Patty Loew:
Next Wednesday the Wisconsin natural resources board is expected to approve a first of its kind project. The price tag, $125 million. It is described as pearls on a string and could bring recreational opportunities to a part of the state where there are no large areas of land left to preserve. "In Wisconsin" reporter Art Hackett shows you why this property between Milwaukee and Madison is so valuable to Jefferson County.

Man:
I'm told it's the third highest hill in Jefferson County and I can't--

Art Hackett:
Dalhart Holzheuter is talking about a 170 acre parcel of land southeast of Waterloo.

Dalhart Holzheuter:
My birthplace was right behind the hill here. My folks moved down to the Crawfish River. My grandfather's owned land in the area since 1916.

Art Hackett:
He rents out part of the land and maintains a grass course on the property for Lakeside Lutheran High School's cross-country team.

Dalhart Holzheuter:
I purchased it probably about 20 years ago and this was my retirement fund.

Art Hackett:
Holzheuter decided to tap that fund when his strawberry crops were flooded along the Crawfish River.

Dalhart Holzheuter:
I had an offer on the property up here from a developer for a million dollars. And I thought it would be much nicer if more people could have the view that is seen from up here than just a couple people.

Art Hackett:
And so the Wisconsin DNR is buying the property.

Steve Miller:
The property has a very beautiful topography. Great views and things like that. It really fits a concept of a park property.

Art Hackett:
But the purchase of Holzheuter's land in Jefferson County may be the beginning of an effort which began more than a year ago and which could continue over 30 years into the future.

Joe Nehmer:
The state legislature said to the DNR, “you're not going to own the entire state.” You need to have a plan and you need to identify the highest priority areas in Wisconsin for conservation, preservation and recreation.

Art Hackett:
The result was the land legacy report.

Steve Miller:
It really is a green print for looking ahead in Wisconsin to what ought to be protected.

Art Hackett:
Jefferson County began the first major effort to build from that green print. The result is the glacial heritage area.

Joe Nehmer:
We said we think we have some unique opportunities here in the Jefferson County area to meet the needs of Wisconsin residents. We are basically the last green space between Milwaukee and Madison. So as I like to say, it's not that we're necessarily that good, but it's where we're at.

Art Hackett:
The glacial heritage area defies description. It is not a county or state facility or a bike trail. It's actually all of the above. Working in conjunction with each other.

Art Hackett:
The project actually begins in southern Dodge County where the DNR already owns the Mud Lake and Waterloo wildlife areas. There are nearly a dozen other public conservation areas extending down into Rock County. The plan identifies half a dozen more properties to be considered for acquisition in the future. All would be tied together with a network of bike and pedestrian trails. The cluster is described as pearls on a string.

Joe Nehmer:
The pearls are valuable natural resource areas in Jefferson, Dodge, Dane and Rock counties. The string is the connection with the trail and connect one natural resource area to another and connect our communities with our natural resources area.

Art Hackett:
Jefferson County already has the Glacial Drumlin trail. The Wild Goose trail comes down from Fond du Lac but ends in southern Dodge County. The plan is to extend it to Fort Atkinson.

Phyllis Hanke:
County wide we would have a big system of trails great for off the road for many people who don't want to ride on the road.

Art Hackett:
Paddle sports enthusiasts like John McKenzie of Fort Atkinson hope the plan will help organize a waterway that runs from Mud Lake all the way to Lake Koshkonong.

John McKenzie:
We’ve got some great paddling here, and some great put-in, take-outs, but nobody knows where they are. And they don’t know how long it takes to get from on to the other. They don't know what the amenities are. That's what this is going to do.

Art Hackett:
The Jefferson County board endorsed the glacial heritage area by a lopsided 20-6 vote. Supervisor Jim Mode of Fort Atkinson was among the dissenters. He says his constituents, especially farmers, are concerned it would drive up the price of land.

Jim Mode:
I think appraisers appraise it and come up with a fair value. But when they're paying up to $4,000 for some land that really isn't prime farmland, that tends to run the price of the prime land up even higher.

Art Hackett:
DNR director of lands Steve Miller disputes this.

Steve Miller:
It's not a result of buying land for conservation and recreation purposes, it is the urban/suburban rural development.

Art Hackett:
Mode says it's also a problem of timing.

Jim Mode:
I think the state might be spending money on something like this rather than taking care of obligations that are with us at the present time.

Art Hackett:
The project would be funded from the $60 million a year the legislature has earmarked for the stewardship program. Glacial heritage project is estimated to cost $125 million but it is something that will happen over many years.

Steve Miller:
All the department can do is lay a vision for the future. If the money is there, we can move ahead. If for some reason the funding to implement this dries up because of some other decisions are made about stewardship in future legislatures, we can't control that.

Art Hackett:
The designation of the area makes it possible to buy properties like Holzheuter's hilltop when they're available to make them available to all.

Steve Miller:
It will be fairly easy to move when it moves into public ownership, to put up a parking lot and sign, here is how to use it, and people can get out there almost overnight. Mr. Holzheuter wants us to buy the gas to keep mowing the trails. We need the help.

Patty Loew:
Money for the project will come from the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Fund named for two former Wisconsin governors and has been around since 1989. The fund currently provides $60 million a year to purchase and preserve land for parks, wildlife areas and watersheds. One of the largest preservation projects to date, the Turtle Flambeau flowage in Iron County.