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The Baraboo Hills

Misty Valley
Misty Valley
© Gerald H. Emmerich, Jr.
 

The Baraboo Hills of Sauk and Columbia counties are all that remain of one of the most ancient rock outcrops in North America. A forested sanctuary underlain by durable rock called Baraboo quartzite, the Hills are an ecologically unique part of the Midwest. The oak, maple, and basswood forests of the Baraboo Hills constitute the largest block of upland forest still standing in southern Wisconsin. They provide habitat for more than 1,800 kinds of plants and animals.

Who We Are
The Nature Conservancy first came to the Baraboo Bluffs in the early 1960s at the request of local residents and university professors who knew how ecologically unique this area was and who wanted the Conservancy's help in protecting the area. Today the Conservancy has 900 members in the Baraboo Hills area.

The Nature Conservancy is a private, non-profit conservation organization. Our mission is to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

Our Conservation Goals

  • Protecting the large block of forest from scattered rural residential development (the Conservancy concentrates its efforts on the forest block west of Devil's Lake State Park).
  • Managing our preserves to support healthy populations of wildlife, in particular, songbirds that need to nest in large blocks of forest.
  • Providing information about the plants and animals of the Bluffs forest and compatible forest management to area residents and other interested parties.
  • Working with other organizations concerned with the health of the Bluffs forest.
  • Working to protect the forest block while balancing human needs and economic health in the region.

How We Accomplish Our Goals

  • Land acquisition from willing sellers and generous donors (the Conservancy pays fair market value; contact the Baraboo office for more information).
  • Conservation easements (voluntary legal agreements that compensate landowners who protect the conservation value of land by permanently limiting its future uses, while keeping it in private ownership).
  • Registry agreements (voluntary handshake agreements that establish a cooperative relationship with the Conservancy and encourage responsible land management).
  • Land/Forest management (research, removal of non-native plants; forest stand improvement).

The Conservancy's Role as a Responsible Community Member/Neighbor
The Conservancy has been working in the Baraboo Bluffs for more than 30 years and community concerns are important to us.  The following is a list of some of the things we do to "give back" to the community:

  • We pay property taxes.
  • We open our preserves to the public for low-impact, compatible recreation like hiking and bird watching.
  • We open most of our lands to deer hunting.
  • We preserve some of the most pristine and biologically unique areas for future generations to enjoy!

Conservancy Natural Areas in the Baraboo Hills
The Conservancy owns 7,961 acres at 11 preserves in the Hills, including:

As of November 6, 2007, the Conservancy has helped protect a total of 10,090 acres in the Hills.  This figure includes lands owned and managed by the Conservancy, conservation easements, government co-ops and assists.

How You Can See Our Work
Most Nature Conservancy preserves are open for public use as long as visitors enjoy these lands for low-impact recreation only - hiking, bird-watching, nature study, and photography. Deer hunting is allowed at preserves by permission only. The Conservancy has published a guide to its preserves in Wisconsin called The Places We Save, which includes descriptions, maps, and directions to many of them. Contact our office for more information on how to purchase a copy.  Maps of individual preserves in the Baraboo Hills are available free of charge.

Baraboo Office Staff
Angie Ashley, Baraboo Hills Program Assistant
Erin Blum, Stewardship Assistant
Linda Bormann, Protection Specialist

If you have any questions about The Nature Conservancy's Baraboo Hills project, please call us at (608) 356-5300 or stop by our office at 414 Broadway Street, Suite 202.