Prior to the acquisition of a 17-acre parcel of property on the Kickapoo River, in Vernon County, Wisconsin, there was only one piece of private land on an 18-mile stretch of the ancient, winding river. In September of 2023, that parcel was purchased by the Conservancy with the intention of protecting it for conservation and ultimately transferring its ownership to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR). Funding and support from multiple partners and members made it possible for the Conservancy to acquire the property, with its wetlands, waterways and diverse natural communities. On February 18, 2025, the transferring of the property to KVR was achieved when the Conservancy signed the deed over to KVR and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Management Board (KRMB) signed a conservation easement with the Conservancy to permanently protect the property from incompatible future land uses.
While the property itself is relatively small, it connects a contiguous protected corridor of more than 12,000 acres – including Wildcat Mountain State Park and the KVR. From a conservation perspective, wildlife corridors are critical for maintaining water quality and biodiversity. Hay Valley Creek, which runs through the property, is designated as a Class I trout stream, and the stretch of the Kickapoo River on the property is a Class II trout stream. “Protecting the land around Hay Valley Creek will stabilize the stream banks, provide healthy soils that will absorb excess water and nutrients during rain events, and sequester carbon to fight climate change,” said Allan Beatty, Conservancy board president. He added, “The water flowing from the protected property to Hay Valley Creek will possess the quality and quantity necessary to support a fully functioning aquatic ecosystem with common and rare fishes, native mussels, critical aquatic insects and native aquatic plants.” Native birds, insects and wildlife will also be able to rely on the protected habitat.
“Partnerships like this one have so many benefits, meeting multiple organizational goals for the Conservancy, for KVR, Trout Unlimited, and the State of Wisconsin,” said Abbie Church, the Conservancy’s conservation director, “and most important – benefit the land and wildlife.” While this is the Conservancy’s first acquisition partnership with KVR, the nonprofit land trust has successfully acquired, protected and transferred ownership of a number of properties in its 27-year history. Examples of such partnerships include the Conservancy’s acquisition and transfer of the La Crosse Blufflands to the City of La Crosse, Greens Coulee to the City of Onalaska, Holland Sand Prairie to the Town of Holland, Borah Creek Prairie to the Prairie Enthusiasts, and others.
KVR is owned by the State of Wisconsin and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in trust for the Ho-Chunk Nation and managed by the KRMB. Jason Leis, Executive Director of KVR commented, “We never would have been able to make this happen without the help of the Conservancy – they qualify for some grants and funding we’re not eligible for, so it’s a great way to work together to protect the land. Having access to the river will allow us to clean up debris and fallen trees so we can keep the Kickapoo River open for paddlers and anglers.”
“Public land ownership in Southwest Wisconsin is roughly one-fifth of the statewide average,” commented Scott Lind, a KRMB member and former Chair, “Here in Vernon County, we are incredibly lucky to have such a large contiguous tract along the Kickapoo River for local residents and visitors to enjoy. More important is the value of this land and water to all the non-human species that share it with us. We are grateful that Mississippi Valley Conservancy took the lead and put all the effort into acquiring and then donating this parcel that will serve in perpetuity as another refuge for these species and for the enjoyment of human visitors.”
The Conservancy’s acquisition and transfer of the property was made possible with major support from Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, the Trout Unlimited Watershed Access Fund, and by the Coulee Region Chapter of Trout Unlimited, as well as several smaller grants from the Wisconsin Land Fund, the John C. Bock Foundation, and private donors.
(Image: Hay Valley Creek runs to the Kickapoo River through the land transferred from Mississippi Valley Conservancy to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. The floodplain and wetlands are home to many native plants and animals, such as the bluebells in this photo from May 2024. Photo by Abbie Church)