By pioneering innovative approaches to land protection, the Fund and its partners have helped to safeguard more than 14,000 acres of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable wildlife.
In June 2010, we worked with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to protect 2,100 acres along the Totogatic River—one of the few remaining near-wilderness streams in the state. The property includes 12 miles of river frontage and provides habitat for more than 20 Species of Greatest Conservation Need identified in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan.
The Fund facilitated Wisconsin DNR’s purchase from Wausau Paper, headquartered in Mosinee, Wisconsin. DNR will manage the property and provide public access for hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing/kayaking and hiking.
The Totogatic River flows for 70 miles through five counties in northern Wisconsin, forming a wild and pristine stream in the St. Croix River Basin and the Mississippi River watershed. It earned the state’s designation as a Wild River in 2009—a designation shared with only four other rivers in the state—which ensures the river’s long-term protection from development threats.
“These are incredible additions to public lands in Wisconsin that will now be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come,” Governor Doyle said. “Our natural resources are one of the main reasons why people want to live, vacation, and move here. They are why businesses want to locate here. The future of our state is closely linked to our natural resources, and I’m pleased that, today, that future is looking even brighter with the protection of these lands.”
Read the news release for more information about this project, including funding sources.
We started 2010 by preserving two tracts of prime grassland habitat—totaling 883 acres— adjacent to the Buena Vista Wildlife Area in Wisconsin's last stronghold of the famed Greater Prairie-Chicken. We purchased the land from Blue Top Farms, Inc. and will transfer ownership to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to manage as habitat for a variety of grassland birds, most notably the Greater Prairie-Chicken.
“We’re thankful to our partners—Dane County Conservation League, Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Portage County Land Preservation Fund and the Wisconsin DNR – for their involvement in this project,” said Peg Kohring, Midwest director of The Conservation Fund. “No one group alone could acquire the property, but by working together we have made this a huge success.”
Populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens have declined to near extinction over the past century due to the conversion of grassland to forestland and farmland. They once inhabited every county in Wisconsin but are now found in only six counties in the central part of the state.
With the Wisconsin DNR as partner, we also protected five other properties across the state in 2009, including a trout stream prized by fly fishermen in Oneida County, black bear and blue teal habitat in Iron County and a scenic kayak and canoe route along the Wisconsin River’s north shore.
We help farmers work more sustainably. With our support, Mr. Moye launched an organic dairy farm.
Peg Kohring, director of the Fund's work in the Midwest, is based in Michigan. She works with community leaders across the region. "We’re the tools in the hands of communities, helping to make conservation happen.”
Powered by: Phase2 TechnologyThe Conservation Fund National Office
1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 1300
Arlington, Virginia 22209-2156
Phone: 703-525-6300
Fax: 703-525-4610
Email: postmaster@conservationfund.org
