The state is considering buying two large portions of land in northern Wisconsin totaling 21,000 acres and costing $11.5 million to develop into forest preserves and a possible state park.

The first, located on the Menominee River, is a scenic area not far from the state’s border with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The second is located in Sawyer County, not far from Hayward, in a heavily wooded area.

The Menominee River parcel is owned by a subsidary of We Energies, a gas and electric company in Northern Wisconsin. The company approached the state about buying the underused land, and the state hopes to develop scattered campgrounds and areas for canoeing along the river.

DNR spokesperson Richard Steffes said a state park-like development is planned for part of the area, but not all of it, since the area is extremely remote.
The other parcel, in Sawyer County, is located south of the Chippewa Flowage, a major manmade lake, and had previously been used for industrial forestry.

That parcel is currently owned by Plum Creek Timberlands, and while the state is not looking to purchase the land outright, it is instead interested in a permanent easement, according to Steffes.

An easement would allow Plum Creek Timberlands to still own and manage the land, but the public would always have access to the land. It would also prohibit all land development, Steffes said.

“Basically, what we accomplish with this is we ensure that land will never change, will always be undeveloped and that it will always be available for public use,” Steffes said.

According to Steffes, land buys similar to the one proposed here are relatively commonplace. The state purchases about 20,000 to 25,000 acres of land per year from willing buyers without the use of eminent domain, Steffes said.

Clean Wisconsin spokesperson Sam Weis said the land buys would contribute to preserving natural Wisconsin land.

“This is going to help us protect some of our really important natural resources. There are a lot of really scenic areas up there including Pierce’s Gorge and this will be one more opportunity for Wisconsin residents to get out and enjoy the great outdoors,” Weis said.

Weis also stressed the importance of not letting the land fall into private hands so it will remain an open resource and responsible management of the environment can be a top priority.

With the changes in government brought by the midterm elections, it is not clear if land buys such as this will become a trend.

Governor-elect Scott Walker supports land conservation efforts, according to spokesperson Jill Bader.

“Scott is a Boy Scout so he believes in keeping your campsite cleaner than the way you found it and preserving nature for future generations,” Bader said.