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Board approves three land actions: small sale at Osceola Hatchery, 98‑acre acquisition on White River, and 29‑acre Mead donation
Summary
The board approved a small boundary sale at Osceola Hatchery to resolve an encroachment, purchased 98 acres in the White River Fishery Area for $348,000 using multiple funds, and accepted a 29.23‑acre donation to the Mead Wildlife Area; DNR described public‑access and stewardship plans for each parcel.
On Oct. 23 the Natural Resources Board approved three real‑estate items:
• A sale of a 0.103‑acre strip at Osceola Hatchery (Polk County) to Timothy and Susan Demang for the appraised price ($2,160) to resolve a building encroachment, with the buyers paying surveying costs and installing a fence to mark the boundary.
• Acquisition of ~98 acres in the White River Fishery Area (Bayfield County) for $348,000 to add 6,700 feet of frontage on Class 1 and Class 2 trout waters and to expand contiguous public access. DNR said funding will come from three sources: $157,000 from Act 20 SFR funds (leftover funds assigned to fisheries), $118,000 from fishery program cash revenues derived from past land sales, and $72,000 from the Knowles‑Nelson Stewardship Fund. The department said the property will be open to multiple nature‑based uses (fishing, hiking, hunting, trapping, skiing) and staff will maintain a minimal footprint (hand‑brushing trails, small walk‑in launch) to protect wetlands and trout habitat.
• Acceptance of a 29.23‑acre donation to the Mead Wildlife Area (Portage County) from James and Sherry Weber. The property includes upland woods, former cranberry beds and wetland infrastructure; prior structures were removed and wells properly abandoned under DNR oversight. Staff requested a certificate of appreciation to be sent to the donors.
All three items passed on voice votes. Board members emphasized the public‑access and habitat protection benefits of the White River acquisition and praised staff for negotiating the deals and for stewardship planning.
