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Ashland, Wisconsin: $1 million OK'd for land acquisition The
Daily Press Staff July 29th, 2003
The funding, provided through the U.S. Forest Service's Land and Conservation Fund, is included in the fiscal year 2004 Department of Interior Appropriations bill, approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month. Kohl, a member of the committee, identified the purchase as a priority for funding. "The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is one of the most beautiful parts of our state and we must ensure that future generations may enjoy it as we have. Today's funding is a worthy investment that will help protect this valuable land," Kohl said. The conservation project, administered through the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service will ultimately protect 22,000 acres of land within the national forest. The almost 35 square miles of northern hardwood forest and 37 miles of river and stream frontage will connect existing conservation lands, and provide new and expanded opportunities for hiking, hunting, camping, skiing and snowmobiling. It will also pay a critical role in protecting the high water quality in Chequamegon Bay. The Interior Appropriations bill must now be approved by the full senate. |