Recent Projects
In the News
Southern Door Farmland Protected
Land Trust Signs Conservation Easements on Farmland along
Highways 42 and 57
December 21, 2011- The Door County Land Trust announces
the protection of two parcels totaling 270 acres along Highways
42 and 57 in the southern Door townships of Brussels and
Forestville. The Binard family, owners of both properties, and
the Door County Land Trust, recently entered into conservation
easement agreements that will preserve the land’s scenic and
rural character far into the future.
“The decision by the Binards to keep their productive farmland
open and free from future development helps preserve Southern
Door’s agricultural heritage,” states Terrie Cooper, Land
Program Director for the Land Trust. “The Land Trust is honored
to have worked with the Binard family to protect their beautiful
and highly visible family farmland.”
Much of the now-protected Binard property is bisected by Highway
42 at the Door-Kewaunee County line just south of Forestville.
“Essentially, the Binard property is the entryway to Door
County,” explains Cooper. “What better way to welcome visitors
and residents than with a protected stretch of the rural scenery
southern Door County is famous for.”
Door County Land
Trust Compares Favorably with National Land Trust Census Report
 December 5, 2011- The total
number of acres protected by local, state and national land trusts increased by
27% between 2005 and 2010, this according to the latest Census Report released
by the Land Trust Alliance. According to the“2010 National Land Trust Census
Report, a Look at Voluntary Land Preservation in America” land trusts,
non-profit organizations that work with landowners to conserve lands of scenic
and ecological value, have now protected 47 million acres across the country, an
area twice the size of all continental national parks combined.
According to Dan Burke, the executive director of the Door
County Land Trust (DCLT), this national rate of growth was matched and surpassed
on a local level. “Since 2005, the number of acres permanently protected by the
Door County Land Trust has increased by over 50%; we now have nearly 6,000 acres
under permanent protection. In what has been a weak economy, this is an
impressive figure and reflects a steady commitment to preserving the places that
matter most to the people of Door County.”
Within the state of Wisconsin, a total of 58 independent
land trusts exist and together have protected over 280,000 acres. This figure
includes 162,000 protected by The Nature Conservancy, the largest land trust in
the state. Wisconsin ranks 26th in the nation in number of acres
protected.
Of all regions in the country, the Midwest as a whole
experienced the largest increase, 82%, in the total number of acres preserved.
However, it continues to lag behind the rest of the country, having roughly half
the number of protected acres as the Northwest or Southeast, for example.
According to the report, local and state land trusts in
Wisconsin boast 17,847 financial supporters and nearly 4,000 active volunteers.
On a local level, DCLT is supported by over 3,000 annual contributors and is
aided by hundreds of active volunteers.
“This is the really exciting part of the land trust story,”
states Burke. “When people contribute their time and their dollars, it means
they are passionately committed to preserving our natural heritage. Door County
and the state of Wisconsin are beautiful places. Working hand-in-hand with
landowners and members of the community has resulted in the protection of our
most valued places and is of great public benefit.” The majority of lands owned
by land trusts are open to the public for recreational activities like hiking,
skiing, fishing and hunting.
In addition to the quantity of acres protected and
volunteers and supporters enlisted, the 2010 National Land Trust Census Report
also measures the quality of land preservation work across the country. It
reports a sharp increase in the number of land trusts that have adopted
strategic conservation plans and criteria for the selection of properties. The
report also shows that from 2005 to 2010, land trusts have more than doubled the
funds they’ve dedicated to monitoring, caring for and legally defending the
lands they’ve protected.
DCLT board president, Judy Lokken, finds this information
particularly encouraging. “Our job as a land trust is not only to protect land
but to make sure we are doing so in the most strategic way we know how and that
our efforts stand the test of time. DCLT has proactively planned for the future
both in its land preservation goals and by funding its endowment, primarily
through the designation of planned gifts.”
“The land trust community has worked hard to respond to and
reflect the priorities of the people and places around them,” states Burke.
“The finding of this 2010 Census report bode well for the future of land
preservation in America as it is being accomplished by the land trust
community.”
Click here to read the full
National Land Trust Census report.
Door County Land Trust Reacts to Stewardship Cuts
For comments from Door County Land Trust executive director, Dan Burke,
on the role the Knowles-Nelson State Stewardship Fund has played in preserving lands in
Door County, see the recent Peninsula Pulse Article,
Door County Land Trust Reacts to Stewardship Cuts.
Peninsula Pulse, February 22, 2011
Stewardship Cuts Put Land Trust On Edge
By Myles Dannhausen Jr.
When Governor Scott Walker announced that he would freeze spending on
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund spending for the remainder of the fiscal
year, it came as a big surprise to Dan Burke, Executive Director of the
Door County Land Trust.
"There's only about $2 million, of $86 million for the year, left in the
budget," Burke said. "The immediate freeze in the middle of this year's
granting program puts the breaks on projects that have been two or three
years in the making."
Burke said he's concerned that some land deals will be lost right away.
The Land Trust is a nonprofit that works to preserve targeted lands on
the Door Peninsula for preservation. In the last 25 years, the Land
Trust has preserved over 5,000 acres with a combination of private
donations and stewardship funds. Those lands are open to the public for
hunting, fishing, hiking, and kayaking.
Read more on the Peninsula Pulse website.
Land Trust Purchase Protects Key Natural Area in City of Sturgeon Bay
 November
19, 2010- The Door County Land Trust announced a significant
land purchase within the City of Sturgeon Bay that preserves 112 acres
along the west shore of Sturgeon Bay near the entrance to the Sturgeon
Bay ship canal. The property lies along Strawberry Lane about 2 miles
southeast of downtown Sturgeon Bay and Strawberry Creek bisects the
parcel. The property also borders the Land Trust’s Sturgeon Bay Ship
Canal Nature Preserve.
Water is the predominate feature of this newly protected parcel. It
boasts nearly 2,000 feet of Sturgeon Bay shore frontage, a 3-acre
wildlife pond and almost all of Strawberry Creek. Strawberry Creek
originates on the Door County Land Trust’s Ship Canal Nature Preserve
and empties into Sturgeon Bay just west of the canal itself. It is home
to the first stocking and egg collection site for Chinook salmon in
Wisconsin and continues to be Wisconsin’s primary source of Chinook
salmon eggs for Lake Michigan.
This recent purchase expands the new Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature
Preserve by nearly 30%. The Land Trust established the preserve in
December of last year with the purchase of 332 acres and 750 feet of
Lake Michigan shoreline along the south side of the ship canal from the
Sturgeon Bay Utilities. Since this initial purchase, the Land Trust has
been hard at work establishing a hiking trail system, cleaning up
debris, removing invasive species, and erecting informational signs and
kiosks. The recent addition of 112 acres brings the total number of
protected acres at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve to nearly
450.
“The Land Trust is very excited about acquiring this property because
its protection will have so many positive and lasting impacts for our
community,” states Land Trust executive director, Dan Burke. “Those who
love to fish will be thrilled to know that Strawberry Creek is
protected. Boaters will continue to enjoy the property’s long stretch of
undeveloped, scenic shoreline. And wildlife enthusiasts will celebrate
the expanded protection of one of Door County’s most important nature
preserves.”
The protection of this land is also important to the Asher family from
whom the Land Trust purchased the property. “These 112 acres have been
in our family for over 40 years and the land holds a lot of sentimental
value for us,” explains Steve Asher. “My parents acquired the property
in 1968 and we kids grew up exploring the lands and waters here. We
couldn’t be happier that the Door County Land Trust is now the steward
of this special place.”
Funds for this purchase were provided by a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship
Fund grant and a Coastal Wetlands grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Private donations are now being sought to cover remaining
project costs including restoration activities and the removal of
invasive species like phragmites that threaten the ecological integrity
of the shoreline.
Purchase Protects Centerpiece Parcel at Door County Land Trust’s Kellner Fen
Nature Preserve
 October
26, 2010- The Door County Land Trust announced the recent
purchase of 40 acres at the center of the Kellner Fen, a 400-acre
wetland complex located 4 miles north of Sturgeon Bay along Lake
Michigan. The Door County Land Trust established the Kellner Fen Nature
Preserve in 2003 and with this recent addition has permanently preserved
nearly 150 acres.
“The Kellner Fen is a very special, almost hidden place,” states Dan
Burke, executive director of the Door County Land Trust. “The Land Trust
is thrilled to acquire the 40-acre parcel at the very center of it all.
The uniqueness of this area was once known and appreciated by only a
small group of neighboring land owners. Now, because of its rare
ecological features, the fen is recognized by the broader conservation
community as a place worthy of protection.”
The Kellner Fen features a large expanse of open water and an extensive,
fragile sedge mat that floats on top of the underlying water. It is
protected on the east by a sand dune nearly a mile long and is
surrounded on other sides by dense forests. The fen provides habitat for
rare and unusual wetland species of insects, plants, and birds and is a
breeding ground for the federally-endangered Hines Emerald Dragonfly.
The fen is home to a number of orchids such as the arethusa and
carnivorous plants such as sundews and pitcher plants. Sandhill Cranes
are common visitors and nest on the edges of the lagoon.
Aside from its outstanding ecological attributes, the Kellner Fen also
has a rich cultural history. Kellner Fen was once home to a small
cranberry operation on the northeastern portion of the lake. A manmade
drainage ditch and dam allowed flooding of the fields for harvest. The
fen was also home to a frog farm in the first part of the 20th century,
a time when frog legs were a popular item on restaurant menus.
The Kellner Fen is one of Door County’s embayment lakes. Embayment lakes
and wetland complexes are found along the east side of the Door
Peninsula and Washington Island and were once part of Lake Michigan.
Water currents and shifting sands closed them off from the larger lake
and created separate microcosms. Clark Lake, Kangaroo Lake, Mud Lake and
Europe Lake are just some of Door County’s embayment lakes. Kellner Fen
differs from the other embayment lakes as it has no natural outlet to
Lake Michigan and is completely isolated by natural sand deposits and
subsequent dune formation.
“The remoteness and the ecological diversity found at this wetland area
put it high on our wish list of places to protect,” explains Jodi
Milske, stewardship coordinator for the Door County Land Trust. “Remote
as it is, the fen has not escaped invasion by non-native plant species
like glossy buckthorn and phragmites. One of things we’ll be working
hard on in the coming months and years is the eradication of these
invasive species.”
Funds for this most recent 40-acre purchase were provided by a Coastal
Wetlands grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Private
donations from Land Trust supporters also helped make the purchase
possible.
Purchase Expands Door County Land Trust’s Lautenbach Woods Nature
Preserve by Over 50%
 October
7, 2010- The Door County Land Trust announced the recent purchase of
property south of the village of Egg Harbor. This acquisition adds 50
acres of meadow and forest to the Door County Land Trust’s Lautenbach
Woods Nature Preserve and protects over ½ mile of open space along
County Highway G.
“Adding these 50 acres to the nature preserve is exciting for several
reasons,” explains Dan Burke, executive director of the Door County Land
Trust. “This purchase helps to preserve the rural character of one of
Door County’s most scenic roadways by protecting highly-developable
land. It also preserves a portion of the Niagara Escarpment that
provides habitat for a number of rare plants and animals. The timing of
this acquisition is certainly appropriate given 2010 has been designated
the Year of the Escarpment by the Wisconsin State Legislature. Anyone
who loves Door County knows the escarpment is well worth celebrating and
protecting.”
The Niagara Escarpment, a 650-mile long cuesta, or ridge that runs all
the way from Rochester, New York across southern Canada and into
Wisconsin provides Door County with its signature landscape—the
well-loved, craggy, cedar-studded limestone bluffs.
The Door County Land Trust has long been interested in the escarpment
for its ecological value as it contains caves, sink holes, talus slopes
and moist cliffs. Rain water filtering through its deep limestone
fissures results in the biologically rich springs and vernal ponds that
are commonly found at the base of the escarpment.
Terrie Cooper, land program director for the Land Trust, explains, “The
escarpment is a world of its own. Even on the hottest August afternoon,
the escarpment is damp and cool thus creating a very specialized habitat
for unique species. The Niagara Escarpment is one of the reasons Door
County ranks first in the state for biological diversity.” Cooper adds,
“Land protection work around the escarpment is critical. The forested
lands above the escarpment provide habitat for migrating birds and also
help filter and purify rain water that eventually drains into our water
table and the Green Bay watershed.”
Recognizing the value of the escarpment, the Land Trust has been hard at
work protecting the lands above and below it at the Lautenbach Woods
Nature Preserve. In addition to the 50 acres just acquired, four other
properties were added to the preserve in 2009 bringing the total size of
the preserve to 140 acres.
Burke encourages people to visit the Launtenbach Woods Nature Preserve.
“The Lautenbach Woods Preserve has a marvelous hiking trail system
showcasing the escarpment. We encourage folks to visit and experience
for themselves why this is such a special place and why it deserves
protection.”
Funds for this most recent 50-acre purchase were provided by Wisconsin’s
Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the Fox River/Green Bay Natural
Resource Trustee Council administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Private donations from Land Trust supporters also helped make
the purchase possible.
Land Trust Ceremony Formally Dedicates the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal
Nature Preserve
 August
27, 2010- The Door County Land Trust hosted a celebration and
preserve dedication of the new Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve.
In December of 2009, the Door County Land Trust purchased 332 acres in
the City of Sturgeon Bay along the shores of Lake Michigan on the south
side of the Sturgeon Bay-Lake Michigan Shipping Canal. The preserve
dedication was an opportunity to officially open the preserve and to
thank the previous landowners, volunteers, foundations and granting
agencies, and Door County Land Trust supporters whose vision, hard work
and generosity made the creation of the nature preserve possible.
Public hiking trails, parking areas, informational kiosks and maps are all
now located at the new Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve. The preserve is
home to nearly 1,000 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline, forested wetlands, a
series of ancient shorelines, and many rare plants and animals.
Ceremony held to Dedicate the Harold C. Wilson Three Springs Nature
Preserve
 July
2010-
On Friday, July 23, over seventy Door County Land Trust supporters,
neighbors and community members gathered on Three Springs Road just east
of Sister Bay to officially dedicate and celebrate northern Door
County’s newest nature preserve, the 421-acre Harold C. Wilson Three
Springs Nature Preserve. The preserve is owned by the Door County Land
Trust and is open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, skiing and
other low-impact recreational and educational activities.
“This is an exciting day for the Land Trust and for the Door County
community as a whole,” explains Door County Land Trust executive
director, Dan Burke. “When the Door County Land Trust purchased and
permanently protected the Three Springs property in 2008, it was the
largest undeveloped tract remaining in northern Door and the county’s
largest conservation project in over 40 years. Over the past 18 months,
our volunteers have been hard at work building trails and a wildlife
viewing platform and generally getting the preserve ready for visitors.
Today’s event is a tribute to them and to the many people who have cared
for this land over the years and provided funds to preserve it. It’s
been a real community effort.”
The new Harold C. Wilson Three Springs Nature Preserve is located two
miles east of Sister Bay and lies within a 17,000-acre wildlife corridor
that extends north of Baileys Harbor and stretches along Lake Michigan.
This corridor hosts the highest density and greatest diversity of rare
plants, animals and natural communities found in Wisconsin. The new
preserve is also home to the headwaters of pristine North Bay.
Since its settlement by European immigrants in the 1870s, the Three
Springs property has been owned by only three families--the Ericksons,
Wilsons and Reynolds. Friday’s dedication thanked and honored the
families and their descendents.
According to Three Springs Preserve Steward and local historian, Paul
Burton, “Three Springs is a special place because the ecology and
essential character of the land has been preserved over the years. When
the Erickson family settled here in the late 1800s, they were more
interested in clearing the land and farming than providing a sanctuary
for wildlife, but their impact on the land over time was minimal. Today,
stone fences and the original barn stand as monuments to their struggle
to farm land that resisted their best efforts.”
Erickson family descendents eventually sold the land to Harold C. Wilson
of Ephraim in 1940. Wilson, of the Wilson’s Ice Cream family, was an
avid naturalist and opened one of Wisconsin’s first public nature
preserves on the site. Wilson’s children, Mary and Paul Wilson, were in
attendance. Mary assured the crowd that “our father would love that this
area has been preserved forever in its natural state and would be
honored to have his name associated with it.”
The Door County Land Trust purchased the Three Springs property from
George and Jean Reynolds in 2008. The Reynolds had owned and the land
since 1970. Over their tenure, they added surrounding parcels as they
became available, brining the contiguous acres from 160 to 460. George
and Jean’s son Stephan spoke on behalf of his parents and family. “We
are honored to be here for this dedication and we’re so pleased that the
Door County Land Trust has taken over the stewardship of the Harold C.
Wilson Three Springs Nature Preserve. Although we don’t have Three
Springs all to ourselves anymore, that seems so entirely appropriate and
gratifying. After all, nature is God’s gift to be shared by all who
appreciate and respect it.”
Burke closed the dedication ceremony by thanking Land Trust supporters,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Knowles-Nelson State Stewardship
Fund, and The Nature Conservancy for providing the financial support
needed to create the new preserve. “Our real thank you gift,” stated
Burke “is this beautiful preserve. We hope that the people of Door
County come and explore and enjoy the treasures that are here and are
inspired to help protect other special places like this.”
The Door County Land Trust Thanks the Sturgeon Bay
High School Ecology Club for Supporting Land Preservation
May 2010- The Sturgeon Bay High School Ecology Club presented the Door County
Land Trust with a check for $700 in May to further its land
preservation work. Students raised the dollars through popcorn sales
and other fundraising events. The Door County Land Trust in turn
recognized the Ecology Club for the volunteer work it’s done
maintaining trails and working on the identification and eradication
of invasive plant species at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature
Preserve. The advisor of the Ecology Club is retiring teacher, Carl
Cochrane.
Recent Purchase Completes Land Protection Work at Washington
Island’s Little Lake
 May
2010- The
Door County Land Trust announces the purchase of property on Little Lake,
located on the far northwest side of Washington Island. This 1.38-acre parcel
adds 200 additional feet of protected shoreline to the Door County Land Trust’s
Little Lake Nature Preserve. This purchase is significant in that it completes
the Land Trust’s immediate land protection goals for the Little Lake area. With
the recent purchase, the Land Trust has protected a total of 33 acres and 5,546
feet of shoreline at the Little Lake Nature Preserve.
Karen Yancey, chair of the Door County Land Trust’s Washington
Island Committee, explains, “This is very exciting news. Little Lake is the
island’s only inland lake and it is a favorite spot not only for islanders and
visitors, but also for wildlife. This is truly one of the island’s magical
places. I feel good knowing that my children will be able to bring their
children here someday and find the same serene place.”
Little Lake is fed by groundwater springs and surface run-off water and has a
maximum depth of 5.5 – 7 feet. The present lake level is three feet above that
of Lake Michigan. It supports a productive population of perch, rock and
smallmouth bass and is part of a wetland complex that hosts a variety of rare
boreal-rich plants such as the northern bog sedge, showy-lady’s slipper orchid,
lesser fringed gentian, and dwarf lake iris. It also hosts old growth white
cedars and stands of hemlock and provides critical habitat for a large number of
migrating and nesting birds including bald eagles, white pelicans, osprey and
great blue and black-crowned night herons. Its location provides an ideal
resting point in the annual avian migratory trip to Canada from points south.
Terrie Cooper, Land Program Director for the Door County Land
Trust, explains, “Few places in Door County can outshine Little Lake for its
scenic beauty, ecological importance, and cultural and historical significance.
By preserving the land surrounding the lake, the Door County Land Trust hopes to
protect the health of the Little Lake ecosystem far into the future. We are
thankful for the help we’ve received from willing landowners and from granting
agencies such as the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, the Natural Resource
Damage Assessment Fund and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Coastal Wetlands Grant
program. Critical support also came from private individuals who support our
work and have made private donations.”
The Door County Land Trust is a local, non-profit organization
supported by over 2,000 contributing members. Its mission is to preserve,
maintain and enhance lands that contribute significantly to the scenic beauty,
open space and ecological integrity of Door County. Since its inception in 1986,
the Land Trust has protected over 5,200 acres throughout Door County and over
700 acres on Washington and Detroit Islands. Many of the lands owned by the Door
County Land Trust are open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, skiing
and other low-impact recreational and educational activities.
Wind and Water
Although the Door County Land Trust’s work at Little Lake began
less than a decade ago, Mother Nature’s story goes back much further. The
formation of Little Lake began five to eight thousand years ago with the
collision of wind and water. These forces eroded portions of the massive 200-ft
vertical limestone bluff now known as Boyers Bluff causing it to shed small
pieces of itself into the turbulent waters of Lake Nippising below. The waves of
Lake Nippising, now known as Lake Michigan, tumbled the rocks until they became
smooth, baseball-sized cobblestones. Eventually, these cobblestones were pushed
southward, closing off the opening to a small bay and creating what we now call
Little Lake.
When H.R. Holand wrote his history of Door County, “Old
Peninsula Days,” he recognized the unique character and beauty of Little Lake.
“The little bay became a little lake, and the stormwrought belt of beach stones
that closed it in became a dense belt of woodland. Now the little lake lies
peacefully embosomed by steep hills…Among all the scenic delights of Door County
this little lake is well toward the top.”
Native Americans and a Famous Economist
In addition to its ecological import, the Little Lake area has
significant historical value as well. It was once home to a large village of
Woodland era Native Americans and hosts a Native American burial ground. It was
also the site of early French missionary efforts. The Jens Jacobsen Museum on
the southwest end of Little Lake showcases a large collection of artifacts found
in the area dating back some 3000 years. An Archeological Preservation Covenant
with the Wisconsin State Historical Society protects the integrity of the
village site.
More recent events add another layer of cultural significance to
Little Lake. In 1915, Thorstein Bunde Veblen (1857-1929), one of American’s most
famous economists and social theorists, purchased the property just acquired by
the Land Trust. Veblen is perhaps best known for his treatise, “The Theory of
the Leisure Class,” and for coining the phrase “conspicuous consumption.”
According to “Washington Island’s Thorstein Veblen,” written by Islander Esther
Gunnerson, Veblen first visited Washington Island in the early 1900s to learn
and speak the Icelandic language with its inhabitants. He soon fell in love with
its quiet beauty and purchased the Little Lake property for $300 in 1915 for use
as a summer retreat. Older residents of the Little Lake area recall Veblen
rowing across Little Lake with his stepdaughters each morning in a homemade
skiff to purchase milk and butter from a nearby Icelandic farm. Veblen’s
step-daughters inherited the Little Lake property upon Veblen’s death and
eventually sold it in 1943. A study cabin built by Veblen was recently moved
from its original site on the west side of Little Lake to the grounds of the
Jens Jensen Museum by the Washington Island Heritage Conservancy. Renovation
efforts are underway.
Door County Land Trust Addition at Bay Shore Blufflands
April 2010- The Door County Land Trust adds critical habitat acreage to
its Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve
The Door County Land Trust is pleased to announce that its Bay
Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve is growing! In April, the Land
Trust purchased another small but crucial piece to one of Door
County’s most ecologically valuable and beloved natural areas.
The Land Trust’s work at the Bay Shore Blufflands began modestly
in 1995 when the discovery of a colony of Ram’s-head
Lady’s-slipper orchids, a state threatened plant, inspired the
purchase of a two acre tract harboring these fragile orchids.
More orchids were found near the property the following year and
the Land Trust’s work began in earnest. What began as a two acre
purchase has now grown to one of the largest nature preserves in
northeast Wisconsin and hosts one of the most expansive colonies
of Ram’s-head in the State. Located along Bay Shore Drive just
west of Carlsville, the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve now
encompasses nearly 500 acres and includes impressive stretches
of Niagara Escarpment as well as undeveloped Green Bay
shoreline.
The Door County Land Trust was able to accomplish the latest
addition to the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve with the
help of Land Trust supporters and the Knowles Nelson State
Stewardship Fund.
To get a sense of the type of wildlife and habitat found at the
Bay Shore Blufflands project area, be sure to check out the
Earth Day photos.
Door County Land
Trust Purchase Establishes the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature
Preserve
 December 15, 2009—The Door County Land Trust announces that after six years of
negotiating and fundraising it has completed the purchase of 332 acres within
the city of Sturgeon Bay for the establishment of a public nature preserve.
Known locally as the Canal Property, this parcel is located along Lake Michigan
and the south side of the Sturgeon Bay Shipping Canal. The Land Trust purchased
the property from the Sturgeon Bay Utilities who have owned it since 1984.
“This is truly a remarkable place. It’s a favorite of the Door County community
and we’re thrilled to be able to say that it is now permanently protected for
all to enjoy and appreciate,” states Dan Burke, executive director of the Land
Trust.
The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve will be open to the public for
low-impact recreational and educational uses such as swimming, hiking, wildlife
viewing, school field trips, and research. The Land Trust intends to develop and
maintain walking trails, erect educational kiosks and increase efforts to
eradicate the invasive plant species now on the property. “The Ship Canal
property is a well-loved community asset. We want it to stay that way. Our
vision,” states Burke, “is to improve the ecological health of the property,
enhance the experience for visitors, and make sure this treasure is well-cared
for and around for generations to come.”
The Land Trust plans to formally dedicate the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature
Preserve some time next summer.
Total costs for the purchase and short-term land stewardship of the property are
just over $2 million. The Land Trust received over $1.6 million in grants from
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Knowles-Nelson State Stewardship Fund
and over $350,000 from private donors and foundations.
“This has been a very ambitious fundraising project, and we are so pleased by
the community’s enthusiasm and generosity. Although the purchase itself is
completed, we are still accepting donations for the ongoing care and maintenance
of Door County’s newest nature preserve,” states Laurel Hauser, development
director for the Land Trust.
The effort to purchase this land was greatly aided by leadership gifts received
from the Ellsworth and Carla Peterson Charitable Foundation, American
Transmission Company, the John C. Bock Foundation, the James E. Dutton
Foundation, and an anonymous Sturgeon Bay foundation. “We are thankful for the
generous support we received from many individual donors and the Door County
Community Foundation as well. This has truly been a community-wide effort,”
states Hauser.
“Selling the 332 acres to the Door County Land Trust is the best possible
outcome for our ratepayers, the people of Door County, and the land itself,”
states Jim Stawicki, general manager of the Sturgeon Bay Utilities. “The fact
that Sturgeon Bay Utilities realized fair market value for the property and that
the land will be well-cared for and available to all is a positive outcome for
the entire community.”
 Prior
to the Land Trust purchase, protection of the Canal Property was in doubt as a
number of development proposals have been considered over the years. More recent
proposals included a coal-fueled power plant, aquatic industrial park, all
terrain vehicle park and mixed use residential development.
Citizen groups, neighbors, and admirers of the Canal Property have worked for
years to keep the land in its natural state. Educator and local naturalist, Mike
Madden, describes the land as “one of Door County’s ecological gems. The
pristine beach and dunes, ridge and swale formations of ancient shorelines,
towering hemlocks and the awe-inspiring views of Lake Michigan and the canal
make this one of our most beloved natural areas. In addition to its beauty, it
provides habitat for many rare and endangered plants and animals including
osprey, bald eagles, pitcher’s dune thistle and migrating warblers. This is an
important place for us to protect and we’re grateful that the Land Trust is here
to do it.”
The Kreuter Preserve― 91 acres in the Town of Clay Banks
 September
2008- Located
along Lake Michigan approximately 6 miles south of Sturgeon Bay,
the 91-acre Kreuter Preserve offers what is arguably one of the most breathtaking views in
all of Door County. From the top of a windswept bluff, a bucolic, green farm
field stretches to the edge of a high clay bank. This high bluff or bank then
cascades down to a sand beach where it meets the sparkling blue waters of Lake
Michigan. Looking out on the horizon from this hill-top field, one sees the
Door Peninsula appear and disappear as its wooded shoreline stretches
northeastward out into the open lake.
The purchase of the Kreuter
property by the Door County Land Trust in the autumn of 2008 protects
nearly 3,000 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline— one of the
longest stretches of undeveloped, unprotected lakeshore remaining in Door
County.
Also found here is a diverse mix of natural communities including cedar
forest, open fields, a meandering stream, and, of course, the steep bluff that
bisects this new nature preserve. This eclectic mix of habitat provides an
ideal place for many plants and animals to reside including shore birds, bald
eagles and a number of rarely encountered wildflowers.
The Door County Land Trust purchased this property from two sisters,
Nancy and Susan Kreuter. Funding for this purchase was made possible by a grant
from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, donations from Land Trust members, and
a generous donation from the Kreuters in the form a “bargain sale.” The Kreuters agreed to sell their property to the
Door County Land Trust for half of
the appraised fair market value.
“We are thrilled that Susan and Nancy Kreuter provided us with the
opportunity to purchase and protect this one-of-a-kind parcel,” states Dan
Burke, Executive Director of the Door County Land Trust. “Due in large part to
their generosity, the spectacular scenery and wild shoreline here will be
enjoyed and appreciated by many people and will remain a place of beauty and
inspiration forever. Over the next year, our staff and volunteers will be hard
at work developing a detailed land management plan which will include habitat restoration as well as public use activities
such as
hiking, birding, and hunting.”
 The Harold C. Wilson Three Springs Preserve― 421 acres near Sister Bay
August 2008-
“The
purchase of the Three Springs property marks the biggest conservation purchase
ever by the Door County Land Trust and, more importantly, protects what had been
the largest, unprotected parcel remaining in northern Door County,” said Dan
Burke, Executive Director of the Door County Land Trust.
Although this beautiful, undeveloped tract, lies just 2 miles east of Sister
Bay, it is almost a
secret place, out of sight of a major road and unknown to most of the public.
The 421-acre Three Springs Preserve lies within a region of Door County which hosts the highest density and greatest
diversity of rare plants, animals and natural communities found in Wisconsin.
This property is a key piece in a 17,000-acre State Natural Area corridor that
has been described as one of the premier natural landscapes of the western Great
Lakes and is a pivotal parcel in a grand landscape of wilderness that
encompasses the Ridges Sanctuary, Toft Point, Mud Lake, and North Bay.
Springs that meander through the property give it its name, but more importantly
they provide specialized habitat for plants and animals, including endangered
and threatened species. The rare Hines Emerald Dragonfly lays its eggs in
vegetation on the banks of a pond formed by the springs. Endangered Dwarf Lake
Iris and spectacular Showy Lady’s Slippers bloom in the swampy soil of nearby
woods. Smallmouth bass, yellow perch, brown trout, Chinook salmon, and Northern
Pike spawn in the coldwater springs. The headwaters of North Bay arise on the
property, providing a critically important habitat for Lake Michigan’s whitefish
population, 80% of which spawn just offshore of North Bay. The forests contain
white cedar, tamarack, balsam fir and black ash. The property also provides
crucial stopover and breeding habitat for neotropical migratory birds.
The Door County Land Trust purchased the Three Springs property in
the autumn of 2008 and the acquisition was funded through a mix of state, federal and
private funds. The Land Trust received a $746,000 grant from the Knowles-Nelson
Stewardship Fund and a $471,750 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Nature Conservancy generously provided the Land Trust with a $90,000
donation and a grant from the Wisconsin Land Fund also aided in the purchase. In
addition, the Door County Land Trust received over $180,000 from its members in
support of this project!
“An historic project of this magnitude could not have been accomplished alone,”
explains Burke. “We thank our state and federal agency partners, The Nature
Conservancy, and all our donors for working collaboratively to preserve this
special place. We also owe a big thanks to the landowners, George and Jean
Reynolds, for being great stewards of this place for the past 40 years and
providing us with the opportunity to establish this new preserve.”
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