Baird Creek Preservation Foundation Inc

THE BAIRD CREEK PRESERVATION FOUNDATION HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE FIVE PARCELS OF LAND WITHIN THE BAIRD CREEK WATERSHED THAT WILL BOTH PROTECT THESE PARCELS FROM DEVELOPMENT AND ALLOW THE FOUNDATION TO COMMENCE RESTORATION WORK ON THE PARCELS. TWO PARCELS, HORKMAN PURCHASE, IS ADJACENT TO 34 ACRES THE FOUNDATION PURCHASED IN 2012 AND WE NOW HAVE THE CHANCE TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL 46 ACRES TO THE RESTORATION PROJECT AREA. BY ACQUIRING THIS ADDITIONAL ACREAGE, WE CAN PRESERVE AND IMPROVE WATER QUALITY TO BAIRD CREEK BY PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL NATURAL BUFFER TO THE CHANNEL OF BAIRD CREEK THAT RUNS THROUGH THE PROPERTY AND FEEDS FROM TRIBUTARIES OUT INTO HUMBOLDT AND EATON TOWNSHIP FARMLAND. THESE PARCELS WILL ALLOW FOR LARGE SCALE HABITAT RESTORATION OF WETLAND AND UPLAND PRAIRIE. FUNCTIONAL GAINS OF THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN FLORISTIC INTEGRITY CONTROL OF INVASIVE SPECIES, INCREASING NATIVE FLORISTIC DIVERSITY , STORM AND FLOOD WATER STORAGE, WATER QUALITY PROTECTION, AND WILDLIFE HABITAT ADDITION OF HABITAT STRUCTURE, CONTIGUOUS HABITAT CORRIDORS, AND FORAGING RESOURCES . THE OTHER THREE PARCELS, GERSEK PURCHASE, WILL PROTECT THE 12.96 ACRES THAT ARE IN A PRIME AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT. IT WILL CREATE A LINK BETWEEN THE BAIRD CREEK GREENWAY AND 20 ACRES OF LANDLOCKED GREENSPACE THAT THE CITY OF GREEN BAY OWNS TO THE WEST AND WILL CREATE A CORRIDOR AND A COMMITMENT FROM THE CITY OF GREEN BAY TO ROLE THOSE WESTERN 20 ACRES INTO LONG-TERM PROTECTION BY MAKING ALL OF THE ACRES PART OF THE BAIRD CREEK GREENWAY ACREAGE. THE FOUNDATION WILL BE RESTORING STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ON THE THREE PARCELS AS WELL AS DOING RESTORATIVE WORK TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE FOREST AND PRAIRIE AREAS.

ACQUISITION OF 24 ACRES OF THE KIELPIKOWSKI TRUST TRACT FROM WILLING SELLERS

BAIRD CREEK RIPARIAN HABITAT PROTECTION

BAIRD CREEK PROPERTY ACQUISITION

THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, A CONSERVATION AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA, (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE USFWS) AND THE BAIRD CREEK PRESERVATION FOUNDATION, INC., A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH AN INTEREST IN ECOLOGICAL PRESERVATION, RECREATION, AND EDUCATION IN THE BAIRD CREEK WATERSHED (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS BCPF).COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PURPOSE: BCPF AIMS TO SUPPORT POPULATIONS OF THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED RUSTY PATCHED BUMBLE BEE THROUGH RESTORATION OF NATIVE SPECIES AND HABITATS THROUGHOUT ITS 500 ACRE BAIRD CREEK GREENWAY IN BROWN COUNTY, WI. BCPF SOUGHT USFWS FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO REMOVE INVASIVE SPECIES AND RESTORE NATIVE FLOWERING PLANTS ACROSS MULTIPLE HABITAT TYPES TO SUPPORT RUSTY PATCHED BUMBLEBEE AND OTHER POLLINATORS. ACCORDING TO THE USFWSS RUSTY PATCHED BUMBLE BEE HABITAT MODEL, THE BAIRD CREEK GREENWAY FALLS WITHIN A HIGH POTENTIAL ZONE FOR THE SPECIES, MAKING IT A HIGH PRIORITY AREA FOR TARGETED HABITAT CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION WORK. WORK INCLUDES THE ENHANCEMENT OF WOODLANDS AND REMNANT GRASSLANDS DEGRADED BY INVASIVE SPECIES ENCROACHMENT AND SUCCESSION AND THE RESTORATION OF PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED LANDS, INCLUDING ANNUAL CROPLAND AND TURF GRASS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL EXPAND UPON WORK ALREADY COMPLETED BY BCPF AND WILL CREATE A HIGH QUALITY CORRIDOR FOR MOVEMENT, FORAGING, NESTING, AND OVERWINTERING OF POLLINATORS. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE USFWS PARTNERS FOR FISH WILDLIFE PROGRAMS MISSION TO BENEFIT FEDERAL TRUST SPECIES THROUGH VOLUNTARY HABITAT RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT ON PRIVATE LANDS AND THE ECOLOGICAL SERVICES MISSION TO PROMOTE THE RECOVERY OF IMPERILED SPECIES. ADDITIONALLY, BCPFS STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND THE GREENWAYS ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC, HELP THE USFWS TO MEET THEIR GOALS OF CONNECTING YOUTH TO NATURE AND BUILDING A CONSERVATION ETHIC. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: CUT INVASIVE BRUSH SPECIES AND HERBICIDE TREAT CUT STUMPS HERBICIDE TREATMENT OF HERBACEOUS WEEDS, COOL SEASON GRASSES, AND UNDESIRED REGROWTH TO PREP FOR NATIVE SEEDING CONTRACT PRESCRIBED FIRE FOR SITE PREPARATION TO SET BACK SUCCESSION IN REMNANT OPEN AREAS PURCHASE AND PLANT NATIVE SEED TO DIVERSIFY FLORAL RESOURCES MAINTENANCE MOWING OR BURNS (WHERE NEEDED) THESE ACTIVITIES WILL HELP BCPF ADDRESS PRIORITY HABITAT DESIRED OUTCOMES, AND ADDRESS HABITAT CONNECTIVITY (PRAIRIES, WOODLANDS, RIPARIAN, AND WETLAND AREAS) FOR RUSTY PATCHED BUMBLE BEES AND OTHER POLLINATORS. THE GREENWAY IS A LONG CORRIDOR OF GREENSPACE, BUT HABITAT AREAS ADJACENT TO RESTORED AREAS ARE FILLED WITH INVASIVE SPECIES WHICH HAVE CHOKED OUT NATIVES, DEGRADED THE AREAS, AND MADE MOVEMENT AND THRIVING FOR POLLINATORS DURING CERTAIN SEASONS CHALLENGING. BCPF WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL ACREAGE OF PRISTINE POLLINATOR HABITAT. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES: INCREASED NUMBER AND DIVERSITY OF PLANTS, WILDLIFE, AND POLLINATORS RESTORE AND ENHANCE 44 ACRES OF NATIVE POLLINATOR HABITAT GREATER ACCESSIBILITY AND SAFETY OF MOVEMENT FOR WILDLIFE AND POLLINATORS INCREASED NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE GREENWAY FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION INCREASED HYDROLOGY AND BUFFERING REDUCED SEDIMENT AND CONTAMINANT LOADS REDUCED POLLUTED RUNOFF FOUND IN THE WATER REDUCED EROSION OF STREAMBANKS INTO THE CREEK CREATION OF PRISTINE NATIVE HABITATS TO BENEFIT OTHER POLLINATORS AND WILDLIFE INCLUDING BIRDS CREATION BUFFER ZONES FOR RUNOFF TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AS IT FLOWS TO THE EAST RIVER, FOX RIVER, THE BAY OF GREEN BAY, AND LAKE MICHIGAN INCREASED WATER QUALITY AND REDUCED EROSION OF STREAMBANKS INTO THE CREEK

BAIRD CREEK WATERSHED CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION - BASTEN PARCEL

THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL INCLUDE WETLAND RESTORATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF EXISTING WETLANDS THROUGH RE ESTABLISHMENT OF NATURAL HYDROLOGY AND VEGETATION RESTORATION OF THIS WETLAND AND THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IT REPRESENTS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT, WETLAND SCRAPES, SEEDING AND PLANTING NATIVE VEGETATION THE PROJECT WILL RESTORE 10 ACRES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AND 6 ACRES OF DEGRADED WET MEADOWS TO HIGH QUALITY WETLAND HABITAT AND DIVERSE GRASSLAND FORB PRAIRIE THE PLAN INCLUDES WETLAND SCRAPES AND BUFFERS ALONG EXISTING CORRIDORS TO IMPROVE THE HOLDING OF WATER FOR POOLING AND CREATING WETLAND POCKETS FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS AND FOR BUFFERING MOVING WATER BEFORE IT REACHES THE CREEK A DIVERSE GRASSLAND FORB PRAIRIE WILL BE PLANTED TO HELP RESTORE HABITAT FOR NESTING BIRDS, POLLINATORS, AND REDUCE PREDOMINATELY HYDRIC AND POORLY DRAINED SOILS THE END RESULT OF THIS PROJECT WILL PRODUCE A HEALTHY WETLAND COMPLEX ADJACENT TO BAIRD CREEK THIS WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FLOOD CONTROL IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING AN ABUNDANCE OF WILDLIFE THE SITE MODIFICATIONS ARE INTENDED TO RESTORE WETLAND HYDROLOGY AND NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES FOLLOWING ADEQUATE CONTROL OF INVASIVE SPECIES DURING SITE CONSTRUCTION, DIVERSE NATIVE SEED MIXES WILL BE INSTALLED, APPROPRIATE TO SITE MOISTURE, SOIL, AND LIGHT DYNAMICS HERBACEOUS PLANT PLUGS, SHRUBS, AND TREES MAY BE INCLUDED TO ENHANCE VEGETATIVE STRUCTURE AND SPECIES DIVERSITY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WILL INCLUDE CONTROLLING INVASIVE SPECIES THROUGH TARGETED HERBICIDE APPLICATIONS, CUTTING AND REMOVAL OF WOODY MATERIAL FROM THE SITE, MANAGEMENT MOWING, AND SUPPLEMENTAL PLANTING AND SEEDING