Property on the Ahnapee River is newly protected by the Door County Land Trust

TOWN OF FORESTVILLE – An ecologically significant property of more than 47 acres along the Ahnapee River was acquired and is now permanently protected by the Door County Land Trust.

The trust completed its purchase of the property Feb. 5, saying in a press release the previous owner “expressed appreciation that the land will remain in its natural state, ensuring its ecological integrity for future generations.”

According to the release, the property is important because it supports a wide variety of bird and fish species, supports watershed health and provides a migration corridor for wildlife. Another important part of the acquisition by the land trust is that access to the property is enhanced from the Ahnapee State Trail, a portion of which is part of the statewide Ice Age Trail.

The newly protected property is comprised mostly of emergent marsh and includes part of the river and streambank, wetlands and a small former hayfield. Birds such as yellow warblers, soras and green herons can be found there, along with fish like pike and rainbow and brown trout.

As part of the Ahnapee River Wildlife Corridor, a vital habitat of wetlands and riverbank that follows the river from its headwaters near the hill in Brussels to its mouth on Lake Michigan, the area supports migrating and nesting birds, fish habitats and diverse plant life. The press release from the land trust says conservation efforts along the river help ensure its critical wildlife passageways remain intact.

The land trust also will monitor water quality and restore wetland habitats within the property in its efforts to sustain and enhance the health of its watershed.

With the Ahnapee State Trail running alongside, the property can be accessed from the trail and a nearby road, but a parking lot is not available. The acquisition allows outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers and hunters, to continue to check out the scenic views of the wetland habitat.

Funds for the purchase of the land were awarded by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program with anticipated support from the federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act, along with private donations. Donations from land trust members and a grant through the Door County Community Foundation will go toward long-term protection and stewardship of the property.

The Door County Land Trust protects more than 9,100 acres of land, with 15 featured nature preserves open for hiking and other low-impact, nonmotorized recreational activities, all at no charge. For more information, including trail maps, donations or memberships, visit doorcountylandtrust.org.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County Land Trust adds property next to the Ahnapee River