At that time, town officials attended a public meeting for other towns and further discussion took place about the reasons for planning.

A number of people from Montana were asked to serve on a planning committee and other committee members volunteered as word spread. Efforts were made to invite a diverse group of residents and non-residents. The planning committee provided needed views and input into issues. They also did a town survey.

Land use plans are not static documents, but are designed to change and be revised to meet current needs of the people. This document will be used as a guide to future change and development in the Town of Montana.

Characteristics of Town of Montana

History

The first people to settle in the town of Montana were the families of Christ Kindschi and Ulrich Von Wald in 1856 followed by August Helwig. They were the only settlers until 1858 when Conrad Christ and Andrew Florin settled in Danuser Valley and Mr. Bull settled on what is now the entrance to Buell’s Valley. They were followed by Florian Schneller and Balthasar Carish a year later. Conrad Christ and Maggie Florin along with Andrew Florin and Susanna Schamann were the first people to get married in the town. The ceremonies were preformed on the same day and place by Justice of the Peace Ferdinand Hellman.

Henry Weimer, Carl Hertzfeld and brothers Henry and Ludwig Pape (Pape Valley) were the first residents of what was referred to as “beyond the mountains.” They settled in what at the time was actually in the town of Glencoe ; the west side of the “mountains” belonged to Waumandee Town. This changed in the fall of 1867 when the town of Montana was established by the county board. The first official town meeting was held April 14, 1868 where Peter Theisen was elected the chairman and John P. Remich the clerk. The meeting was held at the log school house on the Florian Danuser farm with a total of 64 votes cast.

There are three theories about the naming of the town of Montana. Original settlers of the town were Swiss immigrants and Switzerland has a dialect called Romansh. In the dialectic language, “montana” is the word for mountain.

A second theory is that Montana was named because it is the Spanish word for mountains, but this doesn’t seem very plausible. Thirdly, there was speculation that early settlers had relatives that moved to the state of Montana during their 1862 gold rush, sending back postcards showing similar terrain.

After the organization of the town and the railroad land, homesteads were quickly taken up and in short order the town was well populated. It was recorded by Lawrence Kessinger in 1888 that “the population is mostly German, with some few Irish, Norwegians and Poles.” One thing to note is that Kessinger and probably others seemed to classify Swiss settlers as German while in fact Montana had many Swiss settlers. Determining the nationality of the Swiss was difficult due to the fact that Switzerland has four districts where German, Italian, and French are spoken.

Churches

The Montana Church was on an acre of land donated by Christian Kindschy Sr. It was built in 1862 under direction of Rev. Von Wald and known as the Montana Salem Evangelical Church. In 1884 a new church of red brick veneer with a seating of 325 was built when the congregation grew and no longer fit in the original church. Disaster struck on September 13, 1915 when the church caught fire due to a lightning strike. Friends and neighbors saved the pews, organs, and most of the valuables. The bell fell into the flames and broke into pieces and was remolded to serve the new church that was rebuilt in 1916. The Evangelical United Brethren denomination merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 and the Montana church was renamed the Montana Salem United Methodist Church. It remains one of the oldest congregations in Buffalo County.

SS. Peter and Paul Mission Parish was established in 1874. For the sum of $50 Ferdinand and Anna Theisen sold land in section 11 to the Diocese of La Crosse for the purpose of a new church that was dedicated by Rev. Theophillus Beau on April 24, 1878 with a total of 25 families. Mass was said once a month by the priest from Waumandee with the last mass held on April 25, 1954. The church was dismantled and the families then went to either Waumandee or Independence. There is still a cemetery there.

The German Evangelical Lutheran Christian Congregation was organized on October 22, 1885 when Frederick and Wilhelmina Dorn deeded one and a half acres to the church for a total of $2. On May 22, 1929 the church trustees deeded it for $1 to St. John’s Christ Lutheran parish in Arcadia. There remains a cemetery

Schools

Montana Ridge School (Woodland Bluff) was built on the Karl Hanson farm in section 26 before 1896.

Upper Montana Ridge School shows on a map dated 1878. There was a school in the area located in SW corner of Section 13 on the Henry Pape farm to the left of County Road X. A newer map dated 1896 shows the school below the SS. Peter and Paul Mission Church. There was also a school in connection with the SS. Peter and Paul Mission with instruction given by a lay person during certain times of the year. This school was discontinued after the building of the boarding school at the St Boniface Parish in Waumandee.

Buells Valley School is shown on an 1878 map as located on the Carl and Rica Krueger farm at the top of section 17.

Danuser or Hillside School was located on the Florian Danuser farm in Section 33 where Ellis Road turns off CC. The first town election was held there in 1867. That year there were twenty-three students under the instruction of John P. Remich.

Hanson School is now the town hall. The first Hanson school was located about a half a mile up the road from the current site at the top of the Helwig Farm in section 24. The current location dates from an 1896 map. The school was burnt twice by an arsonist while under construction.

Sharp Corner School was located in Sec. 13 W about one mile up County Road U on the John N. Luethi farm. It appears that the school existed before 1896.

Post offices/ Stores (often the post office had a store associated with it )

The first post office was located in the home of Fred Zeller about ½ mile from the turn onto County Highway U. There are two conflicting years given for the opening 1870 (1919 History) or 1873 (Postal History Society). Fred Zeller was the first postmaster. Later the office was moved to the Kindschy farm and other postmasters included Christ Kindschy, John Kindschy, John Mueli, August Helwig Jr., and Mrs. C. Walker. Mail service continued until 1907.

Theisen Post Office/ Store (originally to be called Summit Grove} was opened on Feb. 20, 1900 receiving mail three times per weak until it was closed on Mar. 31, 1903. Frank Theisen was the only postmaster earning a total of $22.25 per year. It appears that Frank was pretty busy as he also acted as the town assessor.

An 1870 Census shows these totals for the town of Montana: 359 horses, 1,316 cattle, 15 mules and asses, 519 sheep and lambs, 442 swine, 136 wagons, carriages and sleighes, 0 watches, 0 lunatics, and 0 pianos and melodeons. It would be interesting to see how many asses and lunatics we could inventory today.

It is important to note that an example of land use planning had been in effect long ago as there were no taverns allowed in the town of Montana. Old records and descendants of original pioneers tell of an ordinance prohibiting taverns.

Some of the Earliest Families in the Town

Name First member settled Approx. year settled Name Origan

Laehn parents of William 1864 Germany

Anderson Charles Hale 1892 Swedish

Theisen Peter (Johanna Bruenschwein) 1867 German/ German

Karrasch Gottleib (Rosa Sandman) 1880 German/German

Suchla Peter (Mary Gierok) 1919 Poland

Scharlau John J (Caroline Wiemer) 1866 German

Christ Conrad (Marquerite Florin) 1857 Swiss

Senty John George (Marguerite Gasner) 1858 Swiss/Swiss

Luethi John Nicholas 1870’s Swiss

Kindschy Christ (Elsbeth Runker) 1855 Swiss/Swiss

Flury Florian Flury Sr. 1860’s Swiss

Allemann Martin 1890 Swiss

Baecker Phillip Adam 1915 Prussia

Helwig August Sr.(EVA Bittner) 1856 German/German

Salwey John 1890’s French

Schaefer Michael (Dorothy Fhelzalina) 1894 German/German

Guenther Ernst (Rose Mimjahtz) 1885 German/German

Doenier Joel (Annette Ganz Beck) 1882 Swiss/Swiss

Ciszak Michael (Albina Kosub) 1886 Poland / German

9 Elements of Comprehensive Planning

The Smart Growth legislation, signed into law as part of the 1999-2000 budget, is intended to provide local government units with tools to create comprehensive plans, to promote more informed land-use decisions, and to encourage state agencies to create more balanced land-use rules and policies. Nine elements are required by the Smart Growth legislation. These elements ensure that all aspects of community life will be considered as part of the comprehensive plan. The nine elements are:

Issues and Opportunities:

Housing

Transportation

Utilities and Community Facilities

Agriculture, Natural, and Cultural Resources

Economic Development

Intergovernmental Cooperation

Land Use

Implementation

Population and Population Projections:

Population of the town has decreased from 445 in 1960 to 284 in 2010 and 268 in 2020. There are no current future estimates for the town’s population.

Town of Montana Population Statistics and Projections – U.S. Census Data

Jurisdiction	Census 1960	Census 1970	Census 1980	Census 1990	Census 2000	Census 2020
Town of Montana	445	409	337	316	306	268
Buffalo County	14202	13743	14309	13584	13804	13,317

Population by Race:

The Town of Montana is predominantly white. This has been constant since records have been kept.

Town of Montana Population by Race – 2020 Census

Total	268
White	98.1
Hispanic	0.0
Black	0.0
Asian	0.0
Native American	.003
2 or more races	.015

Population by Education Level:

The Town of Montana is similar to other neighboring municipalities except that they have a slightly lower percent of the population with high school and college graduate degrees in Buffalo County.

Town of Montana Population by Education – Am. Community Survey

Education Level	Population %
Total (>25 years old)	213
High School Diploma Only	38.5
Some College	19.2
Associates Degree	18.3
Bachelor’s Degree	11.3
Graduate Degree	1.4

Population by Age:

The median age is 51.0, Buffalo County is 46.5.

Town of Montana Population by Age – 2020 Census

Age – years	Number	Percent
Under 5	12	4.0
5-9	19	7.1
10-14	15	5.6
15-19	16	6.0
20-24	5	1.9
25-34	23	8.6
35-44	31	11.6
45-54	46	17.2
55-59	24	8.9
60-64	37	13.8
65-74	36	13.4
75 and older	16	6.0

Town of Montana Per Capita Income – Census

	1990	2000	2010	2020
Town of Montana	$13,874	$18,708	$27,192	$35,822
Buffalo County	$10,947	$18,123	$39,019	$32,228
State of Wisconsin	$13,276	$21,271	$38,225	$36,754

Development of Goals for the Town of Montana

Land use planning is more than a set of rules for building, etc. It is a declaration of the priorities and values of the people within the town. These priorities and values should determine if and how property is developed and used.

The remainder of this document describes the priorities and values of the people of the Town of Montana. It lists a set of action plans to achieve these priorities and values.

Strengths:

People that are willing to help each other
Beauty of the land
Peace and quiet
Open space – distance between people (homes)
Great hunting
Good ag land
Good ag base
Recreation – great snowmobile trails
Clean air
Clean water (surface and groundwater)
Low crime
Low cost of living
Good roads
Safe place to raise children
Relatively good acceptance for farming and farming practices
Expansive timber land
Good schools
Relatively short commutes to larger communities
Low unemployment
Not a lot of pressure for housing developments – not a bedroom community
Dark at night – not a lot of light pollution
Cultural heritage of people who live here, take pride in taking care of land and buildings
Know a lot of your neighbors – you want to know them
Little drug trouble
Close to churches
No larger industries
Self-employed people
Good climate and weather – good growing conditions for many agricultural crops
Farmland Preservation
Township land use planning

Weaknesses:

Managed Forest Law – reduces tax base in Town
Five school districts – break up the community
No industry outside of agriculture
Medical services – not real close
- Great medical resources within 50 miles and 100 miles
- 20 – 30 minutes for nearest clinic
- First Responders
- Ambulance service – 30 minutes away
- Medical services access are a disadvantage if you need to visit often for an illness
Many jobs closer to minimum wage – few high tech jobs
Non-residents – don’t know them, many don’t use local services
Fencing disputes between neighbors – most non-farmers do not understand the Wisconsin law
Fencing of woodlands is returning – reduced property taxes – considered farmland
CWD in deer herd
Loss of dairy farms/livestock farms (hay based)
High priced land – next generation cannot afford to move back to the farm
Unwillingness to change among many people in the community
Lack of long-term care facilities
Limited childcare

Opportunities:

Strong farming culture with quality agricultural land – younger generation may want to come back and farm in the Town of Montana
MFL and Farmland Preservation to reduce property taxes
Opportunity to build a contract agricultural enterprise
Prices of corn, soybeans and hay are strong
Higher value crops – close to many markets
Off farm income opportunities, many with benefits
Tourism growth
Home based businesses – great internet services
Benefits from tourism in other parts of Buffalo County
Hunting leases and outfitters

Threats:

Manure runoff into the stream
Zoning and additional regulations – setbacks
- DNR regulations on water pumping
MFL
High priced land
Potential for declining land prices
Increasing interest rates
Increasing energy prices
Health care – availability, cost, and access
Less ability to use chemicals for crops
Loss of dairy farms
Roads – upkeep cost too high to maintain at current levels
Road safety issues

What changes have we seen in the Montana in 10 years?

More outfitters
More recreation land
No zoning
No sand mine controversy
Less dairy
More remote work
Less people
Older population
No European immigrants
More wildlife esp. eagles, bears and fish

What changes do we expect to see in the next 5 years?

More South American immigrants
Internet changes, possibly fiber
Robotic tech
Health care
Less people
Would like to get more money from non-residents (tourist dollars, etc)
Would like to see changes in weight limits, esp. spring road bans
Homeschooling

HOUSING ELEMENT:

Wisconsin’s population density is 90 people per square mile, Buffalo County is well below that with only 18.8 people per square mile.

Housing Units in the Town of Montana and Buffalo County – Census Data

Area	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	2020
Town of Montana	97	107	113	116	122	114
Buffalo County	4,597	5,478	5,586	6,098	6,664	6,506

There are a total of 114 total housing units in the Town of Montana. The housing density was 2.41 homes per square mile, which is lower than the average for towns in Buffalo County. 85% (97) of the homes were occupied during the 2020 census. 61% of the homes (70) were occupied by families. 6.9% were renter occupied homes. Average household size was 3.22 persons.

There has been a significant growth of seasonal homes, cabins and second homes in Montana over the last thirty years. There has been some concern over camping trailers left in place year round and not having a fire number. Concern was also expressed about manufactured homes that may not meet safe living standards. It was determined that housing is available for purchase for those choosing to purchase a home. Land for building homes is readily available in the town including many sites that are not designated as prime farmland.

Goals and Actions:

New housing starts have continued to increase in the Town of Montana, but residents realize that there are less houses and less neighbors than in the past when small farms were numerous. The board encourages builders of new houses to locate them along roadways, Montana Ridge and in locations where houses (old farmsteads) once existed. Also, access to improvements (houses, cabins, sheds, etc.) should be reasonable to allow for emergency response vehicles to reach property without risk to volunteers and equipment. Finally, houses should be setback from livestock facilities to avoid conflict between neighbors.
All trailers and mobile homes must be kept in good repair and meet all requirements of the Buffalo County Zoning Department. Sanitation permits must be obtained and be kept to standards.

TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT:

Vehicular traffic is the major form of transportation in Montana due to limited availability of other forms of transportation such as bus and train. Recreational transportation is used including snowmobiles and bicycles.

No new road construction is anticipated in the timeframe of this plan. The major objective of the transportation plan is to improve the quality of current roads.

Montana has a total of 54.31 miles of road. 0.0 miles of state road, 24.01 miles of county roads and 30.30 miles of town miles. Functional road classification for rural roads include principal arterials, major and minor collectors, and local roads.

Principal arterial roads serve interstate and inter-regional trips. These roads serve urban areas with populations greater than 5,000 and are classified as interstate highways. Montana has 0.0 miles of principal arterials.

Collector miles collect traffic from local roads and link them to nearby population centers. Major collectors are classified as state roads and minor collectors are classified as county roads. Montana has 16.54 miles of collector miles. This includes County Roads C, U, and X.

Local roads provide access for travel over relatively short distances. These roads are classified local miles and includes all town roads and County Roads CC, EE, and XX. Montana has 37.80 miles of local miles. See map page 31.

Montana also has 7 bridges over 20 feet and 2 bridges under 20 feet.

State and Regional Transportation Plans:

To view the Wisconsin Department of Transportation updates plans visit home page at www.dot.state.wi.us click under “Plans and Project”, then, “Planning Resources”, then, “Modal and Multimodal Plans.” The committee reviewed and considered the following State and Regional Transportation Plans that have potential affects or integration with the town plan.

Connection 2050 – the current multimodal plan being developed for all forms of Transportation through the year 2030

Wisconsin State Highway Plan 2020 – the current strategic plan for all facets of the 12,000 miles of the State’s highways has not been updated as of this writing.

Wisconsin Six-Year Highway Improvement Program – the more specific construction programs for the Wisconsin DOT updated February 2022

Wisconsin Airport System Plan 2030 – the plan for determining airport facility needs

Wisconsin Bicycle Plan 2020 – comprehensive bicycle plan is being updated as of this writing.

Wisconsin Statewide Pedestrian Policy Plan 2020 – the plan outlines State and local measures to promote safe pedestrian travel and is in pre-draft planning stage as of this writing.

Wisconsin Rail Plan 2050 – focuses on freight rail, rail crossing safety, and passenger rail.

Buffalo County Highway Plans – Currently, there are no plans for major county road work, beyond general maintenance for any county roads within the borders of the Town of Montana.

Bus Service:

There is no bus service in the Town of Montana. The nearest commercial bus service is the Jefferson Bus Lines stopping in Winona, MN.

Freight Rail Service:

The Canadian National (CN) Railroad runs into Arcadia, just to the southeast of the Town of Montana. The CN has a spur located in the City of Arcadia which is for freight.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) runs along the entire western edge of Buffalo County. The closest currently used spur on the BNSF railroad is located in the Village of Cochrane, WI.

Passenger Rail Service:

There is no passenger rail service to the Town of Montana. Daily passenger service (AMTRAK) is available in Winona, MN.

Airports:

There are no public or private airports in the Town of Montana. Winona, MN has a private airport but no passenger air service. Eau Claire and La Crosse, WI have the closest passenger air service. Airport shuttle services are available to the major hubs.

Water Transportation:

The Mississippi River runs on the entire west side of Buffalo County, with the Port of Winona being the closest terminal. Much of the grain produced in the town is transported by truck to Winona or a local buyer. Fertilizer, chemical, liquid propane and other commodities are shipped to Winona and distributed throughout the region by truck.

Trucking:

Most commercial shipping in the town is by truck. Road bans are implemented each spring on county and town roads.

Pedestrian and Bike Trails:

There are no designated biking trails in the Town of Montana.

Snowmobile Trails:

There is a very strong network of snowmobile trails in the Town of Montana and across Buffalo County. These trails are located on private property. Maintenance and property agreements are completed by local clubs.

Town of Montana Road Improvement Plans – Town of Montana Board

Year	Road Name	Miles of Road	Improvement
2024	Cooke Road		Chip Seal
2024	Matchey Road		Rock
2025	Konkel Dugway		Wedge
2025	Palkowski		Rock
2026	Konkel Dugway		Chip Seal
2026	Hayes Road		Rock
2027	Lyga Road		Wedge
2027	Theisen Road		Rock
2028	Lyga Road		Chip seal
2028	Baecker Road		Rock

Lists are suggestions only and can be changed as needs and highway finances change. Each year the town board will prioritize current year road and bridge work based on condition of road/bridge, safety, traffic count, slope, funds available and other factors.

The sport of snowmobiling brings a lot of tourism to Buffalo County. The trails, when adequate snowfall occurs, are second to none. Snowmobile trails, located through private land, are maintained by local snowmobile clubs. A county trail map is on page 41 of this plan.

Bicycle usage and ATV/UTVs in rural areas are on the increase. The planning committee expressed concerns about safety on town and county roads due to the amount of motorized traffic, farm traffic, ATV/UTV, and bicycle traffic all sharing the same roads. Many visitors to the town may not be aware of the amount and size of modern farm machinery.

Elderly transportation is available through Buffalo County Health and Human Services. Transportation is also available for veterans through Buffalo County Veteran’s Services.

Goals and Actions:

The Town of Montana will only take over a private road if it meets guidelines developed by the state.
Road maintenance and improvements will be planned on a systematic, ongoing basis. The town board will prepare and regularly update a five-year road improvement plan. County highway officials will be consulted as needed for preparing the plan.
Citizens are encouraged to report any suspicious activity around road signs.

UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES ELEMENT:

This element looks at existing utility service and community facilities benefiting the citizens of the Town of Montana. Items include solid waste disposal, recycling services, parks, telecommunication services, emergency response services, schools, government facilities and others.

Sanitary Waste and Water Supply:

All citizens in the Town of Montana have private water and sewer service. There are currently no plans to develop public services at this time. Buffalo County Zoning issues all sanitary permits in the town.

Solid Waste/Recycling:

Garbage disposal and recycling is available in cooperation with the Towns of Waumandee and Lincoln. Recyclables and garbage must be taken to the Waumandee Town Recycling Center which is open for limited hours on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Town Facilities:

The town hall is located in the historic Hansen School at S1601 County Road U. The town shed is located at S491 County Road X and currently rented to a private party. The hall is used for town meetings and voting. It had a restoration done in 1997 with a steel roof. A new furnace was added in 2000. It meets current ADA regulations.

Telephone/Electricity/Internet Services:

Cell phone service is rated as excellent in 25% of the town and poor in 75% of the own. Internet service is provided by Cochrane Co-op Telephone, Ntec, Tri-County Communications Cooperative, BugTussel, and Starlink. Some of the residents are able to source Internet through fixed wireless from their cell phone providers. The town hosts three cell phone towers.

Riverland Energy Cooperative and Xcel Energy both supply electrical service in the Town of Montana. The citizenry find alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and methane acceptable in the town.

Natural Gas:

There are no natural gas services in the town. Most people rely on liquid propane.

Libraries:

There are no public libraries in the town. Residents rely on the Arcadia, Alma, Mondovi, and Winona, MN public libraries, Badgerlink, and the Wisconsin digital library called Overdrive. The county pays a fee for each transaction for town residents using libraries outside of the county boarders. Residents pay a library tax to the county through their property taxes. Through use of the online resources, residents can access books, movies, research modules, and various classes.

Education:

Students residing in the town attend Alma Area Schools, Arcadia Public School, Cochrane-Fountain City Public Schools, Independence School, Gilmanton School, and St Boniface Catholic School (K-8). Taxpayers also support the Chippewa Valley Technical College and Western Technical College.

Fire Protection, Police Protection and Emergency Management:

The town is served by the Waumandee/Montana/Lincoln Volunteer Fire Service and the Independence Fire Service. Waumandee/Montana/Lincoln and Independence First Responders provide excellent EMS service and are supported by the Arcadia Ambulance Service. Police protection is provided by the Buffalo County Sheriff’s department.

Health Care and Long Term Care Services:

There are no health care providers in the Town of Montana. Excellent medical services are provided by services in Arcadia, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Winona, MN and Wabasha MN. Long term care services are provided in Mondovi, Whitehall, Winona, MN, Fountain City, and Wabasha.

Public Parks:

There are no parks or public trails in the town.

Goals and Actions:

New residents to the town should realize that emergency services can be delayed because of the distance and the terrain that must be traveled.

Maintain the high quality fire and rescue services that are currently available. This requires regular contact and discussions with the other municipalities involved. EMS services need to understand the need for communications because of the split service areas in the town. The town supports the MABAS system.
Maintain recycling and solid waste services that the town currently uses.
Carefully consider new alternative energy resources as they become available.

AGRICULTURAL NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT:

Agriculture Past and Present: Any drive in the Town of Montana will show the importance agriculture has to the visual, economic and social landscape. The original settlers were farmers and farming still remains the major economic activity.

Agriculture has changed throughout the town’s history going from wheat to livestock to dairy and now a trend back to grain and some specialty crops. There is an increase in part-time farming activities.

Number of Dairy Farms in Montana Town by Year
	1989	1997	2002	2013	2023
Number of Dairy Farms	44	31	23	17	9

Very little value added agricultural products are produced in the town. Milk and cattle are all shipped out of the town for processing.

Poultry farm numbers, both chickens and turkeys, has increased in Montana. In 2023, twelve farms with 23 barns had large contract poultry buildings as part of their farming businesses. Almost all of the growth has been in contract growing for large processors. This growth has also added marketing opportunities for locally grown grain especially corn.

Farms will most likely continue to grow in size, but small part-time farmers will also increase in number. Some of these may consider value-added products as part of their activities. Some marginal land may be lost to agriculture due to low prices, modest returns, and federal and state land management programs.

Soils:

Danuser and Buells Valleys are the major drainage area for Montana. There are no major rivers or major streams in the town therefore soils are not influenced by the water resources as some of the other towns in the county. Land along Waumandee Creek and Danuser Creek are in floodplain.

Blufftops are mainly Fayette and Dubuque soils, with Fayette being the deeper, more productive of the two, although Dubuque is more predominant in this area. Slopes of 0 – 12% are very common and require a minimal amount of management to control sheet and rill erosion. Contouring and conservation tillage maintain productivity of these soils. Gully erosion in areas of concentrated flow where the landscape changes to the steep bluffsides is a concern.

Most land on valley side slopes is Fayette Silt Loam and Norden Silt Loam. These Fayettes are mapped as a different soil type, since it is found in the valley side slopes. This is still very productive land, but requires more management to protect it from erosion since slopes range from 6 – 20%. Norden soils are slightly less productive and not as rich in organic matter.

In the lower site positions, Ettrick, Judson and Chaseburg as the most common soil types. These are productive, well-drained soils of 0 – 6% slopes. They require minimal levels of management to maintain productivity and prevent soil erosion. Areas of concentrated flow from the steep bluff sides is a concern.

The lowest site positions have Loamy Alluvial and Peak and Muck soils mapped as the predominant soil types. Generally, these are poorly drained soils. Drainage problems are the major management concern of these soils.

See prime farmland map page 32.

Major soil types found in the Town of Montana are listed below. There has not been an updated soil survey in Buffalo County for almost 70 years, so yields are much lower than reality.

Major soil types found in the Town of Montana^¹
Soil Name	Abbreviation	Yield Potential Corn (bushels) Hay (tons)
Chaseburg (B slopes)	CaB	125	4.7
Dubuque (B slopes)	DeB	110	4.1
Dubuque (C slopes)	DeC	100	3.9
Dubuque (D slopes)	DeD	90	3.3
Ettrick	Et	130	4.7
Fayette (B&C slopes)	Fa	145	5.5
Fayette (C&D slopes)	Fv	135	4.9
Judson (B slopes)	JuB	150	5.5
Loamy Alluvial	Lv	—	—
Norden (D slopes)	GFD	80	3.0
Norden (E slopes)	GFE	—	—
Steep, Stoney & Rocky	St	—	—

No yields are given for Norden soils with E slopes since it is class IV land and the most intensive sustainable use is permanent pasture. Many farmers in the town are able to sustainably farm these soils with careful management practices. Many of the loamy alluvial soils are too wet to farm therefore, no yield potential is given.

It is the objective of the residents of the Town of Montana to preserve productive prime farmland (Class I, II, and III land) for continued agricultural use and to maintain agriculture as a major economic activity in the town. Prime agricultural land is defined by the Buffalo County Natural Resources Conservation Service as lands that are classified as I, IIE, IIS and IIIS.

Goals and Actions:

The Town of Montana is included in an Agricultural Enterprise Area. We encourage resident farmers to enter their land in the Farmland Preservation Program.
To support the preservation of the family farm and cooperate with other units of government to assist farms when possible.
To manage development in such a way that large blocks of farmland can be protected.

Protect existing farm operations from restrictions on noise, odor, and accepted animal husbandry practices associated with farm operations. This policy recognizes that often non-farm residents who are unfamiliar with farm operations may have unrealistic expectations.
Landowners need to be respectful of their neighbors.
All farms meet a reasonable nutrient/waste management plan for their farm and keep it updated as farm size increases. These plans should be in place for both livestock and non livestock farm businesses.
Large corporate farms with ownership coming from outside the Buffalo County area and owners who are not involved in the daily operation of the farm business should be discouraged from locating in the Town of Montana.
New land owners need to realize that the state statute governing fencing (Wisconsin Chapter 90) needs to be followed for all line fences. Neighbors can agree to markers rather than a fence, but both parties must be in agreement.

Natural Resources:

Montana has a wide variety of wildlife species and excellent wildlife habitat. It is best known for high quality whitetail deer. This area has been identified for its tremendous potential for wildlife, threatened species and general natural habitat. Other important natural resources in the Town include:

Private wetlands
Streams throughout the town
Wildflower and native grass habitats
State wetland

Groundwater

All drinking water in the Town of Montana is from groundwater sources (private wells). Buffalo County completed a groundwater study in 1998 indicating very little contamination of wells within the Town of Montana. Contamination that was found was in the form of elevated nitrates, and these problems were solved by drilling deeper cased wells rather than shallow sand point wells. A more recent study, but with a smaller number of samples, from the Buffalo County Health and Human Services continues to indicate good groundwater quality.

Surface Water

There are numerous small streams in the Town of Montana; many of which are intermittent streams. Upper Waumandee, Upper Little Waumandee, Danuser Valley, Buells Valley, Upper Buells Valley, and Traverse Valley Streams all have good potential to be quality trout streams. There are no lakes found in the Town of Montana. See map page 35.

Forests

Forest land makes up 26.2% of the land in the Town of Montana. 88.9% of the forest land is enrolled in the closed Managed Forest Land Program. There is no land in the open program. Much of the high quality timber has been harvested with about 10% of the forest still have high quality timber. Much of the forested land is managed more for wildlife than it is for high quality timber. The forests are located on very steep slopes which are too steep to convert to farmland, or on land that is normally too wet to farm.

Wetlands:

Wetlands make up a small portion of the Town of Montana and are found along the streams. Wetlands should be protected from development. Current zoning regulations will not allow building in designated wetlands. See map page 36.

Floodplains:

Development is not allowed by the Buffalo County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance. These are fragile areas necessary to avoid flooding of roads and other developed property. See map page 37.

Non-Metallic Mining:

There are two non-metallic mines in Montana. The Bragger quarry is active and leased to Gerke Construction. The Senty quarry is owned by Milestone Materials. See map page 38.

Recreational activities have been increasing in all of Buffalo County, and to a great extent in Montana. Most recreational uses involve some sort of hunting or fishing activity, but bicycling, horseback riding, walking, bird-watching and sightseeing have all increased visitation to the town. Many people throughout the state and nation recognize Buffalo County either by its whitetail deer population, scenic bluffs, or goat prairies.

Goals and Actions:

The Town of Montana Comprehensive Plan survey contained many responses concerning the scenic beauty, quality air and water and unique aspects of the area as reasons they live and/or own property in the town.

It is the objective of the residents of the Town of Montana to maintain natural resources located within the town. The following statements have been put in place to meet this objective:

To consider the natural beauty of the town whenever development is considered.
To protect and maintain habitat for the wildlife found in the town. Land use should protect as much of the native ecosystems as possible and protect the scenic vista’s and views within the town.
Landowners are discouraged from planting tress along the roadways.
Residents of the Town of Montana encourage state and local officials to address the Managed Forest Law program. The program currently is only a tax savings program and does not do enough to encourage good forest management practices.

State and local officials should change the MFL to reflect a difference between woodland that is managed for recreation versus managed for quality lumber production and wildlife.
State and local officials should not accept woodland into the MFL program that has been recently logged and will not return any income to local government for more than 10 years.
State and local officials should develop a program to encourage farm owners to maintain some level of woodland on their farm to help control deer herd populations. Acres of woodland (valued as woodland vs. recreation) would be based on the number of acres of tillable cropland owned.

Cultural Resources:

The Town of Montana is rich in folklore and settlement history. It is desired that the Town Hall, Montana Methodist Church, and other historic structures be maintained and preserved by the residents of the town.

Goals and Actions:

Encourage membership and support of the Buffalo County Historical Society.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT:

Employment Information:

Manufacturing, agriculture and the education/health/social occupations comprise a majority of people employed in the Town of Montana. The town is very rural with very productive soils. It is also within commuting distance to manufacturing, school and health care jobs in Alma, Arcadia, Mondovi, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Winona. The Town of Montana and all of Buffalo County tends to have very low unemployment rates, due to the variety of jobs in the region and the growth of industry in Arcadia (Ashley Furniture and Pilgrim’s Pride Chicken).

Town of Montana Employment Statistics – 2020 Census Data

Employment Status	Number	Percent
	160
Occupation
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing	44	27.8
Construction	14	9.0
Manufacturing	14	13.9
Retail Trade	17	11.8
Professional, management, etc.	5	3.5
Education, health care	30	18.8
All others	36	15.2
Class of Worker
Private wage and salary	94	59.0
Government workers	10	6.3
Self-employed	49	29.9
Private not for profit	7	4.8

Commuting to Work:

Many employed residents of the Town of Montana, who do not work on their own farms, or are self-employed, commute out of the town to work. Arcadia, Independence, Mondovi, La Crosse, and Winona, MN are within 60 minutes for all residents.

Town of Montana, Commuting Habits – 2020 Census Data

Means of Travel	Percent
Car, truck, van – drove alone	68.1
Car, truck, van – carpooled	11.8
Public transportation	0
Walked	4.2
Other means	4.2
Worked at home	11.8
	Minutes
Mean travel time to work (minutes)	24.1

Buffalo County Industries:

Buffalo County has a very small manufacturing base. Only one industry, La Crosse Milling (oat miller) is in the top ten employers in the county. Most all of the employment opportunities in the near future will be outside of the town or Buffalo County.

Table 10: Buffalo County Top 10 Employers – WI DWD

Company	Service	Size
Marten Transport	Trucking	1,000+
Mondovi Public Schools	Education	100-249
CFC Public Schools	Education	100-249
Buffalo County	Government	100-249
American Lutheran Homes	Nursing Care Provider	100-249
Dairyland Power	Electrical Power Generation	100-249
School District of Alma	Education	50-99
Midwest Dental	Dental Care	50-99
US Army Corp of Eng.	Engineering Service	50-99
La Crosse Milling	Oat Miller	50-99
Gilmanton School	Education	20-49
Waumandee Bank	Money	20-49

Environmentally Contaminated Sites in the Town of Montana:

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Remediation and Redevelopment Tracking System (BRRTS) was utilized in identifying contaminated sites in the Town of Montana. There were no contaminated sites in the Town of Montana identified in the database.

The Wisconsin DNR Solid and Hazardous Waste Information System was reviewed for waste disposal sites in the Town of Montana. There were no waste disposal sites in the registry located in the Town of Montana.

County, Regional and State Economic Develop Programs:

County Programs:

Revolving Loan Fund

Regional Programs:

Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission, Economic Development Program, Revolving Loan Fund

State Programs:

USDA – Rural Development

Local Planning Effort:

The planning committee identified some characteristics of businesses that would be desirable to have in the Town of Montana. The list of these business characteristics is listed below.

Current businesses in the Town of Montana include:

Commercial greenhouse
Drone services
Small engine repair
Dairy farms
Poultry farms
Beef farms
Crop farms
Direct market vegetable farm
Excavating and trucking
Bee keepers
Outfitters
Maple syrup
Welding
Carpentry
Construction businesses
Furniture repair and refinishing
Piano repair and tuning
Seed sales
Farm custom work
Plumber
Tractor repair

Assets found in Town of Montana for future economic development:

Agriculture
- Very productive land for both traditional crops and livestock as well as specialized agricultural opportunities
Custom timber products
Value added products – direct sales
Minerals – silica sand and others
Natural beauty – goat prairies
Hunting and fishing
Internet sales
Farm/woodland “reality” vacations
Snowmobiling – in some spot

Plans and Actions:

Town residents support tourism as an industry as long as preservation of the natural resources, beauty, and history of the town is a vital consideration.
Buffalo County economic development resources will be used along with Buffalo County Land Conservation, Buffalo County NRCS and DNR personnel to ensure that environmental impacts are always considered.
Support the formation of a Buffalo County Economic Development Corporation as a non-profit group supporting environmentally friendly economic development in the town and Buffalo County.
Develop a culture where local government in the Town of Montana and Buffalo County are looked at as partners in business development, not deterrents.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION ELEMENT:

The Town of Montana Board and residents support cooperation with other units of government if it saves money for the town taxpayers. They believe in the strength of town government because it is closest to the people it is serving. The following agreements are currently in place:

Buffalo County Highway Department
Waumandee/Montana/Lincoln Fire Department and First Responders
Independence Fire department and emergency services
Arcadia Ambulance Service
Buffalo County Towns Association
Town of Waumandee Recycling

Goals and Actions:

Encourage coordination and cooperation among units of government. Remain active with the towns association and discuss issues that can better be addressed as a group of towns, i.e. Managed Forest Land and its effect on town tax bases.
Have a candid discussion with Buffalo County Highway Department and Buffalo County Towns Association of areas of possible cooperation on road maintenance and repair.
Maintain the strong relationship with the fire and EMS services.
Support county efforts at economic development to improve the local economy and increase tax base.

Land use Element:

Existing Land Use and Zoning

The Town of Montana is a rural town. Agriculture is by far the predominant industry. The following table displays the breakdown of property within the town.

Town of Montana Property Assessment – Buffalo County Treasurer

Property Classification	# of Parcels	Total Value	Total Acres
Residential	110	110,554,300	130
Commercial	6	74,200	13
Manufacturing	0	0	0
Agricultural	964	2,395,000	17,051
Undeveloped	356	717,100	838
Productive Forest Lands	92	2,637,400	243
Agricultural Forest Land	397	8,941,000	643
Woodland Tax Lands	346	22,006,500	7,084
Other	108	14,688,400	16
Exempt Lands	16	0	20
TOTALS	2033	40,007,400	26038
Alma Area Schools	57	1,050,900
Arcadia Public School	644	22,550,350
Cochrane-Fountain City School	155	4,643,500
Gilmanton Area Schools	48	675,900
Independence Public School	361	11,086,750
Chippewa Valley VTAE	105	1,726,800
Western Wisconsin VTAE	1160	38,280,600

Existing Land Uses:

The Town of Montana is very rural. It is mainly agricultural and forest land. There is limited residential housing, with home owners mainly building on old farm sites. Most of the land is steep soils with very productive land in the valleys and along the bluff tops. See maps pages 38 and 39.

Topography:

The Town of Montana can be described as bluffs and valleys. Land that is not currently in productive farmland is mainly too steep to farm, or is in the limited areas of wetland found in the town.

Commercial/Industrial:

There are no sites zoned commercial, manufacturing or industrial in the Town of Montana. See accompanying land use map. There are several home based businesses in the town, but most are currently agricultural or residential.

Population and Housing Densities:

Population density of the town is 5.68 people per square mile. Housing density 2.4 houses per square mile.

Land Demand and Prices:

Land sales values in Buffalo County have increased in the past 10 years. Until the last few years, this was driven by recreational land sales mostly to whitetail deer hunters. In the past year, tillable land has reached $8,100 an acre and forest land averaged $6,649.

Opportunities for Redevelopment:

The Town of Montana has had very limited development over history due to the town’s rural nature. No redevelopment opportunities were identified.

Land Use Projections:

The two major land uses in the Town of Montana are agriculture and recreation (hunting); both of these uses provide very little development pressure.

Housing has increased by a few houses each year. Housing tends to be low cost in the Town of Montana.

If current home building trends continue (as assumed by the planning committee) about 3 houses would be built each year or about 60 in 20 years. Committee members agreed that the average housing lot would be about 2 acres or a total of 120 acres of land taken out of other uses. If current trend continue 75% (90 acres) of these homes would be constructed on agricultural land, the remaining 25% (30 acres) on woodland or undeveloped lands.

Forest Land:

Forest land in the town is generally land that is too steep for other uses. The committee sees very few, if any opportunities, for land to be taken out of forest and put into row crop production. The exception is some areas that have been planted to trees through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Managed Forest Law (MFL) enrollment is a concern throughout Buffalo County. Currently, Montana has 11,440 acres of forest land with 7084.89 acres enrolled in the MFL program; this accounts for 62% of the woodland acres in the town. MFL continues to be a major concern because of falling property tax base for the town and county.

Zoning:

Currently, the Town of Montana does not participate in county zoning.

Goals and Actions:

Special focus to new houses on vacant farm sites and poor quality cropland, and close to existing roadways to avoid crossing prime farmland.
Right to Farm protection should be given to farms located in the town.
Conservation plans should be encouraged to preserve both farmland and natural areas.
Permits to access to private property from a town or county roadway are required by ordinance. Emergency service must be able to access these sites without increasing risk to those providers.
Preserving prime farmland should be a priority when rural development is considered.

Implementation Element:

Goals and Actions in Implementing Plan:

Updates that are needed will be the responsibility of the town board of the Town of Montana and will be incorporated by notification of public meetings, surveys if necessary, and public hearings.
The plan will be updated at least every five years.
The implementation of the plan will be the responsibility of the town board of the Town of Montana.
The town board of the Town of Montana will work together with other towns and Buffalo County to implement other portions of the plan.

Summary

This document is evolving and will change as deemed necessary by the taxpayers of the Town of Montana. It will contain a description of the goals and objectives of the people in the town as to how they would like to see change and development.

Through a process of public involvement, it is hoped that this document reflects the goals and values of the residents of the Town of Montana. It should be stated again that this is not a static document but rather a document that should be reviewed and changed regularly.

It is the hope of all involved in the planning process that this document will be shared and discussed by current and future landowners and be used as a guide to development of the Town of Montana.

Code of Montana

Boundary fences are the responsibility of both parties sharing a common border WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE LIVESTOCK. The responsibilities are shared equally and are outlined in state statutes (Wisconsin Chapter 90). These boundaries are also not to be moved without consent or agreement of all parties involved. It is wise to have a survey completed before you purchase land.

Remember, if you are planning on building a home or moving to Montana Town, that you are moving into an agricultural area. Along with the beautiful landscape and wonderful country setting comes livestock odors, manure and noise from agricultural equipment and activities, which during busy times, can last into or through the night and on weekends. (The farmer faces many weather-related time constraints and must get things done when the weather is right.)

Before moving into an agricultural area, consider the possibility of your new neighbors expanding their farming operations and the noise odors and other issues that will increase with that expansion. Agriculture, like any other business, has to expand to meet family living expenses, inflationary pressures, low market prices, and to keep the bankers happy.

Animals must be restrained. There are three Wisconsin Statutes (Chapters 172- 174) on owner’s responsibility for their animals. Stray dogs, for example, may pose a risk to children, or pose a disease transfer risk. The Town also requires that you pay a dog tax and that each dog has a dog tag or license.

Livestock, at times, has a way of finding it’s way through a fence. Don’t be surprised if you see cattle on the road or maybe even in your yard or garden. If this happens, those of us who farm, would appreciate your patience and maybe even your help in rounding up our critters. Keep in mind that some animals can be dangerous–especially bulls (male bovines) and stallions (male equines). They may look cute, but they might not act cute.

Nature can provide you with some wonderful neighbors. Most, such as deer and eagles are positive influences on the environment. However, even “harmless” animals like deer can cross the road unexpectedly and cause a hazard. Rural development encroaches on the habitat of coyotes, deer, rattlesnakes, skunks, raccoons, mosquitos, etc. Some of these animals can be dangerous and you need to know how to deal with them. The Wisconsin DNR is a good resource for information.

Wisconsin has “No Trespassing” laws (Wisconsin Trespass to Land Statute Sec, 943.13). You cannot enter another person’s property without consent. So, in an effort to show neighborly relations and to maintain the beauty of the Town, it is not necessary to plaster your property with NO TRESPASSING signs.

Caution is advised on rural roads. At times you will encounter large agricultural equipment that is moving slowly and taking up much of the roadway. Other considerations are wildlife and the occasional tourist enjoying the countryside.

At certain times of the year or depending on your location, emergency response could be slow due to driveway conditions and accessibility or the weather – even though we have an excellent voluntary fire department and first responders team. A hard-to-reach building site could affect the ability to obtain reasonably priced insurance because of the increased risk.

Police services are provided by the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department. Although it is unlikely that you will be attacked in your home by roaming bandits, having your mailbox destroyed, your yard or field driven through or having litter tossed in your driveway can at times feel almost as terrible. Remember, that in a rural setting, police personnel have to drive long distances and may have other more pressing matters to deal with, so their response may be slow. However, they will get to you, so please show some courtesy and have patience.

Roadways are plowed in order of importance with consideration to school bus routes and major traffic areas. If you are going to move into an out-of-the-way area, you will probably not be the first to be plowed out. You also need to be aware that the roads are seldom kept open through the nighttime hours. Plowing on weekends is not always much of a priority in some areas. (Consider this if you anticipate having off-peak travel needs.)

School buses travel, for the most part, on maintained county and town roads that have been designated as bus routes by the school district. You may need to drive your children to the nearest route so your children can get to school.

Every effort is made to maintain our roadways and level of service that we have. However, in an effort to keep taxes as low as possible, we all have to realize that at times we have to temporarily put up with a bump in the road or a muddy gravel road.

Also, unpaved roads generate dust. Dust and dirty automobiles and trucks will be a fact of life for many rural residents. Please realize that most unpaved roads are likely to stay that way. Do not expect a high level of service as this all comes with a high cost.

Trash removal can be much more expensive in rural areas than in the city. It is illegal to create your own trash dump, even on your own land. It is best to find out the cost of trash removal before you move into the area. In some cases, you may need to haul trash to the designated landfill yourself. Recycling is also difficult, because pick-up is not available.

Not all land has decent, buildable sites. Steep slopes can slide in unusually wet weather. Large rocks can also roll down slopes and present a danger to people and property in some of the bluff areas.

The topography of the land will tell you where water will go in heavy precipitation. If you build in a ravine, you might want to consider that the water that previously drained through the ravine may now drain through your house.

A special THANKS to Joe Bragger & Chris Baudhuin for compiling the “Code of Montana.”

1 Buffalo County Wisconsin Soil Survey. USDA, 1957.