PROGRESS CONTINUES TOWARD NEW NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN

PROGRESS CONTINUES TOWARD NEW NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Efforts to establish the Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Ashland, Wisconsin, took a large step forward last week when the Interior appropriations subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $650,000 request by Representative David Obey, (7th District, Wausau, Wisconsin) to fund acquisition of parcels within the refuge boundary from willing sellers.

If the provision is maintained through the appropriations process, funding would be available for Fiscal Year 1999, beginning October 1, 1998.

The refuge was authorized on January 30, 1998, when William Hartwig, Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approved the environmental assessment on the project after completion of public consultation.

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) continues to work locally with partners, including the Whittlesey Creek Habitat Coalition (Coalition), in preparation for refuge establishment. The Coalition is a volunteer organization comprised of federal, state, local and tribal agencies, special interest groups and private citizens working together to protect and restore habitat in the Whittlesey Creek watershed.

“Willing sellers within the refuge boundaries have already been in contact with us,” said Service Fish and Wildlife Biologist Maureen Gallagher. “The Whittlesey Creek Habitat Coalition continues to be instrumental in supporting the project by building partnerships, looking for alternative funding and keeping the local community informed.”

The Service and several of its partners have also applied to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council requesting $878,000 for restoring and protecting wetlands in the Lake Superior basin. This grant proposal, entitled the “Superior Coastal Wetland Initiative,” would provide $160,000 for purchasing land for the refuge, if successful. The Service should receive notice by mid-July.

Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge on Lake Superior’s shore will encompass 540 acres of coastal wetlands, lake plain and uplands, including the lower portion of Whittlesey Creek, an important spawning stream for trout and salmon. An additional 1,260 acres of conservation easements are authorized within the Whittlesey Creek watershed to protect water quality on the refuge. The Service will purchase land and easements from willing sellers only.

Habitat on the refuge will be restored, managed, and protected for migratory fish and birds, in partnership with federal, state, tribal, and local governments and private organizations. Public access for wildlife-dependent recreation and education will be encouraged.

The refuge borders on wetlands owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and abuts the Northern Great Lakes Center, a new multi-agency facility focused on environmental and historical interpretation. According to Refuge Manager Steve Delehanty, “Potential linkages between the new refuge and other public lands, waters, and conservation programs will enhance the value of the refuge and add enormously to the value of investments already made by other agencies in conserving the natural resources of the area.”

For further information, contact Maureen Gallagher at the Ashland Fishery Resources Office, 2800 Lakeshore Drive East, Ashland, WI 54806 (715-682-6185) or Steve Delehanty at the St. Croix Wetland Management District, 1764 95th St., New Richmond, WI 54017 (715-246-7784).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices 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 fish and 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://midwest.fws.gov