Juneau county receives DNR funding to improve public lands

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Juneau and Pierce counties will receive funding from the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund to improve public lands, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced.

The funds will go to habitat restoration projects at the Cranberry Creek Mound Group State Natural Area in Juneau County. Additional funds will go to Pierce County Islands Wildlife Area in Pierce County.

“The Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund is an important source of habitat restoration funding for our public lands. The annual distribution is growing, and we hope to support more work each year,” Sarah Barry, Deputy Secretary of the DNR said.

According to the DNR, the Cherish fund gives support to habitat management and ecological restoration on Wisconsin’s public land. This includes areas such as parks, trails, wildlife and fishery areas, recreation areas and forests. The money is raised through donations people give when they buy hunting or fishing licenses.

“When Wisconsin hunters, anglers and nature enthusiasts donate an extra $5 to Cherish – or whatever amount they want – they’re supporting some of our state’s highest conservation priorities. We can accomplish a lot when we all pitch in,” said David Clutter, executive director of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

The DNR said Cranberry Creek is a high-priority restoration project, and that the funding will be important to maintaining one of the largest mounds in the Midwest.

“The Cherish funding for the Cranberry Creek Native American Mound group project will help maintain a culturally and ecologically significant landscape by preparing it for prescribed fire in the future while respectfully maintaining and protecting historical linear and conical mounds,” Tim Holme, crew lead for the state natural area said.

Click here to download the NBC15 News app or our NBC15 First Alert weather app.