St. Croix 360

River stories to inspire stewardship.

  • Share News
  • Event Calendar
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Support

Massive Forest Conservation Project Will Protect St. Croix Headwaters

Deal allows stewardship and logging on 67,000 acres in northern Wisconsin.

By Greg Seitz | August 28, 2015 | 3 minute read

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket
  • Telegram
St. Croix-Brule Legacy Forest

St. Croix-Brule Legacy Forest (Photo by Coldsnap Photography)

Map of the Brule-St. Croix Legacy Forest. Red areas are part of the most recent acquisition.

Map of the Brule-St. Croix Legacy Forest. Red areas are part of the most recent acquisition. Click to view a full-size PDF.

The largest land conservation project in Wisconsin history will preserve 67,000 acres of rare and valuable forest habitat in the headwaters of the St. Croix River and Brule Rivers. The conservation effort is intended to protect clean water, preserve wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities, and support job creation.

Sustainable logging will continue on parts of the protected forest, through conservation easements secured with a timber company that has developed a business model built on preserving ecologically-important land.

According to Lyme Timber Company, its stewardship efforts “deliver vital ecosystem services, including carbon storage, flood control, maintenance of air quality, drinking water supply protection, recycling of nutrients, soil generation, habitat protection, recreation and ecotourism.”

The Conservation Fund and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently finalized the project, adding more than 21,000 acres to 45,000 acres that were protected in the past few years. The lands include 83 lakes and 14 miles of tributaries and trout streams that support the headwaters of the St. Croix and Bois-Brule rivers, 47 miles of hiking, skiing, snowmobile and ATV trails, including a section of the North Country National Scenic Trail, and supports 1,500 jobs in the logging industry.

“The Brule St-Croix Legacy Forest project demonstrates that Wisconsin again has it right: sustainable stewardship of forestland and a healthy environment support local jobs and provide outdoor enjoyment,” Tom Duffus with The Conservation Fund said. The nonprofit organization facilitated the transaction.

The project was funded with state and federal funding, including $3.75 million from the national Land and Water Conservation Fund, a 50-year-old program that invests revenue from offshore oil and grass drilling into preserving national parks, rivers and lakes, national forests, and national wildlife refuges.

The Brule-St. Croix Legacy Forest’s “working forest” arrangement allows continued logging and production of paper, wood, and other forest products, helping prevent the land from being split up and sold off for development, but ensures sustainable forestry practices will be used.

“A working forest conservation easement protects not only the open space values of a property, such as wildlife habitat, ecological diversity, and recreational access, but also the economic and community benefits that arise from a forest’s production of goods and services,” according to a 2010 article by Lyme’s managing director, Peter Stein.

Lyme Timber Company uses responsible logging methods, and its properties are certified by third-party organizations dedicated to sustainable forestry. Guiding principles include conservation of areas near wetlands and shoreline, maintaining diverse forests, maintaining scenic qualities, protecting unique or fragile areas, and keeping traditional recreation opportunities available.

Much of the forest in the Brule-St. Croix Legacy Forest is pine barren habitat. This “globally rare” landscape contains plants and animals that are not found in many other places. It includes sharp-tailed grouse and the endangered Kirkland’s warbler. The barrens were previously covered on St. Croix 360 in this 2014 report: Sharptail Paradise: Land Added to Notable Namekagon Wildlife Area.

Conservation news on St. Croix 360 is supported by the St. Croix River Association, which works to protect, restore and celebrate the St. Croix River and its watershed.

Related articles:

Trackbacks

  1. Stopping By Working Woods on a Snowy Evening says:
    November 5, 2015 at 9:23 am

    […] states like Wisconsin have purchased working forest conservation easements (like this one) with help from the federal Forest Legacy Program to permanently limit development on thousands of […]

Follow

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Features

Two inches and 6,000 gallons: A swollen century on the St. Croix River

Cold comfort

New preserve will let students, community, and anglers experience the Kinnickinnic River

St. Croix 360 is now 100% supported by readers.

Click here to contribute →

 

Latest News

Guided walks will feature Women in Conservation careers

St. Croix Valley Foundation awards more than $47,000 in arts grants

Speaker series to feature Dakota people of the St. Croix River Valley

St. Croix watershed in the spotlight during Wisconsin Water Week

Progress reported on effort to establish National Heritage Area for St. Croix River region

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

About

St. Croix 360 builds support for river stewardship, and connects people and organizations. It is an independent news source produced by Greg Seitz, with past support from the St. Croix River Association.

Donate to St. Croix 360 today »

Story of 360

One of the biggest challenges facing the St. Croix River is harmful blooms of algae in in the lower river, due to excess nutrients in runoff. The goal is to restore the river by reducing phosphorus levels to 360 tons/year. Learn more »

Share Your News

St. Croix 360 is powered by a broad community of St. Croix River-loving people. Please visit our submission page to send tips, press releases, and other news.

Submit an Event

Lower St. Croix: St. Croix 360 partners with online calendar St. Croix Splash.

  • Submit your events to Splash.
  • Share it with St. Croix 360 for promotion.

For events elsewhere in the watershed, contact St. Croix 360 directly.

St. Croix 360 Syndication

To help increase awareness of the St. Croix River, news organizations and other outlets are free to share St. Croix 360 content, as long as you follow a few simple rules.

Republish St. Croix 360 stories »

Partners

  • St. Croix River Association
  • St. Croix Watershed Research Station
  • ArtReach St. Croix
  • You and all St. Croix 360's readers!
Handcrafted in May Township, Minnesota. Please contribute today »
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.