Glacial Heritage Area (GHA)
Updated June 2009

Working with a group of local leaders over the past four years, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has developed a proposal for a network of recreation and conservation lands centered primarily in western Jefferson County. The proposed project, known as the Glacial Heritage Area (GHA), seeks to help meet the growing demand for a wide range of outdoor, nature-based land and water recreation activities in concert with protecting critical prairie, savanna, and wetland habitats.

To summarize, the GHA project proposes to:

• expand 5 existing parks and establish 7 new parks;
• establish 100 miles of trails linking the parks and cities and villages;
• protect pockets of land along major rivers and streams for boat access sites and to protect important habitat areas;
• expand 11 State Wildlife Areas and buffer them with Rural Landscape Protection Areas; and
• establish the Crawfish Prairie Habitat Area.

The DNR, in conjunction with local leaders, will be hosting three public meetings where you can learn more about the proposed project and provide feedback. The first two meetings will be informal open houses, the third meeting (in Lake Mills) will be the formal public hearing. You don't have to wait until the public hearing to provide your input. You can submit comments by:

• attending any of the three upcoming public meetings,
• filling out the online survey,
• sending an email to Glacial.Heritage@wisconsin.gov, and/or
• calling John Pohlman at (608) 264-6263.

Please Take our Survey!

This survey is intended to provide us with a better understanding of your perspectives on the Glacial Heritage Area project. The information gathered in this survey will be used by DNR and partners to develop the final version of the proposed project. The results will also be presented to the Natural Resources Board in their review of, and potential approval of, the Glacial Heritage Area project. You may want to check out the proposed plan (especially Chapter III), map, and FAQs before taking the survey.

Public Meetings

• June 29 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Junginger Memorial Library in Waterloo (625 North Monroe Street) — [see map [PDF 134KB]]
• June 30 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Fort Atkinson High School library (905 Lexington Blvd) — [see map [PDF 171KB]]
• July 1 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Lake Mills Community Center (200 Water Street)
  This meeting includes a formal public hearing from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m — [see map [PDF 148KB]]