Master Planning for Lower Chippewa River Lands

The draft master plan for seven state-owned natural or wildlife areas in the lower Chippewa River valley has been out for public review with the public comment period ending October 7, 2009.

Pictured: View from Five-Mile Bluff overlooking the Chippewa River and the Floodplain Forests of Tiffany Wildlife Area. Photo by Christina Isenring.

These are the properties covered by the planning process:

• Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area
• Tiffany Wildlife Area
• Dunnville Wildlife Area
• Big Swamp Wildlife Area
• Nine Mile Island Natural Area
• Caryville Savanna Natural Area
• Rock Falls and Waterville Extensive Wildlife Habitat Areas

A summary of comments received and responses is included in the Planning Update. [PDF 27KB]

The properties are all contained within the Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area boundary. The master plan describes proposed future management strategies and recreational opportunities and is intended to guide development and management for 15 years or more.

The proposed management plans are consistent with current practices and do not represent any significant shifts in management philosophy. The proposed DNR action is not anticipated to result in significant adverse environmental effects. A preliminary determination is that an environmental impact statement will not be required.

The draft master plan and environmental assessment with maps and other background information will continue to be available for viewing on this web site at least through the end of the year (2009). Printed copies are available for viewing at the Eau Claire DNR service center with a limited number of copies also available for distribution. As part of the public review, the DNR held two public, open-house meetings to gather comments and to answer any questions. Both meetings went well, although attendance was lighter than the initial meetings indicating a lack of controversy associated with this plan. Attendance at these final public meetings included 14 at the Durand meeting and 10 at Eau Claire.

In general, the comments received were positive and attendees were supportive of the plan. All comments received are appreciated.

Edits will be made to the draft Master Plan and it will be presented to the Natural Resources Board (NRB) in February 2010. The Master Plan requires NRB approval for implementation.

Planning Documents and Information

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