Archived: 3000 Acres – NCCT’s Legacy of Success

3000 Acres Robertson(1)During the 2012-13 fiscal year, NCCT completed easements on three properties that totaled 292 acres. The first easement to be completed was Nancy Stevenson’s easement that was signed in the last week of December. The Stevenson easement permanently protects a 40-acre bird sanctuary in the Town of Linwood, Portage County.  Nancy and her late husband purchased the property along Mill Creek in 1967.  Her 45-year record of birds using the property includes 88 nesting species among a total of 179 species.  This represents perhaps the longest and most complete record of a bird habitat in central Wisconsin.

In February of 2013, NCCT completed its first conservation easement on public land. The 35 acre Benn Conservancy, located adjacent to the Rosholt School District, was established by James E. Benn and Louise Benn Bernard to support conservation education and to provide public access to families in the Village of Rosholt. The Benn family decided to donate the property to Rosholt School District along with a conservation easement to NCCT to ensure the property would be protected in perpetuity.

In late April, NCCT and the Robertson Family Limited Partnership signed NCCT’s latest easement, on a 218-acre property located in the Town of Marion, Waushara County. The Robertson property is a working farm, with 148 acres in Managed Forest Law Program. The easement contains part of a sylvan lake, with an underdeveloped shoreline and more than 60 acres of relatively natural native forest and savanna ecosystems, providing significant habitat for wildlife and plant communities. The signing of this easement was significant as it pushed the total number of acres permanently protected by NCCT easements to well over 3,000 acres (3,139.62 acres to be exact!).
NCCT is grateful to have contributors like Nancy Stevenson, James Benn, Louise Benn Benard, and Allan and Joan Robertson, who care deeply about protecting the beautiful central Wisconsin landscape where we work, play, and live. Conservation easements help protect in perpetuity quality habitats, species diversity, watersheds, and beautiful places with inspiring histories.

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