A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge in south central Wisconsin. Information about the refuge proposal will be displayed and Service representatives will be available to discuss the proposal and receive comments throughout the entire open house.
The first open house is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Best Western Resort Hotel and Conference Center in Portage. The facility is located at 2701 South County Road CX. A second open house is slated for Thursday, March 18, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Civic Center in Baraboo. The Civic Center is located at 124 2nd Street. The public is invited to stop in anytime during the course of the open house.
The proposed refuge would encompass 8,120 acres near a farm once owned by the late Aldo Leopold, a leading conservation advocate. Exact boundaries are still tentative. Public input and environmental review will determine the boundaries ultimately proposed. The Service proposes to restore a drained wetland basin containing wooded swamps, wet prairies and associated uplands. The rejuvenated land would provide breeding habitat for sandhill cranes, waterfowl and shorebirds, and the refuge would also reestablish a cold water fishery, improve water quality and decrease downstream flooding.
The areas substantial natural values and potential for enhancement and the proximity of the historic Leopold property were factors in the Services decision to propose this site for a national wildlife refuge.
Public participation is essential in developing and reviewing the refuge proposal. Residents, property owners, farmers and elected officials are encouraged to be involved throughout development and evaluation of the Aldo Leopold National Wildlife Refuge proposal.
Communities often express a variety of concerns when a national wildlife refuge is proposed in their area, including concern about land being condemned for refuge purposes, according to Steve Lenz, Project Leader for the Leopold Wetland Management District. Land will not be taken for the proposed Aldo Leopold National Wildlife Refuge; the Service policy is to buy land only from willing sellers. Written offers to willing sellers are based on professional appraisals using recent sales of comparable properties in the area, Lenz said.
Land acquisition from willing sellers is only one option to meet the proposed refuge goals. All natural resource protection options are being considered at this point, including landowner incentives, easements, cooperative agreements and technical assistance.
Another common concern for communities is the impact a national wildlife refuge might have on local taxes. Since 1935, the Service has made annual payments to counties for refuge lands to help offset loss of property tax income.
Landowner rights for individuals who choose not to sell land to the Service are not diminished or altered as a result of federal ownership of adjacent property. The Service has no more authority over private land within or adjacent to the boundaries of a refuge than any other landowner. Similarly, the Service follows state laws regarding drainage activities. Service staff work with landowners adjacent to refuges and local drainage districts to ensure that existing drainage facilities or patterns are not negatively impacted by refuge activity.
Local communities are sometimes concerned that designating an area as a National Wildlife Refuge means that it is closed to public access, Lenz said. While wildlife is the first priority, providing recreation and other uses that are compatible with wildlife conservation is also part of a refuges management plan. Wildlife-dependent recreation activities are emphasized, including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation, according to Lenz.
If this refuge proposal becomes a reality, it is our goal to be a good neighbor to the surrounding communities, said Lenz. In fact, we encourage all interested parties to tour other national wildlife refuges in Wisconsin, such as Horicon and Necedah National Wildlife Refuges, to see how the refuges are managed and the positive impacts they have had on nearby communities. Looking into the future, the Aldo Leopold National Wildlife Refuge, would give future generations an excellent glimpse at a vital natural landscape which has been preserved and restored for them as economic development activities increase in the communities.
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/
