With support from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, Mississippi Valley Conservancy has expanded the Boscobel Bluffs State Natural Area by acquiring Bald Bluff, an 86-acre property in Grant County. Reported by WXOW and the Vernon Reporter, the addition brings the protected area to 475 acres and permanently conserves land shaped by decades of careful stewardship.
Bald Bluff has been managed by longtime landowners Jim and Rose Sime, who began restoring the prairie and woodland habitat in the 1980s through prescribed burns and invasive species removal and placed a conservation easement on the land in 1998. Today, the property supports more than 170 plant species, including several that are state-listed, and provides habitat for wildlife such as wild turkey, whitetail deer, and a range of birds. The newly protected land is open for public hiking, hunting, and nature appreciation.
The purchase was made possible with funds from the Wisconsin Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, along with additional conservation partners and a generous donation from the Simes.
“This acquisition allows us to continue the legacy of stewardship the Simes began,” said Abbie Church, conservation director at Mississippi Valley Conservancy.
Featured image from Mississippi Valley Conservancy
