A popular Great Lakes vacation area will become a buffer from the pressure of expansion. It will be preserved from development by being declared a National Wildlife Refuge. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium Mike Simonson reports:
Transcript
A popular Great Lakes vacation area will become a buffer from the pressure of
expansion. it will be preserved from development by being declared a national wildlife
refuge. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports:
The 540 acre section of land borders northern Wisconsin on Lake Superior. The
Whittlesay Creek Wildlife Refuge Area is considered prime waterfront land by
developers, but U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent Tom Busian says this time, nature
won out over condos and golf courses.
Tourism in the Apostle Islands region has grown year after year, and Busian says it’s
putting the squeeze on wetlands. The federal status allows them to protect the area.
“Currently, a lot of coho salmon breed there, and we’re also looking at re-introducing
coaster brook trout to the system. But we’ll be managing the land for a lot of other
wildlife too. It’s an important habitat for birds, for waterfowl, for hawks and
eagles.”
Congress appropriated 650,000 dollars to buy the land for the refuge, and a donation
of 50,000 dollars from Ducks Unlimited will also go toward the purchase.
For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Mike Simonson in Superior, Wisconsin.