Current and Past LIP Projects
Dane County

2009: Savanna Restoration along Ice Age Trail, atop St. Peter Escarpment

Project Goal and Site Description:
The goal of this project is to promote the rare and endangered species found in and around the Project Area by restoring the area to high quality oak savanna habitat on and around the St. Peters Escarpment. This project will increase the connectivity of native habitats in the area.

The land is currently used to host a portion of the Ice Age National and State Scenic Trail. There are also several other walking paths on the Valley View Preserve. Some of the Preserve has already been restored to native prairie and many oaks have been liberated from invasive plants to promote savanna. The two private lands hold one residence each, with the bulk of the lands already restored to either native prairie or oak woodlands. One of the landowners currently has a Managed Forest contract with the State of Wisconsin on 12 of his 24 acres.

2009: Remnant oak savanna recovery through ecological restoration efforts

Project Goal and Site Description:
Our primary objective is to restore the structure and plant diversity of the oak savanna and link it to the existing CRP grassland/oak plantings to create a large area of contiguous habitat for at-risk species.

The site is roughly 37 acres of unplowed, steep ridges and ravines that snake through our property. The site is mainly oak savanna (Bur, Black and White oak) with scattered prairie remnants, goat prairies and rock outcroppings. The top of the ridges consist of Bur Oaks in thin, rich mesic soil and grade into White and Black oaks in pure sand farther down slope.

North and east facing slopes tend to have a more closed canopy and consist of mainly Red and Black oak. The scattered prairie remnants consist of many sand-loving species. We have been managing the site since 2002 starting with the highest quality areas and radiating outward. The herbaceous layer has responded well from woody invasive removal, and we are able to collect seeds on site for seeding in the newly cleared areas.

Steege-Euclide Prairie Habitat Restoration

Project Goal and Site Description:
This project will restore and maintain remnant natural communities (dry prairie, dry-mesic prairie, surrogate grassland) to provide habitat for rare native plants and animals, and to promote native biodiversity. This will be done by:

1. reducing tree and brush cover;
2. limiting dominance and spread of spotted knapweed, wild parsnip and sweet clover; and
3. conducting prescribed burns.

Habitat Enhancement at Swamp Lovers, Inc. and Ice Age Park and Trail Properties

Project Goal and Site Description:
This large site (460 acres) includes CRP, Permanent Easement/Dry Lime Prairie, Oak Savanna, Wet-Mesic Prairie, Wet Prairie, Wet/Sedge Meadow, Wetland, Waterfowl Food Plots, Grassland Surrogate. The Dry Lime Prairie Remnant contains 84 remnant plant species, including six state listed species and several highly conservative species and more than 40 additional planted species. The 2008 project will differ from a previously LIP-funded project on this property in that habitat enhancement for at-risk species will be expanded into adjacent oak savanna and dry lime prairie remnants and into an adjacent restored wetland.

Dane county is experiencing rapid growth and urban development and is located within a region experiencing the third highest rate of farmland loss in the country. This site's position in the landscape relative to several other large-scale adjoining preserves makes it an exceptional candidate for enhancement efforts with long-term benefits.

Erbe Grasslands Habitat Restoration

Project and Site Description
The goal of this project is to restore and maintain remnant natural communities (dry prairie, dry-mesic prairie) to provide habitat for rare native plants and animals, and to promote native biodiversity by reducing tree and brush cover, and limiting dominance and spread of spotted knapweed, wild parsnip and sweet clover.

Erbe Grasslands is located in Blue Mounds Twp., Dane County, on the eastern edge of the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area (MRPHA). The MRPHA harbors significant acreages of prairie remnants and surrogate grasslands. A roughly level ridge top gradually slopes down across the site to the south and southeast. Three drainage ways dissect the site, and include a spring and intermittent stream. The non-tillable rocky side slopes support original prairie sod/soil (about 30 acres), which ranges from dry to dry-mesic in soil moisture. Former pasture covers 37 acres; some portions appear to have been plowed in the past. The pasture is dominated by exotic cool-season grasses, though native side-oats grama grass dominates dry, rocky areas, with other native plants. Approximately 5 acres of the pasture has scattered trees and brush. Two 50-year-old walnut groves occupy the lowest landscape points. The primary and long-term land-use plan for the entire property is nature preserve.

Pleasant Valley Conservancy

Project and Site Description
The 106 acres privately owned is part of the 143 acre Pleasant Valley Conservancy, a dedicated State Natural Area. It has been under restoration since 1995 and has responded dramatically to removal of woody invasive plants. It is in the Driftless Area of Dane County. A large, high-quality wetland including East Blue Mounds Creek, a trout stream, is adjacent, and is part of the Conservancy. This wetland is fairly large by Driftless Area standards, and DNR-owned wetland is within two miles. Most of the property is upland. There is a large south-facing hillside with extensive prairie remnants. The upper part of the hillside, and the ridge top, consist of large areas of bur and white oak savanna. These open-grown oaks range up to 200 or more years old. There is also a large oak woodland on the north-facing slope which has extensive spring ephemerals.

This project will continue to remove invasive brush from the site. The site will be monitored during the next growing season to ensure that the work has been successful. LIP also funded similar work on a different portion of this site in 2007.

Pleasant Valley has served numerous education functions, including college and university field trips, land trust and prairie conference field trips, class projects, volunteer activities at all levels, including Girl Scouts, public schools, intern programs, and Madison Audubon and Prairie Enthusiasts activities. Research in restoration is ongoing (two papers already published). Pleasant Valley Conservancy SNA is open to the public for nature study and wildlife viewing (http://www.savannaoak.org for details). The property is also open to deer hunting during the regular and extended deer season, by permission of the owners.

Ripp Prairie

Project and Site Description:
The goal of this project is to salvage a prairie remnant with a good population the state endangered Rough Rattlesnake Root. LIP is funding removal of trees and shrubs from intact prairie sod, prevent sweet clover form setting seed, and 2 prescribed burnings. This sites on the back corner of a working farm, and lies between a prairie remnant belonging to another individual and a 40 acre prairie pasture. This is a project initiated by a conservation group who has a long-time working relationship with several farmers in this area. In addition to the target species, this management will also benefit populations on the adjacent parcels. The conservation group conducts ongoing management of the site(s) and has developed a detailed, quantifiable monitoring plan.

This site is important for management and preservation because it connects to a larger ridge of native prairie. The land use surrounding this site includes active agriculture, but is now facing greater development pressure.

Flood Oak Savanna Restoration

Project and Site Description:
The site is an oak savanna that over time has degraded due to cattle grazing and general neglect. The land was overrun with invasive species when the current landowners purchased it several years ago. While the landowners have been working hard to restore the land to its original oak savanna, they have limited manpower and financial resources to accomplish this.

The site needs brush management, prescribed burns and seeding to enhance the savanna quality, and the landowners lack the necessary expertise to do the burns. This is a smaller parcel of land being managed by very dedicated landowners. The small size and land use history of the site, combined with LIP's flexibility in eligibility requirements, create a winning combination for achieving the restoration objectives.

Catnip Hollow Remnant Prairie & Savanna Restoration

Project and Site Description:
This site is a mixture of remnant dry-mesic prairie and oak savanna. Fifty-nine native plant species have been recorded in the prairie, including Prairie Indian Plantain (Threatened), prairie dropseed, bird's foot violet, yellow star grass, and pale spiked lobelia. The oak savanna is dominated by open grown bur and white oak. Shooting star, Robin's plantain, fringed loosestrife, and blue-eyed grass are a few of the many forbs growing here.

Both the prairie and savanna have been invaded by brush (prickly ash, honeysuckle, red cedar, aspen, and box elder) that is suppressing and eliminating the native herbaceous species, including Prairie Indian Plantain. The invading brush makes the site less attractive to the grassland birds, including Henslow's sparrow (Threatened), Bobolink, northern bobwhite, and grasshopper and savanna sparrow, that use the surrounding CRP and idle cool season grasslands. This project is occurring on an active bison farm.