Southwest Wisconsin Grassland & Stream Conservation Area

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is joining with a diverse and dedicated group of conservation partners, local governments, and landowners in Southwestern Wisconsin to establish a new Habitat Conservation Area, called the "Southwest Wisconsin Grassland and Stream Conservation Area."

Southwestern Wisconsin has been recognized for many years as one of the best grassland conservation opportunities in the Upper Midwest. The area stands out for its distinct combination of resources: exceptional populations of grassland birds, which are in serious decline across their range; many scattered remnants of the area's original prairie sod; concentrations of rare plants and animals, and spring-fed streams, all set within this expansive rural farming region of open fields, croplands, oak groves, and pastures.

The partnership of the existing Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area (MRPHA), which is within the DNR's proposed SW Grasslands boundary, has led the way. Here a diverse group of partners and landowners are already managing and protecting many key areas in eastern Iowa and southwestern Dane counties. This Southwest Grassland project would expand upon the MRPHA partnership model.

Project Boundaries

Four alternative project boundaries [PDF 357KB] are being considered. On the map, the preferred boundary for the SW Grasslands project is shown in blue. It expands upon an existing grassland boundary for the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), a voluntary set-aside program aimed at buffering area streams (shown in yellow). The MRPHA is shown in purple. The large green boundary reflects public input gathered during the initial scoping meetings.

The Department proposes to protect 12,000 acres (through fee title and easement) across the 460,000-acre project area. The overall success of this project will depend upon working in coordination with our many partners and landowners, who have been protecting and managing grasslands, farmlands, streams, and prairies in this area for many years. We will aim to keep working farms on areas of prime agricultural land.

Partners

• Southwest Badger Resource Conservation & Development
• The Prairie Enthusiasts
• Driftless Area Land Conservancy
• The Nature Conservancy
• U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • Farm Services Agency
  • Farm and Ranchland Protection Program
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection
• Iowa Co.
• Iowa Co. Farm Bureau
• Dane County
• Pheasants Forever
• Trout Unlimited