Town

Land Use Plan

Adopted : April 15, 2014

Prepared by: Town of Montana Landowners

Town of Land Use Plan

Buffalo County, Wisconsin

Town Board: Jim Ellis, Chair

Bill Christ, Supervisor

Joe Mlinar, Supervisor

Town Clerk: Karen Pronschinske

Town Treasurer: Karen Ellis

Assessor: Darrell Kleven

Planning Committee:

Linda Baecker

Marlene Baecker

Chris Baudhuin

Joe Bragger

Waine Doenier

Chris Ellis

Leroy Pronschinske

Paul Pronschinske

Connie Scharlau

Bob Scharlau

Ron White

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…………………………………………… 13

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

Town of Montana Road Map…………………… 18

Buffalo County Snowmobile Trails Map………….. 19

Utilities and Community Facilities Element……………… 20

Agricultural, Natural and Cultural Resources…………….. 22

Town of Montana Prime Soils Map………………. 27

Town of Montana Hydrology Map………………… 28

Town of Montana Wetland Map………………… 29

Town of Montana Floodplain Map……………… 30

Town of Montana Non-Metallic Mining Map……….. 31

Economic Development Element…………………………. 32

Intergovernmental Cooperation Element…………………. 36

Land Use Element………………………………………… 37

Town of Montana Current Land Use Map………… 40

Town of Montana Future Land Use Map…………. 41

Implementation Element………………………………….. 42

Code of Montana …………………………………………………. 43

Survey Results …………………………………………………….. 45

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. We assume 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

The land use planning process began with a presentation by the Buffalo County Extension Agriculture Agent to the Buffalo County Towns Association in 2001. The agent spoke on changes in agriculture and the effect of that change on land use. Montana Town was the sixth Town to contact the Buffalo County Extension Office for help in developing a plan. Town of Montana officials then attended a public meeting for other towns and further discussion took place on reasons for planning.

Town of Montana officials then invited a number of people to serve on a planning committee. Other committee members asked to be included through a land use survey and through public meeting announcements. Efforts were made to invite a diverse group of residents and non-residents. The planning committee provided needed views and input into issues that should be addressed and that are included in this document. Results from this effort are found later in this document.

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. This is an update to the original 2003 plan.

Characteristics of Town of Montana

History

No one really can tell for certain were the name of Montana witch in Spanish means mountainous, however one story that has some possibilities is that some of the settlers went to the gold rush in the state of Montana and sent back postcards the ruggedness and terrain were similar to here and the name took off.

The first people to settle in the town of Montana were the families of Christ Kindschy and Ulrich Von Wald in 1856 followed by August Helwig. For a couple of years they where the only settlers until 1858 when Conrad Christ and Andrew Florin settled in Danusers Valley, followed by Florian Schneller and Balthasar Carish in 1859. Conrad Christ/Maggie Florin and Andrew Florian/Susanna Schaman were the first people to get married in the Town the ceremonies were preformed on the same day and place by the Justice of the Peace Ferdinand Hellman.

Henry Weimer, Carl Hertzfeld and the two brothers of Henry and Ludwig Pape (Pape Valley) were the first residents of what was referred to as “Beyond the mountains” they settled in 1866 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 Chairman Peter Theisen and clerk John P Remich were elected at the log school house on the Florian Danuser farm with a total of 64 votes cast. John P Remich had the previous winter taught at the school.

After the organization of the Town and the railroad land to entry homesteads were quickly taken up and in short order the town was well populated. It was recorded the “the population is mostly German, with some few Irish, Norwegians and Poles.” – Lawrence Kessinger 1888. 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 was and is a country with three districts each with its own language .

Churches

Montana Church was on an acre of land donated by Christian Kindschy Sr. built in 1862 under direction of Rev. Von Wald then known as the Montana Salem Evangelical Church. In 1884 a new church of red brick veneer with a seating of 325 was built when to congregation got to big for the original church . Disaster struck on Sept. 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 witch fell into the flames and broke into pieces was remolded and serves the new church that was rebuilt in 1916. The church united with the Methodist Church in 1968 and was then renamed the Montana Salem United Methodist Church and remains on of the oldest congregations in Buffalo County.

St. Peter and Paul Mission Parish was established in 1874. For the sum of $50 Ferdinand and Anna Thiesen sold land in sec. 11 to the Diocese of Lacrosse 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 pastor from Waumandee with the last mass being said on April 25, 1954. The church which was painted inside and out was sadly dismantled and the families then went to either Waumandee or Independence. There is still a cemetery there.

German Evangelical Lutheran Christian Congregation was organized on October 22, 1885 when Frederick and Wilhelmina Dorn deeded oneand a half acres to the church for the total of $2. Then 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 on an older Map dated 1878 there was a school in the area located in SW corner of Section 13 on the Henry Pape farm on the left of County 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.

Buel Valley School is shown on a 1878 Map located on the Carl and Rica Krueger farm located at the top of section 17.

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

Hanson School (current town hall) The first 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

Sharp Corner School 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 were you turn onto County Highway U there are two conflicting years given for the opening 1870 (1919 History) or 1873 ( Postal History Society). Fred Zeller of course was the first postmaster. Later the office was moved to the Kindschy farm , 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 and operated 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, 1316 cattle, 15 mules and asses, 519 sheep and lambs, 442 swine 136 wagons, carriages and sleigh, 0 watches, 0 lunatics, and 0 pianos and melodeons. It would be interesting to see how many asses and lunatics we could inventory today.

As this is going to be part of the 2003 Town of Montana Land Use Planning it is important to note that an example of land use planning had been in effect long ago as there were no Taverns allowed to be operated in the town of Montana . Old records tell of an ordinance prohibiting taverns, it is rumored that the Methodists had something to do with this.

Carl Make a note that there is much more detail about the earlier families and there history to the present in the Buffalo Counties Historical Society 13^th Annual Backroads Tour, and (Let The Stones Speak) by Kathleen Bragger. Also note that these should be credited for the information contained herein. As well as Sue Christ for obtaining them for us. You may want to edit this and to add if possible some more about the old lore like Joe Diffy and the ever gold losing and burying Jesse James ( with all of the stories about hidden gold no wonder he had to keep stealing if he always left it behind somewhere). However maybe we could keep a copy of the two documents could be kept at the town hall for future interests.

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/Geramn

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 Geramn/Geramn

Guenther Ernst(Rose Mimjahtz) 1885 Geramn/Geramn

Doenier Joel(Annette Ganz Beck) 1882 Swiss/Swiss

Ciszak Michael (Albina Kosub) 1886 Poland / Gemany

This is by no means a complete list but it is interesting to see where the names come from, some families were in America longer but the first member in the Town is the one listed for a more complete and entertaining history of the families contact the county historical society and get a copy of the Thirteenth Annual Backroads Tour.

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 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

Issues and Opportunities:

Population and Population Projections:

Population of the Town has decreased some over time from 445 in 1960 to 284 in 2010. Projections from the Wisconsin Department of Administration – Demographic Services Center, indicate that population is expected to increase slightly to 323 in 2020. Residents felt that their population would reflect the projections as indicated.

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

Jurisdiction	Census 1960	Census 1970	Census 1980	Census 1990	Census 2000	Census 2010	Proj. 2015	Proj. 2020
Town of Montana	445	409	337	316	306	284	320	323
Buffalo County	14202	13743	14309	13584	13804	13,577	14,554	14,794

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 – 2010 Census

Total	284
White	96.8
Hispanic	0.0
Black	.04
Asian	.07
Native American	0.0
Other	3.09

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. This may be explained by the distance they are from higher paying jobs than other Towns in Buffalo County.

Town of Montana Population by Education – Am. Community Survey

Education Level	Population %
Total (>25 years old)	206(people)
No High School Diploma	7.8
High School Diploma Only	52.9
Some College	15.0
Associates Degree	9.2
Bachelor’s Degree	11.7
Graduate Degree	3.4

Population by Age:

Population in the Town of Montana tends to be younger than in Buffalo County. The median age is 39.7, Buffalo County is 44.1. This is most likely due to less people retiring to the Town than other municipalities. In fact many people move out of the Town when they retire.

Town of Montana Population by Age – 2010 Census

Age – years	Number	Percent
Under 5	11	3.9
5-9	20	7.1
10-14	30	10.5
15-19	23	8.1
20-24	17	6.0
25-34	24	8.5
35-44	38	13.4
45-54	66	23.2
55-59	15	5.3
60-64	11	3.9
65-74	17	6.1
75 and older	12	4.3

Per Capita Income:

Per capita income has not increased in the Town of Montana as fast as per capita income in Buffalo County. The income is the Town lags well behind the County and State per capita income levels. Some of this is due to the variability in farm incomes and the number of people that work in entry level jobs that live in the Town.

Town of Montana Per Capita Income – 2000 Census

	1990 per Capita Income	2000 Per Capita Income	2010 Per Capita Income
Town of Montana	$13,874	$18,708	$27,192
Buffalo County	$10,947	$18,123	$39,019
State of Wisconsin	$13,276	$21,271	$38,225

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.

2012 Town of Montana CLUP – SWOT

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

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 – great
- Ambulance service – 30 minutes away
- Medical services 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
Possible CWD in deer herd
Loss of dairy farms/livestock farms (hay based)
Land high priced – next generation cannot afford to move back to the farm
Unwillingness to change among many people in the community

Opportunities:

Strong farming culture with quality agricultural land – younger generation may want to come back and farm in the Town of Montana
Silica sand mining
But woodland put in MFL to reduce your taxes
Gold’n Plump Chicken – opportunity to build a contract coop
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

Threats:

Silica sand mining
Manure runoff into the stream
Zoning and additional regulations – setbacks
- DNR regulations on water pumping
Comprehensive Land Use Planning
MFL
Climate change
High priced grain – more soil erosion
High priced land
Potential for declining land prices
Increasing interest rates
Increasing energy prices
Health care – availability, cost, and access
Chemicals used to grow crops
Air and water pollution
Increasing size of dairy farms
Roads – upkeep cost too high to maintain at current levels
Road safety and traffic issues
Neighboring Towns – changes that change our town – traffic, etc.
Commercialized hunting – more non-residents, less access for local hunters
Wind towers and/or solar energy

HOUSING ELEMENT:

Wisconsin’s population density is 103 people per square mile, Buffalo County is well below that with only 20 people per square mile. Housing growth in Montana was the third fastest among Buffalo County Towns.

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

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

There are a total of 122 total housing units in the Town of Montana. The housing density was 2.59 homes per square mile, which is lower than the average for Towns in Buffalo County. 70% (100) of the homes were occupied during the 2010 census. 73% of the homes (70) were occupied by families. 22% (22) had at least one individual 65 years or older living in the home. 10% (10) were renter occupied homes. Average household size was 2.84 persons. The median home value was $114,700 and was built in 1955. 100% of all homes were single family dwellings (6.5% of those homes were mobile homes). 15% (15) of homes were seasonal or recreational homes this is one of the highest percent among Buffalo County Towns.

There has been a significant growth of seasonal homes, cabins and second homes in Montana over the last twenty years. There has been some concern over trailers being placed without permits and being 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 is the past when small farms were numerous. Residents are concerned that housing developments will destroy the natural beauty of the Town. The town will encourage housing developments to build on land not classified as prime farmland and to encourage cluster development when possible. They also will encourage houses to be located 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.
All mobile homes that are relocated in or to the Town of Montana must be 10 years old or less.

TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT:

Vehicular traffic is the major form of transportation in Montana due to limited other forms of transportation available. 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 current roads high quality.

Montana has a total of 60.31 miles of road. 0.0 miles of state road, 24.01 miles of county roads and 36.3 miles of town miles. Functional road classification for rural roads include principal arterials, major and minor collectors, and local roads.

Principal arterials serve interstate and interregional 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 43.77 miles of Local Miles. See map page 18.

Montana also has 7 bridges over 20 feet and 1 bridge under 20 feet.

State and Regional Transportation Plans:

At www.dot.state.wi.us the Wisconsin Department of Transportation home page under “Plans and Project”, then, “Planning Resources”, then, “Modal and Multimodal Plans”, the Town reviewed and considered the following State and Regional Transportation Plans that have potential affects or integration with the Town plan.

Connections 2030 – 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

Wisconsin Six-Year Highway Improvement Program – the more specific construction programs for the Wisconsin DOT through 2014

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

Wisconsin Bicycle Plan 2020 – comprehensive bicycle plan

Wisconsin Statewide Pedestrian Policy Plan 2020 – the plan outlines State and local measures to promote safe pedestrian travel

Wisconsin Rail Plan 2030 – the rail plan being developed for integrated rail development through 2030

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.

Currently, the Town of Montana is not specifically identified for any recommendations or included in any projects with these plans.

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. The CN is only 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, with one train heading south in the am and one train heading north in the pm.

Airports:

There are no public or private airports in the Town of Montana. Winona, MN has a private airport but no passenger air service. La Crosse, WI has the closet passenger air service which is about 40 minutes from the Town. Most residents traveling by air would fly out of Minneapolis/St. Paul which is about 120 minutes travel time. An airport shuttle service to the MSP Airport from Menomonie and Wabasha, MN is also available.

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 will be transported by truck to Winona and sold to one of three grain buyers to be loaded unto barges. 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 may be 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. See map on page 19.

Town of Montana Road Improvement Plans – Town of Montana Board

Year	Road Name	Miles of Road	Improvement
2013	Buells Valley Road		Chip seal
2013	Matchy Road		Chip seal
2013	Palkowski Road		Rock lift
2014	Lyga Valley Road	Upper Half	Chip seal
2014	Hayes Road		Rock lift
2015	Lewis Valley Road		Chip seal
2015	Simons Road		Rock lift
2016	Montana Ridge	Far end	Chip seal
2016	Schneider Ridge Road		Rock lift
2017	Cook Valley Road		Chip seal
2017	Baecker Road		Rock lift

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.

Montana has some problems with vandalism of town road signs and has a goal to keep all road signs up to date and replaced as needed and as funds permit.

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 included at the end of this plan.

Bicycle usage in rural areas is on the increase. The planning committee expressed concerns about safety on town and county roads due to the amount of motorized traffic, farm traffic 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.

Some elderly transportation is available through Buffalo County Health and Human Services, Meals on Wheels program. Transportation is also available for veterans through 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 and is blacktopped.
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. Please contact a Town Board member or the Town Clerk about recycling locations and schedules.

Town Facilities:

The Town Hall is located in the historic Montana School S1601 County Road U. The Town Shed is located at S491 County Road X. The Town uses Town Hall for Town meetings, and voting and 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 Town. Internet service is good to excellent throughout the Town.

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. The County pays a fee for each transaction for Town residents using Libraries outside of the county boarders.

Education:

Students residing in the town attend Alma Area Schools, Arcadia Public School, Cochrane-Fountain City Public Schools, Independence School, Gilmanton School District, 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, and Winona, and Wabasha MN. Long term care services are provided in Arcadia, 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 cannot be expected to be to all locations quickly because of the distance and the terrain that must be traveled.
Cell phone towers should be located in a manner that fits into existing landscape and has minimal effect on wildlife. These towers should be built to avoid guide wires and located on existing landscape whenever possible. Buffalo County should look at making all towers fit this description.

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. Support the MABAS system.
Maintain recycling and solid waste services that the Town currently uses.
Carefully consider new alternative energy resources as they become available as conditional use permits are considered by the Buffalo County Board of Adjustment.

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. Farmers settled the Town and even though active farming in the Town has declined, farming still remains the major economic activity. The Town of Montana has seen less decline in dairy farm numbers than any other Town in Buffalo County.

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. Most farms are larger in size, with the exception of an increase in part-time farming activities.

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

Very little value added agricultural products are produced in the Town. Milk and cattle are all shipped out of the Town for processing. Gone are the days of the small local cheese cooperatives and flourmills.

Poultry farm numbers, both chickens and turkeys has increased in the Town. Seventeen farms in 2013 had large poultry buildings as part of their farming businesses. Almost all of the growth has been in contact growing for in 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 Town. 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.

Blufftops are mainly Fayette and Dubuque soils, with Fayette being the deeper, more productive of the two, although, Dubuques are 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 will maintain productivity of these soils. However, 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 bluffsides 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.

Major soil types found in the Town of Montana are listed below:

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:

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.
Land owners within the Town will be encouraged to follow soil conservation plans that meet T levels of erosion.
Landowners need to be respectful of their neighbors and when possible, should build livestock facilities according to guidelines from the University of Minnesota, farm odor and residence separation should be used for all new livestock facilities.
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 statue 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 (as is all of Buffalo County) 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 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 hydrology map on page 28.

Forests

Forest land makes up 36.9% of the land in the Town of Montana. 54.1% of the forest land is enrolled in one of the forest management programs. Much of the high quality timber has been harvested with about 10% of the forest still have high quality timber remaining. 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. The wetlands are found along the streams. Wetlands should be protected from development. Current zoning regulations will not allow building in designated wetlands. A current wetlands map can be found on page 29.

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. A map of the designated floodplains for the Town of Montana can be found on page 30.

Non-Metallic Mining:

Non-metallic mining mainly consists of the excavation of sand, gravel and stone. This has been traditionally rock quarries in the Town of Montana for road building and field limestone. There is considerable interest in frac sand inquiries in the western Wisconsin area which also fall under the non-metallic mining category. There are currently 32 approved non-metallic mines in Buffalo County with one active mine in the Town of Montana. See map page 31.

Recreational activities have been increasing in all of Buffalo County, and to a great extent in Montana Town. Most recreational uses involve some sort of hunting or fishing activity, but bicycling, horseback riding, snowmobiling, 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, bluff (goat) prairies, and most recently, with quality snowmobiling.

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.

Goals and Actions:

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.
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 older historic structures be maintained and preserved by the residents in the Town. The Buffalo County Historical Society will be supported to maintain the historical culture of the Town and to explore and teach others about the history such as and how it played a significant part in the areas history.

Goals and Actions:

Encourage membership and support of the Buffalo County Historical Societies.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT:

The majority of the data for this section came from the U.S. Census Bureau, Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005-2009 5-Year Estimates. Other sources of information were the Department of Workforce Development and citizens from the Town of Montana.

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 Golden Plump Chicken).

Town of Montana Employment Statistics – Census Data

Employment Status	Number	Percent
Population 16 years and older	200	100
In Labor Force	149	74.5
Civilian Labor Force	149	74.5
Employed	142	95.3
Unemployed	7	4.7
Armed Forces	0
Not in Labor Force	51	25.5
Occupation
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing	40	28.2
Construction	6	4.2
Manufacturing	35	24.6
Retail Trade	14	9.8
Professional, management, etc.	10	7.0
Education, health care	21	14.8
All others	16	11.3
Class of Worker
Private wage and salary	109	76.7
Government workers	12	8.5
Self-employed	21	14.8
Unpaid family	0	0

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 – Census Data

Means of Travel	Percent
Car, truck, van – drove alone	59
Car, truck, van – carpooled	14.4
Public transportation	0
Walked	12.9
Other means	0.0
Worked at home	13.7
	Minutes
Mean travel time to work (minutes)	28.7

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
County of Buffalo	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

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
Small engine repair
Dairy farms
Poultry farms
Beef farms
Crop farms
Direct market vegetable farm
Commercial sawmill
Bee keepers
Outfitters
Maple syrup
Bakery
Pallet manufacturer
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 agriculture opportunities
Custom timber products
Value added products – direct sales
Minerals – silica sand and others
Natural beauty – goat prairies
Hunting and fishing
Internet sales – great internet access
Farm/woodland “reality” vacations
Snowmobiling – in some spots

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.
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.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION ELEMENT:

The Town of Montana Board and residents support cooperation with other units of government if it savings money for the town taxpayers but also believe in the strength of town government (that being that it is close 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	95	6,431,500	107
Commercial	0	0	0
Manufacturing	0	0	0
Agricultural	923	2,055,650	18,090
Undeveloped	323	485,400	722
Productive Forest Lands	81	2,033,800	726
Agricultural Forest Land	380	6,200,800	4,426
Woodland Tax Lands	290	12,918,400	6,067
Other	104	10,554,400	227
Exempt Lands	16	0	20
TOTALS	2212	40,679,950	27,762
Alma Area Schools	54	766,200
Arcadia Public School	585	15,787,200
Cochrane-Fountain City School	151	3,235,250
Gilmanton Area Schools	46	749,750
Independence Public School	344	7,223,150
Chippewa Valley VTAE	100	1,515,950
Western Wisconsin VTAE	1080	26,245,600

All towns within Buffalo County participate in county comprehensive zoning as described in Wisconsin Statute 59.97. Zoning decisions are made by the Buffalo County Land Resources Committee and Buffalo County Zoning Department. 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.

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 map on page 40.

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 future land use map on page 41. There are several home based businesses in the Town, but are currently agricultural or residential.

Population and Housing Densities:

Population density of the Town is 6.02 people per square mile. Housing density 2.6 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. High farm commodity prices (especially corn and soybeans) have increased the demand for farmland sales to equal prices of forestland. Agricultural land sales in 2011 for Buffalo County was $3,359 dollars per acre, the 3^rd highest in the NC District, (Wisconsin Department of Revenue Statistics). The Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service shows similar numbers with farmland sales at $2,857 per acre (2010 data) and forest land sales at $3,346 per acre (2010 data). Both of these values were the 3^rd highest reported in the North Central District. Land values may be influenced by frac sand mining depending on where the industry expands.

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 only 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 11,219 acres of forest land with 6,067 acres enrolled in the MFL program; this accounts for 54% 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, all Towns in Buffalo County are under the Buffalo County Zoning Ordinance. Montana desires to maintain this relationship, but would like to hae more input in rezone changes and in conditional use permits. At this time, Town residents do not want to implement any protections for farmland, natural areas or any other land use area. They would like to encourage landowners to voluntarily participate in programs to preserve farmland, such as the land conservancy organization.

Goals and Actions:

Cluster Development should be encouraged whenever housing is considered to preserve farmland and natural areas. 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.
Access to private property should be regulated to prevent driveways that are to steep for emergency vehicles to safely travel. Private access from town, county and state roads should require permits to prevent unsafe access this includes private residences, cabins and outbuildings. 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:

The Comprehensive Plan will be reviewed at each annual meeting of the Town. 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, Buffalo County Zoning and the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors.
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

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 change regularly. This document will also be used to direct the development of the Buffalo County comprehensive land use plan.

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 dear 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.”

Montana Town Land Use Survey Results – March 22, 2002

Farmland Protection

1. Our town should preserve as much farmland as possible. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

45 = 73% 13 = 21% 3 = 5% 1 = 2% 0

Average = 1.35

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

30 = 75% 7 = 18% 2 = 5% 1 = 3% 0

Average = 1.35

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

15 = 68% 6 = 27% 1 = 5% 0 0

Average = 1.36

A neighboring framer’s right to farm in important to me, even if I am bothered by noise, dust, and odors. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

20 = 32% 23 = 37% 3 = 5% 10 = 16% 6 = 10% Average =2.33

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

14 = 35% 13 = 33% 2 = 5% 7 = 18% 4 = 10%

Average = 2.35

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

6 = 27% 10 = 45% 1 = 5% 3 = 14% 2 = 9%

Average = 2.31

Our town farmers should be able to have any amount of livestock, as long as they don’t pollute water, air and land. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

27 = 44% 24 = 39% 3 = 5% 5 = 8% 3 = 5% Average = 1.91

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

18 = 45% 15 = 38% 2 = 5% 4 = 10% 1 = 3%

Average = 1.8

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

9 = 41% 9 = 41% 1 = 5% 1 = 5% 2 = 9%

Average = 2.0

Our landowners should have unlimited development rights. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

5 = 8% 13 = 21% 7 = 11% 25 = 40% 12 = 19% Average = 3.41

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

1 = 3% 11 = 28% 6 = 15% 15 = 38% 7 = 18%

Average = 3.4

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

4 = 18% 2 = 9% 1 = 5% 10 = 45% 5 = 23%

Average = 3.45

Future Trends

There should be more farmland than other uses in our Town. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

24 = 39% 23 = 37% 8 = 13% 7 = 11% 0 Average = 1.96

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

18 = 45% 11 = 28% 6 = 15% 5 = 13% 0

Average = 1.95

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

6 = 27% 12 = 55% 2 = 9% 2 = 9% 0

Average = 2.0

There should be residential development in our Town. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

2 = 3% 11 = 18% 13 = 21% 25 = 40% 11 = 18%

Average = 3.51

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

2 = 5% 7 = 18% 6 = 15% 18 = 45% 7 = 18%

Average = 3.52

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

0 4 = 18% 7 = 32% 7 = 32% 4 = 18%

Average = 3.5

Industrial development is important in our Town. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

0 4 = 6% 13 = 21% 22 = 35% 23 = 37% Average = 4.03

Resident only responses: (22 responses)

0 4 = 10% 9 = 23% 11 = 28% 16 = 40%

Average = 3.97

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

0 0 4 = 18% 11 = 50% 7 = 32%

Average = 4.13

Our Town should encourage the development of recreation land. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

7 = 11% 14 = 23% 10 = 16% 19 = 31% 12 = 19% Average = 3.24

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

2 = 5% 11 = 28% 7 = 18% 10 = 25% 10 = 25%

Average = 3.37

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

5 = 23% 3 = 14% 3 = 14% 9 = 41% 2 = 9%

Average = 3.0

5. Our Town should encourage the development of tourism. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

3 = 5% 15 = 24% 6 = 10% 25 = 40% 13 = 21%

Average = 3.48

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

2 = 5% 10 = 25% 5 = 13% 13 = 33% 10 = 25%

Average = 3.47

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

1 = 5% 5 = 23% 1 = 5% 12 = 55% 3 = 14%

Average = 3.5

Village & Government Services

Our town roads are adequate for future needs. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

7 = 11% 34 = 56% 6 = 10% 12 = 20% 2 = 3% Average = 2.47

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

3 = 8% 24 = 60% 3 = 8% 9 = 23% 1 = 3%

Average = 2.52

Non-resident only responses: (21 responses)

4 = 19% 10 = 48% 3 = 14% 3 = 14% 1 = 5%

Average = 2.38

2. Our police and fire protection is adequate for future needs. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

9 = 15% 38 = 62% 12 = 20% 2 = 3% 0 Average = 2.11

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

7 = 18% 27 = 68% 6 = 15% 0 0

Average = 1.97

Non-resident only responses: (21 responses)

2 = 10% 11 = 52% 6 = 29% 2 = 10% 0

Average = 2.38

3. Our Town should continue to charge $500 per fire call. (60 responses)

SA A N D SD

11 = 18% 28 = 47% 10 = 17% 3= 5% 8 = 13%

Average = 2.48

Resident only responses: (39 responses)

8 = 21% 17 = 44% 6 = 15% 2 = 5% 6 = 15%

Average = 2.45

Non-resident only responses: (21 responses)

3 = 14% 11 = 52% 4 = 19% 1 = 5% 2 = 10%

Average = 2.42

4. Our town should limit the number of acres in a parcel for housing. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

12 = 20% 22 = 36% 11 = 18% 14= 23% 2 = 3%

Average = 2.54

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

8 = 20% 15 = 38% 6 = 15% 10 = 25% 1 = 3%

Average = 2.52

Non-resident only responses: (21 responses)

4 = 19% 7 = 33% 5 = 24% 4 = 19% 1 = 5%

Average = 2.57

5. Our town should have a reassessment. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

8 = 13% 6 = 10% 21 = 34% 18 = 30% 8 = 13% Average = 3.19

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

7 = 18% 5 = 13% 12 = 30% 12 = 30% 4 = 10%

Average = 3.02

Non-resident only responses: (21 responses)

1 = 5% 1 = 5% 9 = 43% 6 = 29% 4 = 19%

Average = 3.52

6. There should be no regulation on hunting lodges, cabins, etc. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

7 = 11% 9 = 15% 4 = 7% 24 = 39% 17 = 28%

Average = 3.57

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

5 = 13% 4 = 10% 1 = 3% 15 = 38% 15 = 38%

Average = 3.77

Non-resident only responses: (21 responses)

2 = 10% 5 = 24% 3 = 14% 9 = 43% 2 = 10%

Average = 3.19

Quality of Life

Friendly people, a quite atmosphere and our rural setting are important.

(62 responses)

SA A N D SD

38 = 61% 22 = 35% 2 = 3% 0 0

Average = 2.25

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

30 = 75% 9 = 23% 1 = 3% 0 0

Average = 1.27

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

8 = 36% 13 = 59% 1 = 5% 0 0

Average = 1.68

Our town should restrict farming practices that produce dust, noise, and odor.

(62 responses)

SA A N D SD

2 = 3% 8 = 13% 10 = 16% 30 = 48% 12 = 19% Average = 3.67

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

1 = 3% 6 = 15% 5 = 13% 20 = 50% 8 = 20%

Average = 3.7

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

1 = 5% 2 = 9% 5 = 23% 10 = 45% 4 = 18%

Average = 3.63

Maintaining the natural beauty of Town is important. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

23 = 37% 35 = 56% 4= 6% 0 0

Average = 1.69

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

17 = 43% 20 = 50% 3 = 8%

Average = 1.65

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

6 = 27% 15 = 68% 1 = 5% 0 0

Average = 1.77

Regulated separation should be maintained between commercial farms and rural residents. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

6 = 10% 26 = 43% 16 = 26% 11 = 18% 2 = 3%

Average = 2.62

Resident only responses: (39 responses)

4 = 10% 17 = 44% 11 = 28% 5 = 13% 2 = 5%

Average = 2.58

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

2 = 9% 9 = 41% 5 = 23% 6 = 27% 0

Average = 2.68

Open Spaces

Our town should provide public spaces, such as parks. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

3 = 5% 4 = 6% 15 = 24% 29 = 47% 11 = 18% Average = 3.66

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

2 = 5% 2 = 5% 11 = 28% 18 = 45% 7 = 18%

Average = 3.65

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

1 = 5% 2 = 9% 4 = 18% 11 = 50% 4 = 18%

Average = 3.68

Protection of woodlands, wetlands, and open spaces is necessary and important.

(62 responses)

SA A N D SD

18 = 29% 30 = 48% 9 = 15% 5 = 8% 0 Average = 2.01

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

11= 28% 19 = 48% 6 = 15% 4 = 10% 0

Average = 2.07

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

7 = 32% 11 = 50% 3 = 14% 1 = 5% 0

Average = 1.90

Preserving the historical sites of our town is important. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

13 = 21% 30 = 48% 13 = 21% 5 = 8% 1 = 2%

Average = 2.24

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

10 = 25% 19 = 48% 5 = 13% 5 = 13% 1 = 3%

Average = 2.2

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

3 = 14% 11 = 50% 8 = 36% 0 0

Average = 2.22

Our Town should regulate land use for recreation. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

7 = 11% 22 = 35% 9 = 15% 12 = 19% 12 = 19%

Average = 3.0

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

4 = 10% 17 = 43% 6 = 15% 4 = 10% 9 = 23%

Average = 2.95

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

3 = 14% 5 = 23% 3 = 14% 8 = 36% 3 = 14%

Average = 3.13

Land Use and Development Policies

Our towns should adopt a clear land use policy, regulations, and types of rural development. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

7 = 11% 32 = 52% 11 = 18% 11 = 18% 1 = 2% Average = 2.46

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

5 = 13% 21 = 53% 6 = 15% 7 = 18% 1 = 3%

Average = 2.45

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

2 = 9% 11 = 50% 5 = 23% 4 = 18% 0

Average = 2.5

Our town should permit more residential, commercial, and industrial development in rural areas. (61 responses)

SA A N D SD

0 1 = 2% 12 = 20% 28 = 46% 20 = 33% Average = 4.09

Resident only responses: (39 responses)

0 1 = 3% 9 = 23% 16= 41% 13 = 33%

Average = 4.05

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

0 0 3 = 14% 12 = 55% 7 = 32%

Average = 4.18

Mobile homes should be treated like any other dwelling. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

9 = 15% 33 = 53% 7 = 11% 10 = 16% 3 = 5% Average = 2.43

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

6 = 15% 26 = 65% 1 = 3% 4 = 10% 3 = 8%

Average = 2.3

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

3 = 14% 7 = 32% 6 = 27% 6 = 27% 0

Average = 2.68

Our town should limit growth and development. (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

9 = 15% 27 = 44% 9 = 15% 16 = 26% 1 = 2%

Average = 2.56

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

6 = 15% 15 = 38% 4 = 10% 14 = 35% 1 = 3%

Average = 2.72

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

3 = 14% 12 = 55% 5 = 23% 2 = 9% 0

Average = 2.27

Should the county be petitioned to bear the cost and responsibility of Land Use Planning? (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

5= 8% 29 = 47% 13 = 21% 15 = 24% 0 Average = 2.61

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

3 = 8% 18 = 45% 8 = 20% 11 = 28% 0

Average = 2.67

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

2 = 9% 11 = 50% 5 = 23% 4 = 18% 0

Average = 2.5

Our Town should provide a public place where residents and non-residents can hold community activities (community center). (62 responses)

SA A N D SD

0 9 = 15% 25= 40% 19 = 31% 9 = 15% Average = 3.45

Resident only responses: (40 responses)

0 6 = 15% 11 = 28% 15 = 38% 8 = 20%

Average = 3.62

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

0 3 = 14% 14 = 64% 4 = 18% 1 = 5%

Average = 3.13

Statistics

Do you consider yourself a resident of this town? (62 responses)

Yes = 40 = 65%

No = 22 = 35%

Number of weeks spent in town. 9-week average

Only 8 surveys, which responded “No” to the first part of this question provided data for this part of the question.

What is your age and sex? (61 responses)

M = 50 = 82%

F = 11 = 18%

Average age =

Resident only responses: (39 responses)

M = 31 = 79%

F = 8 = 21%

Non-resident only responses: (22 responses)

M = 19 = 86%

F = 3 = 14%

How long have you been a resident of this town?

33-year average

How many are in your household?

2.97 average

1 Buffalo County Wisconsin Soil Survey. USDA, 1957.