Draft Powell Marsh State Wildlife Area master plan
MADISON – Following a public input process that included multiple public meetings and a four-day workshop to acquire stakeholder input, the draft Powell Marsh State Wildlife Area master plan will be presented for final approval at the Dec. 14, 2016 Natural Resources Board meeting.
To view the draft master plan, visit dnr.wi.gov, search keywords “master planning,” and select “Powell Marsh Wildlife Area.”
The Powell Marsh State Wildlife Area is located in western Vilas County, three miles south of Manitowish Waters and 10 miles north of Lac du Flambeau. The 4,850-acre property is bounded on three sides by the Northern Highland-American Legion State forest and by the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation on the south and is primarily an open peatland with several small flowages and lakes.
Key action items within the draft plan being presented for board approval include:
maintain the existing, expansive open wetland habitats important for wildlife and bird populations;
lower the potential for iron floc production on the property by reducing the length of ditches and increasing the level of water that “filters” through marsh/wetland before discharging to DPL;
establish an 3.7 mile hiking trail loop circling Vista Flowage;
include an Americans with Disabilities Act viewing blind near Vista Flowage to improve accessibility and enjoyment;
reduce the size of the existing refuge to allow year-round public access on the southern perimeter of Vista Flowage; and
change the closed time period to be Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 to provide more furbearer harvest opportunities.
The complete December board agenda is available online – search keyword “NRB” and select the button labeled “view agendas.”
Members of the public must pre-register with Laurie Ross, board liaison, to testify at a board meeting. The deadline to register to testify or submit written comments for this business meeting is Friday, Dec. 9, 2016 at 11 a.m. Registration information can be found on the DNR website.
Each board meeting is webcast live. Watch the meeting over the internet by going to the NRB agenda page of the DNR website and clicking on webcasts in the Related Links column on the right. Then click on this month’s meeting. After each meeting, the webcast will be permanently available on demand.
