'Like the Boundary Waters': Wisconsin county protects 1,100 acres around Gile Flowage

A small county in Wisconsin is celebrating a major conservation win after securing a large stretch of protected land around one of its most scenic waterways.

At a ceremony this week, Iron County officials celebrated the protection of about 1,100 acres around the Gile Flowage, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. County leaders said the purchase will keep a largely undeveloped stretch of shoreline and wetlands intact, giving the area a character similar to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

What happened?

The protected land surrounds the nearly 3,400-acre Gile Flowage in northern Wisconsin, a lake that Wisconsin Public Radio reported was built in the 1940s to store water for hydroelectric facilities on the Montreal River.

The purchase was finalized in December after about six years of work.

Forest administrator for Iron County Eric Peterson said the area's minimal development — with only a few nearby homes — makes it feel much like Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The $5.6 million acquisition also preserves 18 miles of shoreline, forested wetlands, and about 20 islands.

Peterson described what the purchase means for the public: "It's there for the public use, for recreating, for camping, for hiking, and just the protection of all of the acres in the forested wetlands that surround the Gile Flowage."

Why does it matter?

For a county with roughly 6,100 residents, the purchase represents a significant investment in preserving a shared outdoor space and preventing a rare natural landscape from being divided up or developed.

The land has been added to the Iron County Forest as a special-use property; according to Wisconsin Public Radio, any timber cutting will be limited to storm damage and disease control.

Cathy Techtmann, president of the nonprofit group Friends of the Gile Flowage, said keeping the property whole, rather than splitting it into smaller parcels, will protect wildlife corridors and fish habitat areas along the shoreline.

Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the project also preserves access in ceded territory for treaty-rights hunting, fishing, and gathering.

Most of the funding came from a $4.1 million NOAA-backed grant through the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, with about $1.5 million more from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.

What are people saying?

State officials and project partners weighed in on the purchase.

Mike Friis of the Wisconsin Department of Administration described the acquisition as a way to keep the land together while expanding habitat restoration possibilities.

"It keeps the land contiguously owned and offers broader habitat restoration opportunities," adding that "it's preservation in perpetuity, and a chance for the residents of Iron County and all of Wisconsin to come and see a special place and learn how important it is to protect these places."

After years of discussions with the county, Xcel Energy said it was also pleased with where the land ended up.

"We feel like it's landed in the right hands," said Sarah Schwartz, the utility's senior manager of siting and land rights. "We're excited that the land will be protected in perpetuity for the public."

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