After a 2-year planning effort that relied heavily on community involvement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is endorsing the Fairfield Marsh Conservation Partnership as the preferred approach to conservation efforts in the Fairfield Marsh area of south central Wisconsin. The Services Midwest Regional Director, Bill Hartwig, recently signed a Finding of No Significant Impact, marking the official approval of an environmental assessment that evaluated alternatives ranging from no action to the establishment of a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
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.
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Located near the communities of Baraboo and Portage, the Fairfield Marsh was once an extensive wetland complex near the confluence of the Wisconsin River and the Baraboo River. The marsh was drained in the early 1900s and today a large portion of the former marsh is used for agricultural purposes.
The Service began exploring the possibility of restoring the marsh and promoting land conservation practices around it in 1999. Initially the Service proposed establishing a national wildlife refuge that was to be named after Aldo Leopold, a renowned ecologist whose A Sand County Almanac is based on Leopolds observations of wildlife and habitat at "the shack," a small cabin that still stands within a few miles of the Fairfield Marsh.
A decision on establishing a refuge was suspended in December 1999 after a group consisting of landowners, elected officials, and representatives of conservation organizations asked for an opportunity to explore alternatives for restoration and conservation in the area. The group, Farming and Conservation Together (FACT), submitted its plan in September 2000.
Earlier this year, Service staff revised the environmental assessment to include a new Fairfield Marsh Conservation Partnership alternative that incorporated ideas from the FACT plan. The Partnership proposal does not include land purchases for a national wildlife refuge. However, the Service adopted the FACT committee recommendation to retain the landowner option to sell lands for federal waterfowl production areas. The Service will also partially fund a coordinator position for 1 year and promote landowner participation in our existing Partners for Fish and Wildlife program.
The Service will be an active participant in the Fairfield Marsh Conservation Partnership.
Full-scale restoration of the Fairfield Marsh will take the long-term commitment of local organizations, the FACT committee, elected officials, all governments, and primarily the landowners themselves.
