Natural Areas Restoration in Your Milwaukee County …...Natural Areas Management in the Milwaukee...
Transcript of Natural Areas Restoration in Your Milwaukee County …...Natural Areas Management in the Milwaukee...
Natural Areas Management in
the Milwaukee County Parks
A Cooperative Effort Between the Milwaukee
County Department of Parks, Recreation and
Culture and the University of Wisconsin
Cooperative Extension
Natural Areas of the Milwaukee County Park System
10,000 Acres
7% of the Entire County
3 SNA
Nearly 700 Plant Species
Major Migration Corridor
WI Ecological Tension Zone
Mission Statement: Blending Milwaukee County’s Diverse and Unique Natural Areas
With Its Culturally Rich Communities to Preserve and Nurture Its
Natural Heritage for Current and Future Generations
Natural areas are as much a part of our culture and heritage as music, literature, and Milwaukee County’s ethnic festivals.
Initial Challenges
• Past History
• Lack of Management Data
• Internal & External Perceptions
• Misuse and Degradation of Resources
• Financial and Staffing Limitations
• Lack of Partnerships
• Limited on the ground control <100 acres per year
• Entrenched Infestations
• No Vision or Goals for dealing with Invasive Species
Urban Conservation
vs
“Traditional” Rural Conservation
• Science
• Sociology
• Logistics
• Realistic Accomplishments
Invasive Species
38 Species Currently Managed
15 Species that have rapid response level populations
11 Species that have populations that can be significantly reduced in
the next 5-10 years
12 species that are thoroughly entrenched and require long-term
sustained control commitments
Natural Areas Education
• Service Learning Programs
• Internship Program
• Corporate Work Days
• Field Trips
• Public Presentations
• Publications & Media
• Restoration Work Days
Developing Internal Policies
• Agricultural Lease Policy
• Geo-caching Policy
• Natural Areas Contractor Standards
• Handbooks-Interns & Volunteers
• Natural Resource Inventories
• Hiking Trail Guidelines
Vegetative & Invasives Surveys
Mapping and Consolidating
Natural Area Trails
70 + Miles of “Social
Trails” reduced to 40 Miles of
Designated Trails
Reduces Invasive Specie
Introduction Sites
Improves Wildlife Habitat
Reduces Soil Erosion &
Compactions
Staff Skill Development
• GPS (Trimble) & ArcGIS
• Data Collection and Entry
• Plant & Wildlife Identification Skills
• Community Organization & Interaction
• Educational Material Development
• Invasive Species Management
• Pesticide Application & Prescribed Burns
• Big Picture Thinking
Developing Natural Areas
Restoration & Management Plans
• Vision, goals, objectives
• Inventories of existing resources
• Project layout, timelines, budgets
• Materials and methods
• Evaluations and modifications
2009-2011 Partnership Totals
6,900+ Volunteers
40,000+ Hours Donated
70+ Partnerships Organizations
1,200 acres of Annual Control Activities
AmeriCorps
Park Friends Groups
Student Conservation Association
Private Citizens
University Students
Not- for -Profits Scouts
School Districts
Corporate Partners
The Park People
Neighborhood Associations
Local Municipalities State Agencies
Federal Agencies
SEWISC
Where Are We Going Next??
• Develop a Comprehensive Internal
Invasive Species Policy
• Use ArcGIS and Vegetative Survey Data
to create probability maps
• Finish Restoration & Management Plans
for All Natural Areas within the Park
System
• Continue to develop partnerships that
share knowledge, resources, and
ultimately success