Current and Past LIP Projects
Green County

2009: Remnant Oak Savanna and Prairie Enhancement (York Township, Green County)

Project Goal and Site Description:
This project will reduce invasive species and brush abundance to improve habitat quality for at-risk grassland and savanna birds and plants and to promote oak regeneration. A secondary goal is to provide public education on restoration and management methods and at risk flora and fauna.

The 21-acres are a mixture of remnant oak savanna (11 acres), remnant dry-mesic prairie (3 acres) and cool season grass pasture (4 acres) that has been idle for more than 30 years. An additional 3 acres are 30-year-old white pine plantings located along old erosion gullies. The cool season grasses are short and sparse because of the thin, dry soil, which has allowed numerous prairie species to survive. The conifers are 15 to 25 feet tall.

Invasive species control, brushing and limited burning, initiated in 2004, have revealed American gromwell (special concern), pasque flower, numerous shooting star, Illinois tick trefoil, the uncommon plains muhly grass (Muhlenbergia cuspidata) and many other native plant species. Unfortunately, invasive species, such as crown vetch, garlic mustard, hedge parsley, wild parsnip, and knapweed, and dense shrub cover (primarily prickly ash and honeysuckle) in some areas puts the native species at risk.

York Township

Project and Site Description:
The goal of this project is to reduce invasive species and brush abundance in 44 acres of grassland and oak savanna to improve habitat quality for at-risk grassland and savanna birds and plants.

The site has 2 threatened species, Henslow's sparrow and yellow giant hyssop, and 11 bird and 2 plant species that are Wisconsin special concern. The nearby presence of York Prairie State Natural Area significantly increases the ecological value of this property, and visa versa, because of the similarity of habitats. Oak savanna restoration has been ongoing since 2002, including removal of undesirable trees and shrubs, prescribed burns, invasive species control and overseeding. The gromwell and yellow giant hyssop spontaneously appeared in 2005 following brush clearing and burning. The prairie restoration has been very successful and is used by grassland birds, invertebrates, and other wildlife. The prairie remnant has pasque flower, prairie smoke, lead plant, prairie dropseed, flowering spurge, toadflax, spiderwort, and many other species, including the uncommon plains muhly grass and Wisconsin special concern lance-leaf tickseed. Five acres of crown vetch was planted 15 years ago to control soil erosion in the area that is now restored prairie. It eventually spread throughout the project area, to one degree or another. While much of it was eliminated during site preparation for the prairie planting and since then by annual spot spraying in the other areas of the site, it still occurs in scattered locations, threatening the site's ecological quality. The landowner has been funding restoration and management work out-of-pocket, except for some 2006 DNR funding for hedge parsley control. Award of this grant will facilitate additional work and help speed the restoration process. The landowner is exploring permanent easement options for the property so that it will remain in a natural state.

Windmill Ridge Prairie/Savanna Remnant Restoration

Project and Site Description:
This privately owned 59 acre parcel of farmland in the driftless area, zoned agricultural contains 23 acres of remnant dry-mesic prairie and 2+ acres of open wood/savanna. No farming activities in the shallow sloping soils of the prairie have been identified on historical FSA aerial maps. The prairie consisting largely of north, south, and west facing slopes (10-20 %) is extensively covered by prairie species (see attachment).

Woody invasives consisting largely of honeysuckle shrubs, hawthorn, red cedars, prickly ash, and apple trees are rapidly expanding in the prairie. This has created a discontinuous prairie especially due to the severe overgrowth of woody invasives in the 'waterways' present with little to absent ground vegetation. Scattered trees and shrubs in the open prairie are of sufficient size to limit shade intolerant native species. Hopefully, the native seed bank can help repopulate these areas once cleared. Such an area cleared this spring has been noted to have a new population of Hill thistle. Not only competitive loss of the native plants in small populations is at risk, but present habitat does not favor prairie animals biodiversity. Current funding is inadequate to address all of these issues of restoration (reseeding, prescribed burning, invasive/regrowth control and removal) in a timely manner. Work will follow up on brush removal & prescribed burns of open prairie facilitated by The Nature Conservancy and USFWS.