LA CROSSE -- One of the most unique geological areas in the country, if not the world, is the so-called Driftless Area.
Much of southwest Wisconsin is included in the 24,000 square miles of the area, which also encompasses parts of Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
For reasons unknown, the glaciers did not drift over this region, instead pushing rocks and debris ahead of it and leaving unique landforms and geological features, some of which date to prehistoric times.
Now, an effort has begun to preserve this region, and its multiple waterways, forever. The effort is called DARE.
DARE stands for the Driftless Area Restoration Effort. It was formally announced on April 19, at a press conference in La Crosse that included Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Congressman Ron Kind, U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey and other luminaries.
While the press conference featured some people in high-up places, much of the work will be done at the grassroots level with cleanup of streams, working with farmers on more environmental-friendly practices and other projects.
Jeff Hastings, the former Vernon County conservationist, has been hired by Trout Unlimited to coordinate DARE.
Restoration of the West Fork and Timber Coulee in Vernon County are being used as models for what could be done overall. Coon Creek, also in Vernon County, has been cited as the pioneer site for watershed restoration.
“We are in the cradle of conservation efforts,” Rey said at the press conference. “The Natural Resources Conservation Service cut its teeth by helping to improve farming practices in the Driftless Area in the 1930s.
“Through farm bill conservation programs, we will continue to improve the health, diversity and productivity of these watersheds and the quality of lives for the people that live in them.”
The task is huge. The Driftless area includes the state governments of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. The federal government also will be involved. Environmental, outdoor groups and other advocacy organizations also will be involved.
But, DARE could have some big payoffs. As Laura Hewitt of Trout Unlimited (TU) said at a recent meeting in Madison, “We like to think everybody benefits from clean water.”
Studies do show that the benefit of cleaning up streams goes to farmers, land owners along the waterways and others, as well as the fishers.
Economic Impact
A TU study of the Kickapoo River and its neighbor Timber Coulee showed that spending by trout anglers rose from $190,700 in 1993 to $1,103,100 in 1999, after the waterways were restored. Spending by canoeists rose from $342,400 in 1993 to $1,280,800 in 1999.
In a county with a per capita income of 64 percent of the state average, the revenue generated from these activities increased the income of a number of small communities. It’s estimated that 85 jobs were created in Vernon County with ties to fishing, canoeing and other tourism related to the stream restoration.
Wisconsin is not the only state to provide such an example. In Fillmore and Houston counties in Minnesota, restoration of the Root River, and a trail along it for bicyclists, roller bladers and hikers had a reported $1.5 million impact in 2000 alone.
Lawton said the restoration efforts will improve the environment and provide work. “The actual restoration of these rivers and streams requires skilled operators of heavy machinery and provides family-supporting jobs,” she said. “To complete this project, we will need people to slope back the eroded stream bank and stabilize and reseed with native prairie grass. Restoring the Driftless Area holds promise to be a huge jobs program for the region.”
More recently, the Driftless Area Initiative has looked at broad issues facing the area. DARE will cooperate with that Initiative.
The most recent effort developed in part from a TU report called, “The Driftless Area: A Landscape of Opportunities.” The conclusion of the report includes a Call to Action:
“This report is a call to action. Trout Unlimited hopes it will bring together the significant expertise and resources of the dedicated stewards of the land with those who are economically and recreationally committed to the region. Our goal is to not only help bring broader attention to the needs of this remarkable resource, but also to outline a course of action that we believe will help lead to the restoration of watersheds, streams and rivers, and ultimately, the communities we call home within this ancient landscape.”
Hewitt said that TU has a minimum of a five-year commitment to DARE and that is seen “as a start.” A number of grassroots cleanups projects and other regional efforts already aren underway this summer.
In addition to concentrating on sustaining the environment, some people involved with DARE have also seen the effort as an opportunity to brand and promote the Driftless Area.
One idea would include signing that designated when a traveler was entering the Driftless Area, similar to the signage in the Badlands of South Dakota and other areas. More promotion of the area through media and other vehicles also has been discussed.
But, the discussions have emphasized that any tourism promotion has to fit into the overall goals of DARE and encourage low impact use such as canoeing, fishing and hunting, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities.
Much of southwest Wisconsin is included in the 24,000 square miles of the area, which also encompasses parts of Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
For reasons unknown, the glaciers did not drift over this region, instead pushing rocks and debris ahead of it and leaving unique landforms and geological features, some of which date to prehistoric times.
Now, an effort has begun to preserve this region, and its multiple waterways, forever. The effort is called DARE.
DARE stands for the Driftless Area Restoration Effort. It was formally announced on April 19, at a press conference in La Crosse that included Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Congressman Ron Kind, U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey and other luminaries.
While the press conference featured some people in high-up places, much of the work will be done at the grassroots level with cleanup of streams, working with farmers on more environmental-friendly practices and other projects.
Jeff Hastings, the former Vernon County conservationist, has been hired by Trout Unlimited to coordinate DARE.
Restoration of the West Fork and Timber Coulee in Vernon County are being used as models for what could be done overall. Coon Creek, also in Vernon County, has been cited as the pioneer site for watershed restoration.
“We are in the cradle of conservation efforts,” Rey said at the press conference. “The Natural Resources Conservation Service cut its teeth by helping to improve farming practices in the Driftless Area in the 1930s.
“Through farm bill conservation programs, we will continue to improve the health, diversity and productivity of these watersheds and the quality of lives for the people that live in them.”
The task is huge. The Driftless area includes the state governments of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. The federal government also will be involved. Environmental, outdoor groups and other advocacy organizations also will be involved.
But, DARE could have some big payoffs. As Laura Hewitt of Trout Unlimited (TU) said at a recent meeting in Madison, “We like to think everybody benefits from clean water.”
Studies do show that the benefit of cleaning up streams goes to farmers, land owners along the waterways and others, as well as the fishers.
Economic Impact
A TU study of the Kickapoo River and its neighbor Timber Coulee showed that spending by trout anglers rose from $190,700 in 1993 to $1,103,100 in 1999, after the waterways were restored. Spending by canoeists rose from $342,400 in 1993 to $1,280,800 in 1999.
In a county with a per capita income of 64 percent of the state average, the revenue generated from these activities increased the income of a number of small communities. It’s estimated that 85 jobs were created in Vernon County with ties to fishing, canoeing and other tourism related to the stream restoration.
Wisconsin is not the only state to provide such an example. In Fillmore and Houston counties in Minnesota, restoration of the Root River, and a trail along it for bicyclists, roller bladers and hikers had a reported $1.5 million impact in 2000 alone.
Lawton said the restoration efforts will improve the environment and provide work. “The actual restoration of these rivers and streams requires skilled operators of heavy machinery and provides family-supporting jobs,” she said. “To complete this project, we will need people to slope back the eroded stream bank and stabilize and reseed with native prairie grass. Restoring the Driftless Area holds promise to be a huge jobs program for the region.”
More recently, the Driftless Area Initiative has looked at broad issues facing the area. DARE will cooperate with that Initiative.
The most recent effort developed in part from a TU report called, “The Driftless Area: A Landscape of Opportunities.” The conclusion of the report includes a Call to Action:
“This report is a call to action. Trout Unlimited hopes it will bring together the significant expertise and resources of the dedicated stewards of the land with those who are economically and recreationally committed to the region. Our goal is to not only help bring broader attention to the needs of this remarkable resource, but also to outline a course of action that we believe will help lead to the restoration of watersheds, streams and rivers, and ultimately, the communities we call home within this ancient landscape.”
Hewitt said that TU has a minimum of a five-year commitment to DARE and that is seen “as a start.” A number of grassroots cleanups projects and other regional efforts already aren underway this summer.
In addition to concentrating on sustaining the environment, some people involved with DARE have also seen the effort as an opportunity to brand and promote the Driftless Area.
One idea would include signing that designated when a traveler was entering the Driftless Area, similar to the signage in the Badlands of South Dakota and other areas. More promotion of the area through media and other vehicles also has been discussed.
But, the discussions have emphasized that any tourism promotion has to fit into the overall goals of DARE and encourage low impact use such as canoeing, fishing and hunting, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities.
Gregg Hoffmann is a veteran journalist, author and publisher of Midwest Diamond Report and Old School Collectibles Web sites. Hoffmann, a retired senior lecturer in journalism at UWM, writes The State Sports Buzz and Beyond Milwaukee on a monthly basis for OMC.
