Restoration of Historic Fairfield Marsh Area
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and other interested parties will be forming a community-based group to participate in discussions over the next year to fully explore ideas for restoring the natural resource values of the historic Fairfield Marsh area. The Service released a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) in August evaluating several alternatives for a proposed Aldo Leopold National Wildlife Refuge in the Fairfield Marsh Area. During the EA comment period, it was suggested that an approach with more involvement by private landowners may be the preferred way to protect and restore the area.
I heard the community talk about a desire to develop new ideas about how to protect and restore the former marsh area by working more with private landowners. said Bill Hartwig, Regional Director of the Services Great Lakes/Big Rivers region. Personal responsibility for natural resource conservation is integral to Aldo Leopolds land ethic philosophy. We want to support this unique initiative shown by local interests in exploring ways for landowners to play a more active role in resource preservation in the Fairfield Marsh area.
To accommodate this concept, the Service has decided to suspend action on a final EA to provide the opportunity for exploration of new ideas for restoration and conservation of this important marsh. The Service is expecting a report from the group by the end of the current fiscal year, September 30, 2000.
I would like to take more time to gather ideas from the community as to how they would conserve and restore the natural diversity and abundance of fish, wildlife and plants in this area. The Service is interested in working with the community to incorporate and complement our goals with those of landowners and non-governmental parties interested in conservation. Hartwig added.
Interested parties such as local landowners, the International Crane Foundation, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association and other groups will be invited to explore how and to what degree the valuable historic marsh area can be restored and conserved for future generations.
Existing programs and voluntary efforts by landowners and other interested parties definitely could play a key role in the protection and restoration of this area. And wed like to make sure that weve provided interested parties ample opportunity to be involved in the discussions of how to preserve and enhance wildlife values in the Fairfield Marsh area in a way that is compatible with the interests of the local community. said Hartwig. We want to explore the possibility and look at all feasible strategies to attain mutually agreed upon natural resource goals for this special part of Wisconsin.
The State of Wisconsin has lost 99 percent of its original, pre-settlement prairies and oak savannas, resulting in severely declining populations of grassland songbirds such as the bobolink, eastern meadowlark and the northern harrier (commonly called a marsh hawk). The State has also lost nearly 50 percent of its original wetlands from housing developments, highway construction, agricultural drainage and groundwater reductions. Sauk County alone has lost about 95 percent of its pre settlement wetlands. There is a greater understanding today of the valuable role that wetlands play in ecology by providing a host of direct benefits to humans. These benefits include acting as natural filters for pollution and reducing the extent of flooding. If restored, the wet meadow and open water habitat of Fairfield Marsh would provide feeding and nesting habitat for waterfowl such as mallard, blue-winged teal and gadwall. Wading birds such as great blue heron and egrets would gain sufficient areas to rest and feed. The loggerhead shrike, dickcissel, bobolink and eastern meadowlark are a few of the grassland dependent birds that would benefit.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/
