River Legacy Forest land conservation, expansion finalized in Land O’ Lakes

Northwoods Alliance Inc. with Partners in Forestry Coop has announced the expansion of the Upper Wisconsin River Legacy Forest, assuring an additional 191 acres of wildlife habitat with foot-based public access available into perpetuity.

The original Upper Wisconsin project at 1,042 acres was created in 2015, using Knowles Nelson Stewardship funding, as the first Forest Legacy project in Vilas County. The project focused on protecting wildlife habitat, forest resources and a long stretch of the Wisconsin River near its beginning.

Situated south of South Crystal Lake Road, north of Highway E and ¼ to ½ mile east of Highway 45, the 1,042-acre forest shares a 1.25-mile border with the Nicolet National Forest.

“This additional 191 acres to the forest being south of County Road E, goes west fronting on U.S. Highway 45 and, most importantly, makes a distinct linkage of the original forest block to state and county forest lands, and is within ¼ mile of the Spruce Grouse Swamp State Natural Area,” said project manager Joe Hovel. The addition has a full 1-mile border with state of Wisconsin lands and ⅝-mile with the Vilas County Forest.

“We are very grateful to see this modest project completed, at this time of misguided attacks on these much-needed conservation programs,” Hovel continued.

Much of the funding for this expansion originated in the short-lived Forest Legacy category titled “Smaller tracts with greater strategic importance,” from the Biden administration’s boost to the program.

The expanded legacy forest is focused on protecting habitat diversity; a mixture of upland pines with aspen and scattered hardwoods, lowland conifers, and even some open wet meadow. Hovel indicated this is important habitat for a variety of wildlife, especially the threatened spruce grouse.

The Upper Wisconsin River Legacy Forest, now at over 1,200 acres, is in the Wisconsin River Headwaters Conservation Opportunity Area, and in the Upper Wisconsin Wetland Pines Important Bird Area. The whole project is heavy to pine barrens with its lighter upland soils, and will continue to be managed by Partners in Forestry Cooperative in coordination with the Wisconsin DNR Managed Forest Law and assistance from USDA NRCS.

The Forest Legacy Program is utilized by participating states and creates a partnership including the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and private landowners. In this situation, the DNR Division of Forestry holds a perpetual conservation and access easement on private land under USFS guidelines.

For information on this project, or the developing 1,300-acre Border Lakes Forest Legacy project, or on other happenings of Northwoods Alliance or Partners in Forestry, contact Hovel at 715-479-8528, partnersinforestry@gmail.com, or visit northwoodalliance.org.