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DNR board approves Tishkin wildlife addition, new Adams ranger station site
Summary
The Natural Resources Board approved two land purchases Sept. 24: a 34.39‑acre bargain sale adding to the Tishkin Wildlife Area in Racine County, funded by NAWCA and the Stewardship program; and a 7.62‑acre site for a new Adams forestry ranger station, funded from capital development.
The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board voted Sept. 24 to approve two land acquisitions for department use.
Tishkin Wildlife Area (Racine County). The board approved acquiring 34.39 acres from Reinke Homestead LLC for a bargain sale price of $327,000. Terry Bay, director of the Bureau of Facilities and Lands, said the parcel fronts Tishkin Lake for about one‑third of a mile, abuts department lands on two sides and is currently used for hiking, hunting and a designated snowmobile trail. Funding will come from a $60,000 award through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and $267,000 from the Warren Knowles‑Gaylord Nelson Stewardship Program. Bay said the property will remain open to hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking and cross‑country skiing, and that the acquisition will improve management efficiencies and allow unified prescribed burning on adjacent upland ridges.
Adams Station (Adams County). The department is authorized to acquire 7.62 acres from Crossroads Enterprise LLC as a new site for a forestry ranger station; purchase price on the board record is $198,500 (department staff corrected an earlier internal note of $234,000 during the meeting). The new, commercially zoned parcel along State Highway 13 will provide room for a modern heated storage shop, vehicle turning radiuses and offices that support public safety, wildlife and resource protection staff. Bay said the existing ranger station is undersized and was constructed in 1940.
Both acquisitions passed by voice vote. Patty Schachtner moved approval for the Tishkin purchase; Rachel Barresa offered the second. Rachel Barresa moved approval for the Adams Station site; Jeff Hastings seconded. The board noted public‑land access benefits and the contributions of local partners and sellers in making the purchases possible.
Votes at a glance
- Tishkin Wildlife Area acquisition (Ranke/Reinke Homestead LLC), 34.39 acres; purchase price $327,000; funding: $60,000 (NAWCA), $267,000 (Stewardship Program); outcome: approved. - Adams Station acquisition (Crossroads Enterprise LLC), 7.62 acres; purchase price $198,500; funding: capital development; outcome: approved.
Speakers and staff quoted in this item appeared in the Sept. 24 board meeting transcript.
