Top Ten DNR Stewardship Acquisitions Since 1990

Forest Legacy Easement (2002: 35,337 acres) protects environmentally important forestlands in four large tracts in Iron, Oneida, Marathon and Lincoln Counties from being converted to non-forest uses.

The Great Addition (1999: 32,000 acres - about 50 square miles) is the State's largest fee title land acquisition for conservation purposes. It protected 42 miles of river and stream frontage, 6.3 miles of lake frontage and provides land for 14 important conservation programs in the northern Wisconsin counties of Iron, Oneida, Vilas, and Lincoln including:

• 7,930 acres for the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area
• 7,585 acres for the Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area
• 6,807 acres for Scattered Forest Lands
• 2,511 acres to create the Woodboro Lakes Wildlife Area
• 2,110 acres for Ice Age Trail and Bearskin-Hiawatha Trail
• 1,757 acres to create the Menard Island Resource Area
• 1,723 acres for Statewide Natural Areas in four locations
• 500 acres for Statewide Wildlife Habitat (Roe Lake)
• 440 acres for the Moose Lake State Natural Area
• 320 acres for the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest
• 317 acres for Statewide Public Access (Little Rice Flowage)

Turtle-Flambeau Flowage in Iron County (1990: 22,345 acres -11,000 of the total submerged lands) and more than 100 miles of frontage.

Peshtigo River in Marinette and Oconto Counties (2001: 9,200 acres) and more than 70 miles of frontage including scenic forested land and some flowed land.

Willow Flowage in west central Oneida County (1997: 8,720 acres) includes 64.1 miles of frontage on the flowage and 106 of the Flowage's 117 islands. An additional 9.4 miles of frontage protected by a 100-foot-wide scenic easement.

St. Louis River in Douglas County (1995: 5,181 acres) which includes more than four miles of frontage.

Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area in Florence County (1995: 3,898 acres). An additional 1,790 acres were protected with easements in 1997.

Buckhorn State Park and Buckhorn Wildlife Area in central Juneau County (1999: 3,221 acres) includes 8.5 miles of frontage on the Yellow River and Castle Rock Flowage and consolidates state ownership of the Buckhorn Peninsula on the western side of the Castle Rock Flowage.

Tommy G Thompson Centennial State Park located in Marinette County (1999: 2,187 acres) for the 25 miles northwest of Crivitz. Created from 1,987-acre Paust Woods Lake Resort, purchased for $2,300,000 and 200 acres of Wisconsin Public Service Corporation land purchased for $550,000. Includes 4 miles of meandering frontage on the Caldron Falls Flowage, 3.25 miles of frontage on Handsaw Creek and Woods Outlet, and one mile of frontage on Wood and Huber lakes. Mostly upland diversified forest cover with some bog and submerged land.

Bill Cross Rapids Wildlife Area in Lincoln County (1997: 1,485 acres) which protects 3.5 miles of undeveloped Wisconsin River north of Merrill. Forested land used by timber wolves and eagles.

“The issue appears plain. Is Wisconsin going to look upon its bays and lake shores, its rivers and bluffs, its dells, its inland lakes, its forests, as natural resources to be conserved and some portion at least acquired and held for the benefit of all the people - both for present and future generations? “ - John Nolen, State Parks for Wisconsin, 1909 Report to the State Park Board

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