A testimonial to FOCB’s work in the Bog
Jim Reinartz, FOCB President
FOCB submitted another grant proposal to continue our work controlling the invasive buckthorn in the Bog. Peter Duerkop, the DNR Natural Heritage Conservation District Ecologist who is the Property Manager for the Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area knew that we were requesting a grant and wrote a completely unsolicited letter of support for our proposal. On behalf of the Friends, I am so proud of what Peter wrote that I wanted to share some of it with you.
Peter wrote, “The FOCB is an impressive, formalized DNR Friends group that provides a wide variety of services to benefit Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area (SNA) including leading habitat management projects. The leadership of the FOCB is experienced in administering large complex grants to implement significant habitat restoration projects in a challenging and varied wetland system.
Cedarburg Bog itself contains a varied wetland complex broadly typified as bog, although it has inclusions of wet prairie, southern sedge meadow, fen, emergent marsh, and lakes in addition to its matrix of cedar/tamarack/hardwood swamp. This State Natural Area has long been recognized as a unique and important site and was designated SNA #2 in 1952. Invasive species control is the single greatest task required to maintain and improve the site’s quality.
There is no better Friends group suited to implementing habitat projects on DNR land. I have full confidence in their leadership, abilities, and wherewithal to implement a high-quality project.”
I can’t imagine higher praise from the person charged with caring for the Cedarburg Bog.
It is important that FOCB share that praise and give full credit to our partner in this latest major buckthorn control effort, the Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium (SEWISC). SEWISC is not just the organization that raised the lion’s share of the funding for the project, but they have been our truly active partner in managing this large and complex project. It is not exaggeration to say we would not be controlling buckthorn on this latest 250-acre project without SEWISC. Join me in supporting SEWISC for the vital work they do throughout SE Wisconsin (https://sewisc.org/).
