Jean McGraw Memorial Nature Preserve

(continued from home page)

Ecologist Lori Artiomow speaks about the history of the landscape.               Guests visit the 5 acre upland wood.

 Thanks to all of you who donated toward this acquisition, especially the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

The Upper Des Plaines River Watershed

Located primarily in Kenosha County, WI, the Upper Des Plaines River Watershed holds high-quality wetlands and prairies and provides important habitat for state-designated threatened and endangered species. The watershed is critical not only for the survival of wildlife and plants, but also for human health. The deep root system of this wet prairie land absorbs water from rainfall and runoff, filters out pollutants and recharges our ground water, providing us with fresh drinking water. If this land is developed and replaced with more impervious surfaces such as roads or turf grass for lawns, this natural filtration system will be lost.

Des Plaines River Lowlands Project

Expanding Wisconsin's Stewardship Fund (this article appeared in the Kenosha News)

BY JOHN KREROWICZ

Expanding Wisconsin ’s Stewardship Fund would improve chances of obtaining money to purchase land in the Des Plaines River basin for conservation purposes, according to a local advocate.

Chuck Haubrich, president of the Kenosha/Racine Land Trust, said the governor’s proposal to reauthorize and increase money for the Fund would double the odds of receiving state dollars to help buy the Pleasant Prairie land, which would be open to the public and total some 450 acres.

“This makes it more likely that we’d get funding in the future,” said Haubrich. “This makes these land purchases possible.”

Gov. Doyle has set levels for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund at $105 million per year, up from $60 million, as part of his budget proposal. He also wants to add 10 years onto the Fund’s original expiration date of 2010.

Fund money is used to purchase, preserve and improve environmentally-important lands and waterways, for recreation development and to help local communities with open space and recreation goals.

Some 475,000 acres have been included in projects statewide using Fund money since the program began in 1989. The Legislature has tried to reduce the fund in the past.

More than $2 million from the Fund has been awarded for 18 Kenosha County projects since 1994, including purchases and-or work in city parks , Twin Lakes parks, Chiwaukee Prairie as well as improvements on Hooker Lake.  The Fund is named after former Governors Warren Knowles and Gaylord Nelson.

Haubrich estimated the entire block of 450 acres might cost as much as $1.5 million and take up to 15 years to acquire.

He said the Land Trust, which protects open and natural spaces, is negotiating with the owner of one 15-acre parcel for which federal funding might become available within a few months. With donations to the Trust and the federal money, there would be enough to match, as required, money from the Stewardship Fund to buy that property, he said.

Haubrich said if money is available, the state Department of Natural Resources probably would give final approval for purchase of the parcels, many of which include wetlands, river area and wooded stretches.

“That’s why it’s important that the governor is adding more money to the Fund,” he said.

The 450 acres, among some 40 parcels privately owned, would help complete an open-space corridor stretching between Highway 50 and the state line, he said.

Haubrich said plans for the parcels include hunting, hiking and bird watching. Some areas have invasive species that would need to be removed.

Other conservation groups around the state also are supporting extension of the Fund.

“With every passing day, prime hunting and fishing territory is turned into strip malls and condos,” said Ed Harvey, Wisconsin Conservation Congress chairman.

Conservation groups across the state have set continuation of the Fund as one of four issues to pursue in this legislative session. Those issues will be reviewed with legislators during the Conservation Lobby Day in Madison on Wednesday.

Our Land Acquisition Fund Needs Your Help!

Over the next few years we estimate a need of over $2.5 million to purchase the 520 acres in the Upper Des Plaines River Watershed. Don’t be scared by this amount! Half of that amount can be matched by the Knowles-Nelson State Stewardship funds, and we will be seeking funds through other grants and foundations to whittle away at that figure. Please consider a donation to our land acquisition fund and make a lasting difference in the environmental health of our community.

Make checks payable to:

Kenosha/Racine Land Trust, Inc.

P.O. Box 085153

Racine, WI  53408-5153