Long meetings, piles of
correspondence, conference calls and unending emails are not what most people
would relish over the short months of a Wisconsin summer. But, land
transactions often require negotiations that can seem endless.
Lockman Property Links Ice Age Trail
By Mary Jo Joyce
Long meetings, piles of
correspondence, conference calls and unending emails are not what most people
would relish over the short months of a Wisconsin summer. But, land
transactions often require negotiations that can seem endless.
Those engaged on behalf of land preservation efforts here, worked quietly toward an important real estate closing which, on September 12 of this year, finally put the matter to rest.
A partnership between Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation, Inc., West Bend Mutual Insurance Company, Ice Age Trail Foundation, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, has provided for the completion of a transaction which adds just under 40 acres of countryside to contiguous preserved land in the mid-kettle moraine region.
Preservation efforts were originally initiated by West Bend Mutual in early 2005. Combined efforts by partnering agencies have now successfully extended the Ice Age Trail, buffered land within important watersheds, and strengthened a boundary agreement between the City and Town of West Bend which was designed to keep areas of environmental significance out of harm’s way.
On the north side of Paradise Drive, across from nature trails and prairie owned by West Bend Mutual Insurance Company, in the Town of West Bend, was a parcel referred to as the Lockman Estates. Acres resting in the heart of environmental corridor were in developer’s sights at close range, prompting the engagement of partners in land conservation. Homes there would have permanently dislocated a natural extension of Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail.
Successful negotiations have now rescued the Lockman acreage from the fate of ill-considered home construction. Instead, the ultimate path of the Ice Age Trail can now be reviewed, and hikers will eventually enjoy improved access. Land stretching from the tip of Ridge Run near Highway 33, and surrounding Lucas Lake, may now be part of an unencumbered greenbelt that reaches south to Paradise Drive. Habitat within the linked properties has already begun to enjoy an added layer of security.
Years earlier, areas within the newly protected Lockman property were highlighted in studies conducted by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) as primary environmental corridor. The entire parcel is classified by SEWRPC as containing high or medium quality wildlife habitat.
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company has long had an interest in seeing the property, adjacent to that which they already own, preserved. Their magnificent gift made preservation possible, and the community owes a debt of gratitude to Tony Warren and John Dedrick for their leadership in this project.
Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation provided additional funds and negotiated the interests of all parties and finished the closing. The Ice Age Trail Foundation will continue to work with the Girl Scouts of America to memorialize portions of the trail which currently follow a course along the western edge of Lucas Lake.
What once seemed impossible is now undeniable, steady progress represented by a significant tract of land which is home to high quality habitat. Even more rewarding, tangible results will be treasured for generations to come and diligence exercised by partners in this transaction has fostered an increased appreciation for thoughtful land use. Our thanks to the principal negotiators at West Bend Mutual, and the many volunteers who worked with this Foundation to make it possible!
Cedar Lakes
Conservation Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 347
West Bend, Wisconsin 53095
AskCLCF@clcf.info