Wisconsin's Forest Legacy Program

2004 Project - Wolf River

Congressional District: 8^th District

Public Value of Property:

• Eagle and wolf habitat exists.
• Large impact on the area economy.
• Continuation as major public recreation outlet for various activities.
• Portions of the National Scenic Ice Age Trail cross the property - easement would protect this.
• Provides hardwood sawlogs for veneer as well as pulpwood to paper mills.
• Contains regionally important 9 mile deer yard.
• Contains portion of class 1 Wolf River and two other major river/creeks as well as nine lakes and ponds, the largest being 61.2 acres.

Importance of Protection:

• Land has already changed ownership since negotiations began. New owner is currently selling off parcels in this state and others that have highest recreational potential. Already thousands of acres around the state has been sold for development.
• As land is sold it is taken out of the State's Managed Forest Law and out of the protection of sustainable managed practices and public access.
• Rare and critical habitat in the riparian areas is the most threatened and the first to be sold as recreational properties.
• Added development has meant additional roads, water lines and other infrastructure which threatens wildlife habitat, water quality and scenic values.

How the property meets program criteria:

• Buffers existing federal, state and county properties including the Nicolet National Forest, Wolf River State Fisheries Area,


Tyra Lake, 14.5 acres, one of many small
lakes within the project area

• National Scenic Ice Age Trail, a cooperative project between the U.S. National Park Service, the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation and its various volunteer groups around the State, bisects the property. The trail is one of only eight national scenic trails in the United States.