Our Work

The Work of West Wisconsin Land Trust

Our Intiatives

West Wisconsin Land Trust’s legacy of land protection has been built upon a foundation of innovative strategies and partnerships aimed at long-term conservation. We work in a wide variety of landscapes with a broad range of conservation needs. The following are our current areas of emphasis:

Pine CreekColdwater Streams

Water Quality – Habitat Protection – Recreation

Wisconsin is home to some 2,900 trout streams and west Wisconsin is blessed to have a large share of these unique waters. These streams flow through a variety of environments, from open farm country to dense northern forests. They serve as important tributaries to larger rivers, and then ultimately flow into either the Mississippi River or Lake Superior. The management of these streams and their watersheds is complex and requires a wide range of interconnected efforts by conservation organizations, government, and individual land owners, as well as the input and care of thousands of citizens that enjoy the beauty and recreation opportunities that these waters provide.

Tucker LakeNorthern Shores and Forests

Conserving Our Northwoods Heritage

Between the rugged Driftless Area and the shores of Lake Superior lays a vast area with thousands of freshwater lakes and wetlands and thousands of acres of forests – our beloved northwoods. Although the north has seen an unprecedented level of development in recent decades, there are still many privately held acres of forest and lakeshore that merit strategic long-term protection and often complement large tracts of publicly owned land.

TestBlurb_yellowBig River Country

Protecting a Richly Diverse Landscape

Western Wisconsin drains primarily north to south through a series of large river systems including the St. Croix, Red Cedar, Chippewa, and Black Rivers. These rivers and their extensive forested riparian areas serve as important migration corridors for birds, fish and mammals. These rivers contain some of the largest floodplain forests in the Midwest and remain strongholds of biodiversity. The rivers flow through the towns and cities we live in, and are often the part of the landscape we associate with best. Along their length, these rivers offer fishing, canoeing, hiking hunting and birding opportunities for the many people who live, visit and recreate along these important resources.

point_no_pointStewardship and Operations

Innovate – Partner – Protect

Now in our 25th year, we have recommitted ourselves to a high level of stewardship of our current land protection portfolio. We remain committed to seeking partnerships with, and to be supportive of, the organizations that share our conservation focus. Our conservation obligations are perpetual. This requires a smart, fiscally strong, high performing organization. With the continuing support of our board and our members we are working to maintain an organization capable of fulfilling our responsibilities and capitalizing on new conservation opportunities.

“The ability to conserve contiguous property is going to be vitally important to be sure Wisconsin hangs onto its diversity in the next fifty years.”

~ Donald Waller Professor of botany and environmental studies at UW – Madison, speaking about the important work of Wisconsin land trusts

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