EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The Wisconsin NWTF State Chapter recently contributed $20,000 toward a vital land acquisition, expanding suitable habitat for wild turkeys and other wildlife, while also providing increased hunting opportunities. With the purchase of nearly 200 acres of floodplain forest, marsh and meadow along the Wisconsin River in Grant County, the Mississippi Valley Conservancy (the purchaser) and partners have guaranteed public access and protection to a part of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway — a landmark project in the state’s land conservation history. This new acquisition is known as Woodman Floodplain State Natural Area.
The NWTF’s impactful contribution is made possible through the dedicated efforts of NWTF volunteers in Wisconsin who raise funds at banquets and other fundraising events. These funds are then reinvested into conservation and outreach projects within their respective states, supporting both wildlife and hunting heritage for future generations.
Additional partners in the project include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with funding through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, along with an in-kind donation by the seller who has asked to remain anonymous.
Clayton Lenk, NWTF district biologist, said that while the property has good habitat for wild turkeys, including the mature floodplain trees they like for roosting, the NWTF is also interested in public access for all recreational uses.
“It’s not just for turkey hunters; it’s for everyone to enjoy,” he said, citing the project’s location as offering more accessible outdoor space to the large Midwest population centers that encircle it.
The property is adjacent to 1,198 acres of the WIDNR’s Lower Wisconsin River State Wildlife Area and Woodman Lake Sand Prairie and Dead Lake State Natural Area. The acquisition of Woodman Floodplain forms a nearly 1,400-acre complex of publicly accessible wildlife habitat.
Carol Abrahamzon, executive director at the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, said protecting large blocks of contiguous habitat is one of the most effective means of ensuring species and habitat resilience in a changing climate.
“We couldn’t do this work or make such acquisitions without the ongoing support our nonprofit organization receives from private donations and memberships,” Abrahamzon said.
The anonymous party who purchased the property to take it off the market said that it was good luck for her to learn it was for sale and that it fit with her passion.
“For saving every inch we can,” she said.
The Mississippi Valley Conservancy, in turn, intends to transfer the land to the WIDNR, subject to a conservation easement to restrict future land use for the benefit of the wildlife habitat and natural communities.
According to Eric Epstein, a retired DNR ecologist, the site is one of the best-known representations of southern wild rice marshes in Wisconsin that hasn’t been significantly altered from its natural state. With this acquisition, the site now becomes one of the only such marshes that is protected in Wisconsin. Along with the robust southern wild rice marshes, the southern sedge meadow on the property is also exceptionally diverse, with bluejoint grass, cattail sedge, lake sedge, swamp milkweed, joe pye weed and an abundance of other species, according to a site inventory.
The property also includes fish and wildlife species such as the state endangered starhead topminnow, beaver, white-tailed deer, the species of special concern red-shouldered hawk, trumpeter swan, green heron, sedge wren, red-headed woodpecker, great blue heron, sandhill crane, the state threatened cerulean warbler and the special concern prothonotary warbler.
According to Gretchen Pfeiffer, president of the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, the Woodman Floodplain State Natural Area will now provide an exceptional scenic resource for the local community, including paddlers and anglers, in perpetuity. The property is visible from the Wisconsin River and Woodman Lake, from the surrounding WIDNR-owned land and habitat, and from adjoining and nearby properties.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.
About Mississippi Valley Conservancy
Founded in 1997, Mississippi Valley Conservancy is a nationally accredited, nonprofit, regional land trust that has permanently protected more than 26,000 acres of scenic lands in southwestern Wisconsin by working with landowners, businesses and local communities on voluntary conservation projects. The focus of the Conservancy is to conserve the bluffs, forests, prairies, wetlands, streams and farms that enrich our communities for the health and well-being of the Driftless Area. www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org
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