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Nature Conservancy Makes Land Gift to Door County

Land Gift at Meridian Park Will Help Establish New State Natural Area

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin—24 July 2006—The Nature Conservancy announced today that it will donate a 40-acre parcel in the Town of Jacksonport to Door County as part of Meridian County Park and the Lyle-Harter Matter Sanctuary.  The Conservancy purchased the land from Betsy Deane Light in 1997.

Meridian Park © Robert A. Kleppin

When the donation is made, the County will dedicate the approximately 170-acre park and sanctuary as a State Natural Area, the highest form of protection for a natural area in Wisconsin.  The County will continue to own and manage the land, which is located on an isthmus of sand between the south end of Kangaroo Lake and Lake Michigan about two miles north of Jacksonport along Hwy 57.

“Door County Parks is pleased to again partner with The Nature Conservancy to preserve additional acreage in this unique area,” said George Pinney, Door County Parks Director.  “Future generations will appreciate our efforts as we have appreciated the efforts of our forefathers who preserved the original park over 60 years ago."

“We commend the Door County Board for its far-sightedness in dedicating the park and sanctuary as a State Natural Area,” said Mary Jean Huston, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin.  “This is the highest form of protection for a natural area in Wisconsin and will ensure that this special place will continue to be cherished and enjoyed for generations to come.”

An important natural feature of this site is the 10-to-15-foot-high ledge of dolomite rock outcrops.  These rock outcrops, part of the Niagara Escarpment, chronicle the weathering effects of Lake Michigan’s big waves on the land in ancient times.  Other natural features worth noting are the mile-long, 50-to-60-foot-high sand dunes forested with beech and sugar maple and the series of dry sandy ridges alternating with lower wet swales that tell the story of the receding shoreline of Lake Michigan.

Visitors to the area may encounter rare snails and ferns living in tiny, damp grottos of moss and dolomite.  The park and sanctuary are also a great place to see migratory warblers, with a good viewing spot on the wayside off of Hwy 57 just north of Jacksonport.  Protection of the site, known to be the best in the county and perhaps in Wisconsin for the Canada yew, will help safeguard this regionally declining species.

The Conservancy is working with local communities on the Door Peninsula and throughout the Great Lakes basin to conserve forests, bluffs, lakes, rivers, and other important lands and waters for the benefit of the people and the species that depend upon them for life.