SNA Logo SignThe Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program is a conservation program created to highlight and protect areas with outstanding natural or archaeological resources in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. There are 687 State Natural Areas (SNAs) encompassing almost 400,000 acres (160,000 ha).[1] SNAs protect natural communities, geological formations, and archaeological sites for research purposes and as refuges for biodiversity and endangered and threatened species.[1]
Newer SNA Sign
Wisconsin's State Natural Areas Program was created in 1951 and was the first state-sponsored program of its kind in the United States. It was developed with guidance from early conservationists such as Aldo Leopold, Norman C. Fassett, Albert Fuller, and John Thomas Curtis.[2]
Common SNA Sign
Trempealeau Mountain SNA (viewed from Brady's Bluff SNA)
The program is managed by the Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and advised by the Natural Areas Preservation Council (NAPC), a council of 11 scientists and conservationists. The smallest SNAs are fewer than 1 acre (0.40 ha) and the largest is over 7,700 acres (3,100 ha).[2] Many SNAs have been established on the state owned lands, including Wisconsin state parks. Others are on land managed by other entities like the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, county governments, or conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy. In those cases, cooperative agreements or conservation easements are used.[2]
Ecosystem management practices range from a "hands-off" approach to active interventions such as the removal of introduced species and controlled burning. SNAs are generally open to low-impact recreation like hiking and birdwatching, but prohibit intensive activities like camping and mountain biking, and usually lack even basic amenities like restrooms or maintained trails. Numerous SNAs are closed to the public to protect the most sensitive flora, fauna, and ecosystems, including rare and endangered species.[2]
List of Wisconsin State Natural Areas
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See also
[edit]- Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas, a similar program in Minnesota.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (August 26, 2010). "State Natural Areas Program". Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (February 2, 2010). "State Natural Areas Program Information". Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ Mud Lake Conceptual Management Plan by Jim Raber, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, July 14, 1987
- ^ Moonlight Bay with Nancy Rafal, Baileys Harbor Historical Society, Sevestopol TV, June 17, 2013
- ^ Baileys Harbor Boreal Forest and Wetlands State Natural Area Tier 3 Management Plan by Joe Henry, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, April 10, 2017
External links
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