Description
The Nature Conservancy protected 362 acres at Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands. Today the land is owned and managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for the people of Wisconsin.
Why You Should Visit
This property is part of the Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands landscape where northern plants, animals and forests can thrive far south of where they are normally found. It is home to migratory songbirds like the Blackburnian warbler and other wildlife.
Why The Nature Conservancy Selected This Site
The property, which is part of the Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands landscape, is within the Door Peninsula Coastal Wetlands Ramsar site, a globally important wetland. The large size of the property, coupled with the already protected lands at Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands State Natural Area (SNA) provide a large expanse of good quality habitat required by some birds and mammals.
It’s great breeding and migratory stopover habitat for birds. It will also help promote the recovery of federally-threatened species like the dwarf lake iris and possibly the northern long-eared bat. The property also provides public access for outdoor recreational opportunities.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
TNC purchased the property in December 2017, with a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a grant from Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, and donations from TNC supporters.
In March 2020, we donated the land to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, almost doubling the size of the Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands State Natural Area. Protection of the property improved public access to the SNA by connecting formerly-isolated parcels of land.