About State Natural Areas
 Lulu Lake State Natural Area in Walworth & Waukesha Counties. |
Wisconsin's State Natural Areas program was established in 1952 to protect the best of the last remaining vestiges of native plant and animal communities. Today there are 600 State Natural Areas(SNAs) encompassing more than 162,500 acres.
Although SNAs comprised only .5% of the total acreage in Wisconsin, they protect over 60% of our state's endangered, threatened or species of special concern. 91% of our state's endangered and threatened plant species, and 81% of our threatened bird species are harbored in these protected areas.
The State Natural Areas program safeguards these unique natural communities including old-growth forests, bogs and bluffs, prairies and savannas.
Management of the State Natural Areas Program
The Natural Area Regions:
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Great Lakes Coastal Area
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South Central Plains Area
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Central Sands Area
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Northern Forest Area
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Blufflands and Driftless Area
Click here to donate to the State Natural Areas Campaign
What Are State Natural Areas?
Wisconsin’s natural areas program, officially established in 1952, is the oldest in the nation. Scientists and conservation leaders like Aldo Leopold, Norman Fassett and John Curtis were the original founders of the natural areas program in the 1930s and 1940s.
Natural areas protect the most outstanding examples of Wisconsin’s native landscape—often the last refuge for rare plants and animals. Sites are considered for official natural area designation in one or more of the following categories:
- Outstanding natural community
- Critical habitat for rare plant or animal species
- Ecological benchmark area
- Significant geological or archaeological feature
- Exceptional site for natural area research and education
Natural Areas are found in 70 of Wisconsin's 72 counties and range in size from less than one acre to more than 7,700 acres. In 2009, the 600th State Natural Area was named.
Stewarding our Natural Areas
Stewardship of SNAs is guided by the principles of ecosystem management.For some SNAs, the best management prescription is to "let nature take its course" and allow natural processes, and their subsequent effects, to proceed without constraint. However, some processes, such as the encroachment of woody vegetation and the spread of invasive and exotic plant species, threaten the biological integrity of many SNAs. These sites require hands-on management and, in some cases, the reintroduction of natural functions -- such as prairie fire -- that are essentially absent from the landscape.
Managing State Natural Areas
The State Natural Areas Program is managed by the Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Endangered Resources. Other institutions involved in the protection and management of specific natural areas include: The Nature Conservancy, the University of Wisconsin System, National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, land trusts, and other conservation organizations.
· Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin ·
PO Box 2317, Madison, WI 53701-2317 ·
(608) 264-6267 ·
Toll-free (866) 264-4096 ·
info@wisconservation.org