Northwood Alliance Inc. has an option to purchase 80 acres of natural oak forest in the bluffs in the far northwest corner of Marquette County, Wisconsin. Our proposal is to attempt to secure grant funding under the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation program from the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry and the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program. Our intention is to bring this privately owned and well-managed oak forest into a Community Forest, linking tangible conservation action with real on the ground public benefits derived from a common area including opportunities for education, recreation and simply personal solitude to escape the clutter of No Trespassing signs.

Under the Community Forest designation the public and other conservation groups are invited to participate in management decisions concerning the timber and non-timber plants as well as wildlife and recreation. These important matters affecting the life of the ecosystem would remain a focus of community involvement.

The forest would be open to the public for compatible recreational uses including hiking, hunting, bird watching and simple nature-based enjoyment and would be a living experiment for educational opportunities. If you wish to learn more about this exciting Community Forest proposal please contact us.