See the EA
The Environmental Assessment (EA) completed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is provided here in portable document format (pdf). To see the files, you need Acrobat Reader software, and it is available for free on the Adobe website. The EA is provided as an executive summary, a complete document (a large file), and also by chapters/appendices (in much smaller files).
Executive Summary Hackmatack EA (2.6 MB)
Complete Hackmatack EA (10.3 MB)
Hackmatack EA by chapters/appendices:
Hackmatack EA Chapters 1- 4 (4.8 MB)
Appendix A: Land Protection Plan (2 MB)
Appendix B: Pre-acquisition Compatibility Determinations (18 KB)
Appendix C: Conceptual Management Plan (72 KB)
Appendix D: Species List (1.3 MB)
Appendix E: Bibliography (15 KB)
Appendix F: Planning and New or Expanded National Wildlife Refuge – FAQs (2.2 MB)
Appendix G: List of Preparers (11 KB)
Appendix H: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations Used (25 KB)
Proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge
Environmental Assessment Available for Public Review
Open House Events to be Held in Illinois and Wisconsin
Short Summary of the EA
Refuge Proposal Background
Tell Us What You Think
Information on Snowmobiles and National Wildlife Refuges
Frequently Asked Questions
Meet the Planning Team
Photo Credit: Steve Hillebrand
Environmental Assessment Available for Public Review
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS, Service) planners have completed an environmental assessment (EA) that evaluates a proposal to establish Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, a new refuge proposed in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois.
Your thoughts on the proposal are important. Comments are due by Friday, April 27, 2012.
See the March 21st news release (pdf, 46 KB) for more information.
Open House Events to be Held in Illinois and Wisconsin
The public is invited to attend open house events to talk with Service planning staff and submit comments on the Environmental Assessment.
The first open house will be on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road; Ringwood, Illinois.
The second open will be on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Genoa City, Wisconsin at the Brookwood Middle School, 1020 Hunter’s Ridge Drive.
Interested citizens may stop by any time during the open houses and stay as long as they wish, to speak with Service staff or submit comments. Comment forms will be made available so that written comments can be submitted onsite or mailed in later.
Short Summary of the EA
The EA presents four alternatives designed to benefit specific wildlife and plant habitats within the original Study Area. The boundaries were formulated based on the watersheds, existing conservation areas, habitat requirements of desired wildlife species, public roads, and comments received from the public. The recommended protection levels (e.g., fee acquisition, conservation easement, private landowner initiatives, etc.) were based on the Service’s policy to acquire the least interest in land necessary to meet Refuge goals.
The preferred alternative identified by the planning team is Alternative C: Cores and Corridors. Alternative C would link and expand upon existing conservation areas to benefit migratory birds and endangered species. The larger block sizes associated with the cores would provide sufficient habitat for nesting grassland birds and waterfowl that are sensitive to fragmented habitat and edges. The corridors would assist terrestrial migration of small mammals, herptiles, and plants that may be impacted by a changing climate.
Land conservation methods for the core areas (11,193 acres) would include fee, conservation easement, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)/private opportunities aimed at creating contiguous natural habitat. The conservation corridors would connect the cores primarily through use of partnership efforts and to a lesser degree with fee-simple acquisition. Specific, narrow corridors can’t be identified at this time as detailed land status and partnerships would determine the ultimate siting. However, a continuous corridor of a minimum of 600 feet wide would be considered complete.
Refuge Proposal Background
The Service is exploring the possibility of establishing a new national wildlife refuge in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois. The Service released a news release (pdf, 46 KB) announcing the availability of the EA on March 21, 2012.
The Acting Director of the Service approved a Preliminary Project Proposal authorizing the Service to further study the proposal and produce an EA. The original study area encompassed 350,000 acres; however, this area is much larger than the refuge proposed in the preferred alternative of the EA:10,000 to 30,000 acres of drained wetland basins, historic prairie, and forest habitats as well as linking existing conservation lands. Conserving habitat corridors between existing protected parcels would enhance the conservation value of those individual parcels.
The original study area (pdf, 473 KB) encompassed more than 60 publicly and privately owned parks, preserves, and conservation areas with natural ecosystems totaling about 23,000 acres. Many of the parks and preserves in the study area are oriented toward habitat protection rather than primarily recreation. As Service planners evaluated the proposed refuge, they looked for ways to complement these existing conservation lands.
Study Area Background Information
The following maps provide a general overview of the original study area by depicting existing conservation lands, showing existing land cover via an aerial photo and according to the National Land Cover Database (2001), soil drainage, and potential natural vegetation based upon soils.
Existing Conservation Lands (1.1 MB): This map includes the refuge study area boundary in black plus conservation lands currently owned by the state of Illinois, the state of Wisconsin, counties in both states, non-governmental organizations, land conservancies, and private individuals. Because land ownership is dynamic, some existing conservation lands may not be shown and some areas may have changed in status since this data was obtained.
National Landcover Data (2001) (1.7 MB): This is a national database of landcover developed in 2001. Due to the scale of this mapping project, there may be errors when viewed at a small scale or due to land changes over time. This map includes the refuge study area boundary in black.
Study Area Aerial Photograph (1.5 MB): Based upon 2007 photography, this image shows the study area in true color, with the darkest areas being open water, forests in darker green and fields in shades of green, tan, and brown. This map includes the refuge study area boundary in yellow.
Soil Drainage Map (1.7 MB): This map is based upon the natural drainage characteristics of Natural Resources Conservation Service-defined soils. Areas in black are generally open water areas. The darker the blue, the more poorly drained the soils are. The darker the tan/brown, the more well drained the soils are. This map does not reflect areas where drainage has been altered by artificial drainage. The map includes the refuge study area boundary in red.
Potential Natural Vegetation Map (1.5 MB): This map is based upon Natural Resources Conservation Service-defined soils characteristics and the natural vegetation that is favored on these soils due to wetness, slope, pH, and other characteristics. The vegetation is assumed to be a good approximation of what the natural vegetation would have been at a time before European settlement. This map includes the refuge study area boundary in black.
Tell Us What You Think
The EA was completed to evaluate the impacts of establishing a new national wildlife refuge in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois. Service staff have heard opinions and questions from many of you regarding the Refuge proposal. Your thoughts are very important to helping us determine if the EA presents a viable project.
We appreciate the interest and active involvement so many people have demonstrated in this planning process!
Please direct e-mail comments to: r3planning@fws.gov. Comments can also be mailed to:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Conservation Planning
Attn: Proposed Hackmatack NWR
5600 American Blvd. West
Suite 990
Bloomington, MN 55437-1458
Comments are due by Friday, April 27, 2012.
See the Preliminary Project Proposal
The Preliminary Project Proposal is a document that defines the proposed project and, if approved, authorizes U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff to further study either the establishment of a new refuge or the expansion of an existing refuge. The Preliminary Project Proposal for the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge has been approved and is available in portable document format. You will need Adobe Reader to view the document, it's a free software download from Adobe.
Preliminary Project Proposal, Proposed Hackmatack NWR (795 KB)
Study Area (473 KB)
Expected Timeframe for a Decision on the EA
The next step for the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge will be to analyze public comments and edit a final document. The EA will be submitted to the Service's Midwest Regional Director and the agency's National Director for consideration and/or approval. The Service expects to release a final decision on refuge establishment in the fall of 2012.
Information on Snowmobiles and National Wildlife Refuges
In response to comments the Service has received on the proposal to establish a national wildlife refuge, Conservation Planner Gary Muehlenhardt sent information to individuals and snowmobiling organizations within the project area. Both the letter (693 KB) and the information sheet (1 MB)are available in pdf format.
Frequently Asked Questions
A proposal to establish a national wildlife refuge generates a number of questions. We've gathered some of the questions people ask the most often and the Service's responses. If you have a question that isn't addressed, please let us know! See the previous section for contact information. Frequently Asked Questions (pdf, 316 KB)
Meet the Planning Team
To assist us in this planning effort, we have created a 12-member Planning Coordination Team. This team includes individuals from a broad array of local, state, and federal governmental agencies. The team will help ensure that we consider a range of perspectives as we evaluate this refuge proposal. The team members also provide access to a wealth of expertise about the study area and access to local resources that will be very valuable to the planning process. Team membership includes individuals from the following agencies:
- Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- McHenry County Conservation District (two individuals)
- Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Illinois Ecological Services
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Leopold Wetland Management District
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Refuge Supervisor
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation Planning (two individuals)
Team members include:
 Steven Byers Illinois Nature Preserves Commission |
 Louise Clemency USFWS Ecological Services / Illinois |
 Ed Collins McHenry County Conservation District |
Vacant USFWS Ecological Services / Wisconsin |
 Elizabeth Kessler McHenry County Conservation District |
 Tom Larson USFWS Conservation Planning |
 Steve Lenz USFWS Leopold Wetland Management District |
 Gary Muehlenhardt USFWS Conservation Planning |
 Donald Reed Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission |
 Matt Sprenger USFWS National Wildlife Refuges |
 Frank Trcka Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
 Nancy Williamson Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
