Key characteristics:»Scatteredprairie,oaksavanna

remnants,andprairiepastures»Concentrationofrareand

declininggrasslandbirds»Broadopenhilltopsandriver

valleyswithsteepwoodedslopes»Highqualitywarmwaterstreams»Opportunitiesforlarge

scaleprairieandoaksavannarestoration

»Somecoldwaterresourcesinheadwaterstreams

Size:» 1,950squaremiles» 1,247,900acres

(3.5%ofWisconsin)

Population:» 93,000

(1.7%ofWisconsin’spopulation)

Notable species:»Grasslandbirdsincluding:

Henslow’ssparrow,Bell’svireo,loggerheadshrike,short-earedowl,harrier,uplandsandpiper,westernmeadowlark

»Badger»Smallmouthbass»Slendermadtom»Southernredbellydace»Regalfritillarybutterfly»Prairiebushclover»Americanfever-few»Bigandlittlebluestem

Natural communities:(See Appendix B for descriptions)»Dry-mesicprairie»Dryprairie»Oakopening»Oakwoodland

SouthwestSavannaecological landscape

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Oak savanna along the upper reaches of the Sugar River Madison

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Illinois

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 159

LegacyPlacesBV BlueMound-Blanchardville PrairieandSavannaBP BlueMoundStateParkFH FeverRiver- HardscrabblePrairieGR Grantand RattlesnakeRiversMM Monroe-MuraltPrairiePC PecatonicaRiver andGrasslandsPL PlatteRiverYL YellowstoneLake

Attributes and CharacteristicsThisecologicallandscapeischaracterizedbydeeplydissected,unglaciatedtopographywithbroadopenhilltops,flatfertilerivervalleys,andsteepwoodedslopes.Occupyingthesouth-facingslopeoftheMilitaryRidge,prairiesandsavannaswerethedominanthabitattypesinthisareapriortoEuro-Americansettlement.Dryprairiescoveredthehilltopsandgradedintomoremesicprairies,oaksavannasandoakwoodlandsdownslope.Therivervalleyswereoftenamixofhardwoodsincludingoak,mapleandelm.Thedominantlandusenowisagriculture,althoughfarmstypicallycontainacombinationofrowcrops,hayfields,andsmallwoodlots.

Severalgoodqualitywarmwaterstreamsflowthroughthelandscapeand,althoughimpactedbynon-pointpollution,supportdiversefisheriesaswell

assomerareaquaticspecies.Thewoodedslopesalongtheseriversareoftenmanagedforoak-hard-woodproduction.Insomecasesoakisbeingover-harvestedandtheseareasareconvertingtocherry,redmapleandhickory.“Relict”standsofpineoccuronbedrockoutcroppingsalongsomestreamsystems.

GivenitsproximitytoMadison,Rockford,Dubuque,andevenChicago,theareaisexperi-encingrapidchangesasformerfarmsaresplitupintohousingforcommutersandrecreationlandforpeoplethatliveoutsidethearea.

Conservation Needs and OpportunitiesFrombothastatewideandnationalperspective,apressingconservationconcernhasbeenthedramaticdeclineoverthepastseveraldecadesofmanygrasslandbirdssuchasHenslow’ssparrow,loggerheadshrike,greaterprairiechicken,andBell’svireo.Althoughdatashowingpopulationtrendsforgrasslandmammals,reptiles,amphibians,insectsandotherspecies

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Boscobel

Mineral Point

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Cuba City

Shullsburg

Darlington

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160 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report

Figure 96: Legacy Places and public conservation lands of the Southwest Savanna

LegacyPlacesandpublicconservationlandsSouthwestSavanna

Public Conservation Lands

State

Federal

County Forest

0 5 102.5Miles

LegacyPlacesBV BlueMound-Blanchardville PrairieandSavannaBP BlueMoundStateParkFH FeverRiver- HardscrabblePrairieGR Grantand RattlesnakeRiversMM Monroe-MuraltPrairiePC PecatonicaRiver andGrasslandsPL PlatteRiverYL YellowstoneLake

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Middleton

Monroe

Verona

Platteville

Dodgeville

Lancaster Mineral Point

Boscobel

Fennimore

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Shullsburg

Darlington

Prairiedu Chien

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LOWER WISCONSINWATERSHED

GRANT-PLATTEWATERSHED

SUGAR-PECATONICAWATERSHED

Figure 97: Legacy Places and Land Cover of the Southwest Savanna

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 161

LegacyPlacesandlandcoverSouthwestSavanna

Land Cover

Forest

Open Water

Open Wetland

Forested Wetland

Urban

Agriculture

Grassland

Shrubland

0 5 102.5Miles

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Eastern Hognose Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos), one playing dead

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American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

SouthwestSavannaecological landscape

Open Wetland 1%

Forested Wetland 0%

Open Water0% Urban

1%Forest17%

Shrubland0%

Grassland11%

Agriculture70%

Urban0%

Open Wetland 6%Forested

Wetland1%

Forest55%

Shrubland0%

Grassland14%

Agriculture24%

County Forest 0%

State1%

Federal0%

Other99%

(private land, roads, schools, cemetaries ,military lands, etc.)

162 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report

Figure 98: Land cover of the Southwest Savanna Figure 99: Public conservation and other land ownership in the Southwest Savanna

Figure 100: Land cover of public conservation lands in the Southwest Savanna

groupsarelacking,itisbelievedthatthefullrangeofgrasslandspecieshasplummeted.Theprimarycauseofthisdeclinehasbeenthelossandfragmentationofprairiesandoaksavannas.

Somehighqualityprairieremnantsremainontherockyhilltopsandslopesthatarenotsuitableforfarming.Althoughnearlyalloftheoaksavannashavebeenconvertedtoproductionagricultureorhavetransitionedtooakforests,asmallnumberofremnantsremainorarebeingrestoredinthisecologicallandscape.PrairiepasturesarescatteredthroughtheareaandasubstantialnumberoffarmfieldshavebeenenrolledinthefederalConservationReserveProgram.Together,theseremaininglandscomprisecriticalhabitatformanyraregrasslandbirds,invertebrates,mammals,andreptiles.Becauseofitssoil,existinglanduse,andtopography,theSouthwestSavannaecologicallandscapeoffersoneofWisconsin’sbestopportunitiesforthelarge-scalerestorationoffunctioningdryprairies,dry-mesicprairies,andoaksavanna,threeofthestate’srarestnaturalcommunities.Maintainingviablefarmingoperationsintheareawouldbeacriticalcomponentinanyoverallprotectionstrategytorestorefunctioninggrasslandecosystemshere.

Anumberofhighqualitystreamsflowthroughtheecologicallandscape.Severalofthecoldheadwaterstreamssupporttrout,withmanyofthelargerstreamsandriverssupportingvery

productivewarmwaterfisheries.Manystreamsandriversintheareaareimpairedbynon-pointpollutionandwouldbenefitfromcontinuedeffortstoestablishbuffersalongstreambanks.

Recreation Uses and OpportunitiesWiththeeasternsideofthisecologicallandscapeadjacenttoMadison,thereisgreatpotentialforthisareatohelpmeetmanyofthetypesofoutdoorrecreationforwhichdemandisrapidlygrowing.Hiking,cross-countryskiing,camping,picnicking,birdwatching,fishing,hunting,biking,paddling,andnaturestudy,amongotheractivities,couldbeaccommodatedhere.DespiteitsclosenesstoMadisonandtheassociateddemandforrecreation,thereisrelativelylittlepubliclandinthislandscape.BlueMounds,GovernorDodge,YellowstoneLake,andNewGlarusWoodsStateParksareallheavilyusedpublicproperties.TheBrowntown-CadizSpringsandMountVernonCreekFisheriesAreasprovidesomefishingopportunities.Two“rail-trails,”thePecatonicaStateTrailandtheCheeseCountryTrailarewithinthislandscapeandwillbelinkedtotheMilitaryRidgeandtheBadgerStateTrail,increasingtheirrecreationalopportunity.AtrailfromDarlingtontoNewGlarus,viaYellowstoneLake,wouldlikelybeverypopular.AnoffroadbikingtrailhasbeenestablishedatBlueMoundsanditislikelythatotherswouldbeequallywellused.

PublicConservationLands

Map# PropertyName Size (acres)1

State s1 Belmont Mound State Park 250s2 Blue Mound State Park2 970s3 Browntown-Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area 640s4 Hardscrabble Prairie State Natural Area 160s5 Mount Vernon Creek State Fishery Area 370s6 New Glarus Woods State Park 390s7 Yellowstone Lake State Park 730s8 Yellowstone Lake State Wildlife Area 4,210 Miscellaneous Lands3 1,935

Federal None

County Forest 4

None

TOTAL 9,655

1 Actual acres owned in this Ecological Landscape.2 This property also falls within adjacent Ecological Landscape(s).3 Includes public access sites, fish hatcheries, fire towers, streambank and non-point easements,

lands acquired under statewide wildlife, fishery, forestry, and natural area programs, small properties under 100 acres, and properties with fewer than 100 acres within this Ecological Landscape.

4 Locations and sizes of county owned parcels enrolled in the Forest Crop Law are presented here. Information on locations and sizes of other county and local parks in this Ecological Landscape is not readily available and is not included here, except for some very large properties.

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View across the Pecatonica River valley

SouthwestSavannaecological landscape

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 163

BV BlueMounds-BlanchardvillePrairieandSavannaSize................................LargeProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ModerateProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . SubstantialConservationSignificance. . . . . . .00000RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . .00000LyingsouthofBlueMounds,thisareacontainsmanyhighqualityprairieremnants,somelargeprairiepastures,andmanyfieldsenrolledintheConservationReserveProgram,allimbeddedinalarge,openagriculturalsetting.Manyraregrasslandspeciesoccurthroughoutthearea,includingHenslow’sandgrasshoppersparrows,sedgewren,loggerheadshrike,anduplandsandpiper.Althoughthereissignificantdevelopmentpressurehere,therearestillexcel-lentopportunitiestoexpandthesmallprairieandsavannaremnantsthatexistbyrestoringsomelandthatisnotwellsuitedforfarming.Maintainingopenspacebetweenthesepocketsofprairieandsavannawillbecrucialinkeep-ingtheseremnantsecologicallyfunctioning.Assuch,conservationeffortswouldneedtoutilizestrategiesthathelpkeepfarmingoperationsviablethroughoutthearea.TheDNRrecentlyconductedastatewideassessmentofplacesthatpresentedthebestopportunitiestorestorefunctioninggrasslandecosystems,basedonthequalityanduniquenessofexistinggrasslands,potentialforcreationoflarger,linkedsites,andhowvaluabletheywereforrarespecies.Thisisthehighest-rankedsiteinthestate.ThisareahasalsobeenidentifiedasoneoftwograsslandareaseligiblefortheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture’snewlyesta-blishedConservationReserveEnhancementProgram(CREP),whichwillbringsignificantfederalfundingtohelpmaintainandrestoregrasslands.TheNatureConservancyandotherprivateconservationgroupsareactivelywork-ingwithlandownersinavarietyofdifferentwaystohelpmaintainandrestoregrasslandandsavannahere.

Althoughthisareaisidentifiedprimarilyforitsprairieandsavannavalues,italsositsattheheadwatersoftheEastBranchofthePecatonicaRiver.Effortstorestorenativevegetation,particularlyalongheadwatercreeks,areexpectedtoimprovewaterqualityandbenefitthegameandnon-gamefisheriesthatexist.ManyofthetroutwatersintheEastBranchwatershedarepopularwithlocalanglers.WithMadison30milestotheeast,thisareadrawsmanyvisitorsandoffersanexcellentopportunitytoeducatethepublicontheneedsandopportunitiesforprotectingsomeofthestate’srarestnaturalcommunities.

BP BlueMoundStateParkSize................................SmallProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . SubstantialProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedConservationSignificance. . . . . . . . . 0000RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . .00000BlueMoundStateParkliesonthenorthernboundaryoftheSouthwestSavannaecologicallandscape.Itcontainssomeoakwoodlandandgrasslandareasthatareagradationbetweenthegrassland/savannalandscapetothesouthandthemoreheavilywoodedoakwoodlandstothenorth.Opportunitiesexisttoexpandtheparktothenorthtoincludehighqualityoakforestrepresentativeofthearea,aswellasmesicmaple-basswoodforestthatisrareinthisecologicallandscape.Expansionofprotectedlandstothesouthwouldprovideagradationfromhighqualitygrasslandcommunitiestooakwoodlands,whichisnotreadilyfoundelsewhereinthestate.AsaresultofitscloseproximitytoMadison,thispropertyisheavilyusedforhiking,biking,crosscountryskiing,picnicking,camping,andnaturestudy.Thepark’seasyaccesstoMadisonalsoresultsinsignificantdevelopmentpressurearoundthepark.

FH FeverRiver-HardscrabblePrairieSize..............................MediumProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . SubstantialConservationSignificance. . . . . . . . . . . .000RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00TheFever(Galena)RiverisoneofthehighestqualitywarmwaterriversinsouthwestWisconsin.Itsupportsanexcellentandpopularsmallmouthbassfishery.Manytributariesarehighgradient,coolwaterstreams.Thearea’sothernotablefeatureisthecollectionofhighqualityprairieremnantsconcentratedinthelowersectionsoftherivervalley.AlthoughsmallerthansomeoftheothergrasslandrestorationopportunitiesintheSouthwestSavannaecologicallandscape,thisareahasseveralverydiverse,richprairieremnants.TherearealsosomelargepasturesandseveralfieldsenrolledintheConservationReservePrograminthisareathathelpsupportthemanyrareprairieinsects,birdsandmammalsfoundhere.

GR GrantandRattlesnakeRiversSize..............................MediumProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . .ModerateConservationSignificance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00Inthisecologicallandscape,theheadwatersoftheseriversdrainhighlyproductivefarmfieldsandgrasslands.Smallpocketsofwoodsarefoundonthesteeperslopes.Troutarepresentinseveraloftheheadwaterstreamswiththelowerreachessupportingvariouswarmwaterspecies.Waterqualityinthissystemhasbeenaffectedtovaryingdegreesbyagriculturalrun-off.Theareacouldsupportseverallowimpactrecreationactivities.

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American Badger (Taxidea taxus)

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The delicate flower of Side-oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), a native prairie grass

SouthwestSavannaecological landscape

164 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report

MM Monroe-MuraltPrairieSize..............................MediumProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . SubstantialConservationSignificance. . . . . . .00000RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000LyingincentralGreenCountywestoftheSugarRiver,thisarealiesamongrollinghillscreatedbyanoldglacialmoraine.Itisprimarilyanopenagriculturallandscapewithsomepasturesandfallowfarmfields,butisexperiencingrapidruraldevelopment.Somehighqualityprairieremnantsoccurontherockyhilltopsandslopesthatarenottillable,andasmallnumberofprairiepasturesandoaksavannasstillexist.Wet-mesicprairiesexistalongthevalleyfloorsandmanyrareprairieplantsandinsectsoccurinpocketsthroughoutthearea.Thisareapresentsaverygoodopportunitytocombinetheprotectionofsignificantamountsoffarmlandwithlarge-scaleprairierestoration.Connectingscatteredprairieremnantswithrestoredprairie,fieldsenrolledintheConservationReserveProgram,orprairiepastureswouldprovidesubstantialecologicalbenefits.Workingwiththefarmingcommunitytofindwaystokeepanopen,agriculture-basedlandscapewouldalsobebeneficial.LinkingthisareatotheAlbanyWildlifeAreaandtheSugarRiverCorridorwouldoffermanyrecreationalandeducationalopportunitieswithin40milesofMadison.

PC PecatonicaRiverandGrasslandsSize................................LargeProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . SubstantialConservationSignificance. . . . . . . . . 0000RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000Thisareacontainshighqualityprairierem-nantsimbeddedinalarge,openagriculturallandscape.Severalprairiepasturesandoaksavannasstillexist.Theopenhilltopsaremostlycultivatedorgrazed,alongwithsomescatteredrestoredgrasslands.Oaksdominatethesteep-sidedslopes.Landsadjacenttothenumeroussmallstreamsareoftencultivatedorgrazed,althoughsomelowlandwoodedandshrubbyareasexist.Somewetmeadowsandshallowwatermarshesarefoundalongthefloodplaininoldmeanderchannelsandoxbows.Numerous

rarespeciesarefoundinboththeprairieremnantsandthePecatonicaRiverandsomeofitstributaries.ThePecatonicaRiversupportsalimitednumberoftroutintheheadwatersandsmallmouthbassinthelowerstretches.Aswiththeothergrasslandareasidentifiedinthisreport,workingwiththefarmingcommunitytofindwaystokeepanopen,agriculture-basedlandscapewouldneedtobepartofasuccessfulprotectionstrategy.Ofthehighqualityfarmlandscapesinthestate,thisareaisundergoingrelativelymodestlandusechangesandthusoffersanexcellentopportunityfortheconservationandfarmingcommunitiestoworkcollaborativelytomeetcommongoals.ItsrelativelycloseproximitytoMadisonandDubuquecouldoffermanyrecrea-tionalopportunitiessuchashunting,fishing,dayhiking,andcanoeingtoalargenumberofpeople.Continuedimplementationofsoundconservationpracticeswouldallowthetrout,smallmouthbass,andwarmwatersportfisheriestoimprove.Twotrails,thePecatonicaStateTrailandtheCheeseCountryTrail,occurhereandlinkingthesewiththeMilitaryRidgeandtheBadgerStateTrailwouldlikelybeverypopular.

PL PlatteRiverSize..............................MediumProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . .ModerateConservationSignificance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00ThisecologicallandscapecontainstheheadwatersofthePlatteRiver.LikethosethatfeedtheGrantandRattlesnakeriverstothewest,thesecool-watertributariesdrainalargelyagriculturallandscape.Smallpocketsofwoodsexistonthesteeperslopes.Troutarepresentinsomeoftheheadwatercreeks.

YL YellowstoneLakeSize................................SmallProtectionInitiated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . SubstantialProtectionRemaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LimitedConservationSignificance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0RecreationPotential . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0000ThesouthwesternpartofthestatehasfewlargewaterbodiesandYellowstoneLake,asthelargestimpoundmentinthearea,isaverypopularrecreationdestination.Twostateproperties,YellowstoneLakeStateParkandYellowstoneLakeStateWildlifeArea,provide

fishing,boating,hunting,camping,andmanytrailopportunities.Habitatsfoundonthesepropertiesincludegrassland,existingovergrownoaksavanna,oakwoodland,andmarsh,inadditiontothelake.ProtectingandrestoringadditionalareasaroundthesepropertiescouldprovideabufferaswellaspotentiallylinkthisareawitheithertheBlueMoundsorPecatonicagrassland/savannaareas.ApotentialbiketrailfromYellowstoneLaketoDarlingtonandtheCheeseCountryTrailwouldlikelybeverypopular.

Other Areas of InterestLeopold’sRileyCooperative(Dane County�)Intheearly1930s,AldoLeopoldwassearchingforaplacetoexperimentwithlandmanagementpracticesthatwouldbenefitgamespecies.TheareaaroundRiley,wheretheSugarRiverwoundthroughamixofcropland,pasture,oaksavanna,woodsandwetlands,caughthiseye.Localfarmerswerehavingproblemswithtrespassersshootingwhatlittlegameremained.Leopoldconvincedthefarmersandagroupoftownspeopleinterestedinhuntingtoworkcooperativelyonmanagementandoversightofthearea.The“RileyGameCooperative,”asitwasknown,becameafieldlaboratoryforLeopold’sdevelopingideasonconservationandhabitatmanagementinfarminglandscapes.Althoughhousinghasincreasedinthearea,muchofthearearemainsruralandcouldprovideauniqueopportunitytoeducatethepubliconLeopold’sworkandvision.TheMilitaryRidgeStateTrailrunsthroughthearea.

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