Bear Creek in the summer. (Photo courtesy of Carrie Ehrfurth/Door County Land Trust)
DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A scenic 75-acre property in southern Door County has recently been added to the Door County Land Trust’s roster of protected properties.
The site of a former dairy farm in the town of Clay Banks features a half-mile of Bear Creek that flows into Lake Michigan.
Its open fields, wetlands, native forest, bluffs and 50-foot stream banks are habitats for migratory birds, grassland and wetland breeding birds, and native pollinators.
“It’s an exciting and unique property to protect,” says Land Program Director Jesse Koyen. “The perennial stream of Bear Creek is of great water quality and extends these benefits into Lake Michigan. With the changing landscape and climate, waterways such as these are vital to an area’s water quality overall. Protecting the land around Bear Creek, which acts as a cleaning filter for surface water, ensures that the watershed—which is a DNR Fisheries priority watershed—remains healthy.”
The plan is to restore some former agriculture fields to grasslands and further expand the interior forest by planting trees. The trust says an increase in grassland habitat supports pollinators and grassland birds, which are in decline. The expansion of the forest will provide additional cover and nesting opportunities for migratory and breeding birds.
As the new Bear Creek Nature Preserve, it will offer visitors activities such as hiking, cross-country skiing, and fishing, and especially birdwatching, photography, and wildlife observation.
In 2024, the Land Trust will begin planning for trails, boardwalks, overlooks and bridges, including a feasibility study of including ADA accessible amenities wherever possible.
The Land Trust depends upon funds from the community to purchase, restore, and make infrastructure improvements to significant properties like Bear Creek. The organization’s fundraising efforts for this project are still in the initial stages. Until the end of 2023, first time gifts to the Door County Land Trust Land Acquisition Fund will be matched to double donations.
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