In a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Gov. Jim Doyle announced a large parcel of land in northeastern Wisconsin will be protected from development indefinitely.
The protected land will be added to the Forest Legacy Program and consists of more than 18,500 acres — nearly 29 square miles — in Langlade County. Currently owned by Plum Creek Timberlands, a forestry management company, the property encompasses part of the Wolf River and surrounding areas.
"The Wolf River property is one of Wisconsin's best places," Doyle said in a release. "It is a pristine natural area with beauty that is second to none. The state's purchase of this easement is a great example of what strong partnerships can accomplish."
The Forest Legacy Program was created by Congress in 1990 as part of the Farm Bill and aims to protect natural forest areas from becoming developed, but Wisconsin did not join the program until 1998, under then Gov. Tommy Thompson.
In Wisconsin, the state Department of Natural Resources oversees the Legacy program and enforces regulations of sustainedly managed forests.
"The whole concept of sustainable management revolves around management of the resource that provides for present-day needs without jeopardizing the ability to provide those needs in the future," Robert Manwell, public affairs manager for the Wisconsin DNR, said.
The forest easement purchase will ensure the property will not be used for commercial or residential development purposes, but forestry and nature recreation will be allowed.
"Any activity that's compatible with sustainable forest management would be permitted," Manwell said. "Certainly hiking, birding, hunting, fishing, photography and just sitting in the woods and enjoying it would be permitted."
In exchange for the easement to block development, Plum Creek Timberlands will be paid nearly $9.2 million in two phases over the next two years. The U.S. Forest Service plans to foot $2 million of the total bill, while the state will pay about $4 million from the Stewardship fund and other federal dollars are expected to cover the remaining cost.
Doyle said the cooperation between state and federal offices was integral in protecting the lands while encouraging proper forestry practices.
The forest product and forest recreation industries make up about 12 percent of Wisconsin's gross state product and 18 percent of jobs in the state are in this industry.
"Without a healthy forest industry, it is not possible to sustainedly manage the forests in Wisconsin while producing the products that consumers demand, and maintaining the recreational and ecological benefits that make Wisconsin such a great place to live," Doyle said.
Manwell said the addition of the land to the Legacy program was a preemptive move to protect the area, which was in danger of being developed.
"These tracts of land are, of course, very desirable from a number of standpoints,"
Manwell said. "Folks will buy them and split them up into a variety of smaller parcels which are under a variety of ownerships and at that point, it becomes very difficult to practice sustainable forest management over that landscape."
Though Plum Creek could choose to sell the property, any future owners must abide by the rules outlined in the easement contract, Manwell said.
This is the third such Forest Legacy purchase made in the state; more than 35,000 acres were purchased in Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida and Iron Counties, and parts of a forest in Baraboo Hills were also added to the state Forest Legacy Program.
"The governor has been urging this to happen for a long time," Anne Lupardus, a spokesperson for Doyle, said. "These great natural areas will be protected, rather than having them developed and bulldozed over."
