By Mary Jo Joyce
Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation is one of the oldest land trusts in the state of Wisconsin. After 30 years working to preserve landscapes in southeastern Wisconsin, their progress can be clearly shown on a map. Without the Stewardship Fund and a partnership strong in mutual objectives, however, much of what has been accomplished by the land trust would have been impossible.
The Stewardship Fund preserves special lands, habitat and quality of life. Countless residents and visitors who enjoy Wisconsin’s unique Kettle Moraine region may be unaware that the Stewardship Fund has been the lifeblood of conservation efforts there and around the state.
It may appear on a map that conservation efforts have preserved just a patch of woodland or a landscape here and there. But those who take time to stop the car and hit the trails will quickly form a deeper impression of just what makes land conservation so special.
 Within each property conserved, a tapestry of natural, geological and anthropological history tells a story that connects with the present and will reach beyond our own lifetime. “Unlocking the history, finding those special properties and a path toward preservation, is just part of the contribution private land trusts can make,” explained Geoff Maclay, president and founder of Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation.
Without partnerships, government programs and nonprofit organizations can be stretched beyond their individual capacity to be effective. “Land conservation requires planning, patience and purchase power. State programs often compete for funding and staff. When more parcels and people are involved in each property, forming personal relationships is as important as knowing the lay of the land,” Maclay said. “Private land trusts have the ability to be eyes, ears and liaison to government programs in areas that would benefit from land conservation.”
Opportunities to work in tandem with the Stewardship program have allowed true progress toward what has long been a priority for conservationists in southeastern Wisconsin: the preservation of natural areas between the northern and southern units of Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest, or the mid-kettle moraine region.
Years of study and negotiations have allowed the partnership of Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation and the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund to piece together three important parcels in the mid-kettle moraine. This project has also enjoyed the support of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation and will eventually extend the statewide trail system. The area commonly referred to as the Polk Kames now provides an impenetrable barrier to the expansion of residential subdivisions that would otherwise creep northward to the watershed.
Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation director Jerry Gensch has long worried about the fate of the Polk Kames area. “I’ve been hiking there for about twenty years and talking about the importance of the land at every opportunity. I remember feeling a sense of relief when I learned partnering organizations were working to protect the area. It was wonderful to eventually learn it was safe from development and would be there for future generations to enjoy,” he explained.
When asked what he loves most about properties preserved with the help of the Stewardship Fund, Gensch quickly replied, “I love to ask folks to give me a call so I can invite them to hike, ski or snowshoe. Once there, they often comment on the beauty and natural condition of the land. I stop them long enough to explain that they just need to get over the next hill – it only gets better!”
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