The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin (NRF) recently announced that the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund will be directing over $100,000 towards six vital habitat projects scattered across Wisconsin's Dane, Dodge, Fond Du Lac, Ozaukee, and Wood counties, according to a statement posted on the DNR's website. This injection of funds is earmarked for a variety of conservation endeavors designed to enrich the state’s wildlife habitat.
With the fall hunting season in full swing, the DNR and NRF are encouraging hunters to pitch in for conservation by making donations to the Cherish Fund while they’re out purchasing their licenses, this fund relies heavily on these voluntary contributions gathered via the Go Wild portal or directly on the NRF's Cherish Fund webpage, which are then channeled back into Wisconsin's diverse ecosystems. According to the DNR, David Clutter, executive director at the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, highlighted the value of public engagement, saying, "Our state's public lands are really something special. We're glad to give the public an easy way to help protect them so they can be enjoyed forever.”
The projects funded by grants include activities such as invasive species removal, habitat enhancements for rare and threatened species, native species planting following prescribed burns, and provision of equipment to support volunteer-led restoration efforts.
Singular grants support specific initiatives like the augmentation of prairie land at Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area in Dodge County and the first phase of habitat improvement at Kettle Moraine State Forest's Ice Age Visitor Center Complex in Fond Du Lac County, DNR Secretary Karen Hyun underscored the impact of these projects by saying, “Protecting and preserving critical habitat in Wisconsin helps ensure that these locations will remain accessible to hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts for generations to come.” Engaged stakeholder groups, which read like a who's who of conservation organizations, including Ducks Unlimited and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, were integral in selecting the projects that ensure such outcomes, according to the DNR.
The creation of the Cherish Wisconsin Outdoors Fund, a testament to the state's commitment to safeguard natural habitats, came about through an act of the Wisconsin State Legislature back in 2012. This endowment enables Wisconsinites and visitors alike to invest in the very natural wonders that they have grown to cherish, ensuring that these public lands remain vibrant and teeming with life for the generations that are yet to walk the woods and cast lines in the waters of Wisconsin. For more details on the fund and its initiatives, interested parties can learn more via the DNR's announcement.
