Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Biotic Inventory and Analysis of the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest Executive Summary

Publication Number: PUBL-ER-093 99 October, 1999

Project Purpose and Objectives

This report presents the results of a multi-year project to inventory and analyze selected biotic resources of the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest (NHAL) and the surrounding landscape. This project was undertaken by the Natural Heritage Inventory (NHI) section of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (WDNR) Bureau of Endangered Resources, in cooperation with the Bureau of Forestry, to provide baseline ecological information relevant to the development of a new property Master Plan for the Forest. The information from this report will be used alongside other information on the forest and its surrounding environment to support property master planning. The primary objectives of this project are:

• The identification and evaluation of natural communities, rare or otherwise significant plant and animal populations, and selected aquatic features and their associated biotic communities.
• The identification of sites appropriate for the restoration of lost or declining communities or important habitats.
• To emphasize especially important protection, management, and restoration opportunities, focusing on both unique and representative natural features of this property and the surrounding landscape.
• The interpretation and transfer of the information gathered to the property master planning team, and ultimately to managers, administrators, and others involved in the implementation of land use decisions on the state forest.

Description of Study Area

The Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest is located in northern Wisconsin in Vilas, Oneida, and Iron Counties. The NHAL is the state’s largest property, with over 220,000 acres acquired to date. The entire region was glaciated, with deep deposits of outwash and moraine creating prominent landforms. The majority of the forest lies within the Northern Highlands Pitted Outwash ecoregion, characterized by thick deposits of glacial outwash, a highly significant concentration of glacial kettle lakes, springs and headwater streams, and extensive wetlands. Soils are generally sandy, with topography varying from level to rough and rolling (“pitted” outwash). Areas along the northern edge of the NHAL are within the Winegar Moraines ecoregion and are characterized by rolling topography; richer sandy loam soils; numerous lakes and springs; and many small, forested and open wetlands.

Prior to European settlement, white and red pine forests dominated most of the pitted outwash plain of the Northern Highland ecoregion (Finley, 1976). Northern hardwood forests and conifer swamps were also common and extensive peatlands occupied depressions and the headwater areas of many streams. In the Winegar Moraine ecoregion, greater concentrations of northern hardwood forests, especially sugar maple and hemlock forests, were evident (WDNR, 1999).

Today, aspen is the most extensive cover type, with smaller amounts of northern hardwood forests, pine forests, oak forests, and pine plantations. Aspen, white birch, and pine plantation cover types account for approximately 45 percent of the total state-owned land area and over 55 percent of the forested lands on the NHAL. Lowland forest (5 percent) and “marsh” (10 percent) (bog, muskeg, fen, meadow, marsh) cover types remain a significant component of the NHAL. We present these figures to give the reader a generalized overview of the study area’s vegetation. Within any of these broad cover types, individual stands will exhibit differences in composition and in management potential.

The three counties of Iron, Oneida, and Vilas contain over 20 percent of Wisconsin’s inland lakes and 20 percent of the state’s inland lake acreage (WLRB, 1995). The NHAL contains over 900 lakes within its boundaries, over 6 percent of Wisconsin’s total number, while the NHAL land area is barely one-half of one percent of Wisconsin’s total land base (WDNR, 1982). Extensive bogs, peatlands, and swamps cover about 21% of the Northern Highlands Region. The region is an important headwater area for much of Wisconsin (the Wisconsin and the Flambeau-Chippewa) because of its relatively high elevation, great infiltration capacity, and mostly forested watershed.

An additional important characteristic of the NHAL is the forest’s location and proximity to surrounding public ownerships, including the Ottawa, Nicolet, and Chequamegon National Forests, the Iron, Oneida, and Vilas County forests, two state-owned flowages (Willow and Turtle-Flambeau), state wildlife areas, state trust lands, and State Natural Areas.

Summary of Results

Several hundred sites within and around the NHAL were inventoried between 1992 and 1996 for natural communities, rare plants and animals, and aquatic features. The selection of inventory sites relied on compilation of background data, including sources both inside and outside of DNR, and involved literature review, aerial photograph interpretation, Original Land Survey Notes interpretation, NHI database review, and interviews.

Sixty-five sites, some of which are grouped within 4 macrosites, are termed Primary Sites and generally include the best examples of both rare and representative natural features that were documented within the NHAL. Descriptions for each Primary Site are included in Appendix B in the report. Additional sites of importance have been organized within two other categories. Isolated Occurrences of Rare Species are scattered inventory sites located within the NHAL boundary that contain a rare species occurrence. These sites are generally small, isolated, and not associated with more extensive natural features. Ecologically Significant Sites Outside the NHAL are selected inventory sites near but primarily outside of the NHAL boundary that contain significant examples of rare and representative natural features.

Rare Vascular Plants

Thirty-four rare plant species were documented on the NHAL including one WI Endangered, 3 WI Threatened, and 30 WI Special Concern species. Seventy-nine percent of the rare plants documented on the NHAL grow primarily in wet habitats, illustrating the biodiversity significance of abundant high-quality lakes, streams, and wetlands in the region. Appendix E in the report provides detailed information for each of the rare plants on the NHAL.

Rare Animals

Sixty-seven species of rare animals were documented on the NHAL, including one US Endangered, one US Threatened, one WI Endangered, nine WI Threatened, and 57 WI Special Concern species. The NHAL presents a significant opportunity to provide secure habitat for a large number of forest dependent birds, including several boreal species, and many forest interior species. As with rare plants, the high number of rare aquatic animals is a reflection of the abundance of high-quality lakes, streams, and wetlands in the Northern Highland region. The NHAL is used by 2 known wolf packs and contributes to one of the highest known regional concentrations of bald eagle, osprey, and common loon. Appendix G in the report provides detailed information on rare animals for the NHAL.

Natural Communities

Over 200 occurrences of 22 natural community types were surveyed within the NHAL. A master list of the natural communities of the study area, brief descriptions of each type, and an assessment of the significance of each type on the property and within the region may be found in Appendix D of the report.

The following community types express major ecological themes of the NHAL landscape, and are of high conservation priority because of their extent, relatively outstanding condition, high significance to both rare and representative native species, or because relatively few other opportunities to conserve these types exist statewide:

• northern dry-mesic forest
• northern mesic forest
• open bog/muskeg/poor fen/black spruce swamp/tamarack swamp
• wild rice marsh
• aquatic features

Important Aquatic Features

One of the dominant attributes of the Northern Highland region is the high density of lakes and other aquatic habitats. Important aquatic communities include:

• seepage lakes
• drainage lakes
• spring lakes
• spring ponds
• small streams
• selected stretches of medium-sized streams
• wetlands

Key Issues for Consideration

Five key issues emerged from the analysis of the ecological findings. These are ordered according to a nested hierarchy of scales ranging from the regional to the local level, and are the highest priorities from the Biotic Inventory.

• Local, Regional, and Continental Significance - The NHAL is an ecologically important site at local, regional, and even larger scales. It provides potential ecological connections to other properties (local and regional), large forested landscapes (regional and state), habitat for animals with landscape level habitat needs (regional and state), and habitat for migratory birds (state, multi-state, continental).
• Size and Context - At over 220,000 acres, the NHAL is by far the largest state property. It is in close proximity to many other public and private conservation lands. This combination of large size and central location set the stage for the NHAL to play a defining role in the protection, management, and restoration of the area’s most characteristic natural communities, including extensive forests, large peatlands, diverse lakes, headwater streams, and rare plants and animals.
• Content – The NHAL contains some of Wisconsin’s largest and least disturbed remnants of mature dry-mesic white pine-red pine and mesic hemlock-hardwood forest. The state forest occupies a central location within the Northern Highlands Pitted Outwash ecoregion, making up about 25 percent of the total area. The NHAL contains a high concentration of wetlands that are of regional importance. Protection and management of these key features at suitable locations and at a variety of scales should be a key consideration. The NHAL contains a significant variety of natural communities, rare plants and animals, and unique aquatic features. The 65 primary sites and 4 macrosites represent the best examples of rare and representative natural features documented and should be considered as high protection and/or restoration opportunities. In particular, 36 of the Primary Sites are of comparable significance to existing State Natural Areas (SNAs), and may represent ecological components that are missing or under represented from the existing SNAs.
• Diverse Array Of Aquatic Features - The NHAL presents excellent opportunities to protect and manage important aquatic features, including seepage lakes, drainage lakes, spring lakes, spring ponds, and small and medium-size streams. The concentration of glacial kettle lakes is globally important. Some of the lake types are rare, and many rare aquatic plants and animals are present.
• Development Pressures - Development pressures on privately owned lands within and around the NHAL are currently high and increasing, especially on shorelines of lakes and streams (Laas, 1996). Road densities within the forest boundary are high, compared to many other parts of northern Wisconsin (WDNR, 1999), and are likely to increase with additional development.

Ecological Considerations and Priorities for Master Planning

The Biotic Inventory report presents general and specific ecological considerations that emerged after careful scientific analysis of the ecological processes, biotic data, and existing land use for the NHAL. They are grouped according to conservation opportunities and challenges and restoration opportunities. In addition, ecological priorities are outlined and grouped in sections: natural resource management and protection, restoration, land use, monitoring, research, and future inventory.

Site Descriptions

Sites descriptions are located in Appendix B of the report and provide locational information, site descriptions, element occurrence information, site significance, and management considerations for each of the 66 Primary Sites and 4 macrosites. In addition, a site map for each primary site depicts occurrences of significant communities, species and aquatic features, and public ownership according to 1998 GIS public ownership coverages.

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