Monday, December 31, 2007

2007 Overview

This year has been the most active ever for land conservation in the Bayfield region. Details will be in our newsletter, but here are the highlights:

Capped off the Mt Ashwabay acquisitions which now holds over 1000 acres of deep forest habitat, 42 k of nordic ski trails and preserves the Mt Ashwabay Recreation Center--a family ski hill.










Protected a quarter mile of shoreline on Bass Lake on one of only two private holdings on the lake, which has a US Forest Service canoe launch.











Permanently preserved 85 acres and numerous ponds that are a wildlife magnet west of Mellon in Ashland County.











With a land preservation agreement with a private landowner, over 500 ft of Lake Superior shoreland, 2,400 feet of intermittent streams, and 600 feet of fields visible from Hwy 13 north of the City of Washburn are forever protected.







This work is only possible due to our generous members who make annual contributions to support our conservation programs to protect these places that make this region beautiful. You can join us by making a donation here.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Mt Ashwabay--we did it!

Last week, Bayfield County purchased the last 160 acres of land on the Mt Ashwabay ridge!

BRC President, Ellen Kwiatkowski announced that the $240,000 Stewardship grant from the Department of Natural Resources was matched by contributions by many people and a much-needed boost at the last minute of a donation by Murphy Oil Refineries of Superior.

You can now ski 42 kilometers of nordic trails crossing from Star Route Rd over to Mt. Ashwabay. To print a map, go here and click on Maps.
The media coverage was phenomenal. You can read some of the stories online:
Superior Telegram
Ashland Daily Press
KUWS Wisconsin Public Radio
News Center 6 TV -- featuring Dave McCormick's song, "Letters to Leopold"