State fund will help preserve Military Ridge prairie
A $405,200 state Stewardship grant will go to Nature Conservancy Wisconsin for the purchase of 153 acres of land in the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area in Iowa County.
The funds will be used to expand Thomson Prairie, part of the Barneveld Prairie State Natural Area within the heart of the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area, an extensive grassland landscape supporting a high concentration of prairie and oak savanna remnants.
Gov. Jim Doyle made the announcement Thursday.
"Our natural resources are one of the main reasons why people want to live, vacation and move here," Doyle said. "The future of our state is closely linked to our natural resources, and I'm pleased that, today, that future is looking even brighter with the protection of Thomson Prairie."
The purchase represents one of the best opportunities to protect grassland birds such as upland sandpiper, Bell's vireo, Henslow's sparrow, harrier, dickcissel and bobolink and the red-tailed leafhopper, one of the rarest insects in the country, the governor's office said in a written statement.
It will also substantially increase the permanent grass cover and provide habitat for the state endangered regal fritillary butterfly and two plant species of special concern, marbleseed and prairie turnip.
The Thomson Prairie area will be open for public recreational opportunities including hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, nature study and hunting of deer, turkey and pheasant.
The Nature Conservancy has helped protect 1,823 acres in the Military Ridge area. It has partnered with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, the state Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, Blue Mounds Area Project and the Prairie Enthusiasts to conserve native prairie communities. The Thomson Prairie property was originally approved for high-end residential development, but the Nature Conservancy was able to successfully negotiate with the developer and protect the property.
Doyle has made the Stewardship program a top priority since taking office, protecting more than 200,000 acres of land throughout Wisconsin. His 2007-09 state budget reauthorized the Stewardship Fund at $86 million per year beginning in 2011 through 2020. Since 1990, the Stewardship Fund has preserved more than half a million acres of public land.
