November 2006

TOPIC:  Community Conservation at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant

SPEAKER:  Alison Duff

WHEN:  Tuesday, November 21

TIME:  7:00 pm Refreshments
TIME:  7:30 pm Program

WHERE:  NEW LOCATION -- This Meeting Only!:
Auditorium
State Historical Society of Wisconsin
816 State Street

PARKING:  Lake Street Ramp or Helen C. White Library

PRE-MEETING DINNER:  You are invited to join Madison Audubon board members and friends at the pre-program dinner with our speaker beginning at 5:15.

Note: NEW Location: Porta Bella, 425 N. Francis St.

QUESTIONS?:  Please call the MAS office at (608)255-2473.

Have you ever driven by the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) on U.S. Highway 12 and wondered what was beyond the fence? Did you know that this 7,354-acre property has been called one of the most important sites in the conservation of grassland bird habitat in Wisconsin?

Located just south of Baraboo in Sauk County, the BAAP shares its northern border with Devil’s Lake State Park and lies within a network of nearly 10,000 acres of managed wildlife habitat. Following the 1997 announcement that the U.S. Army would be decommissioning Badger, community members began a discussion to create a long-term vision for the site. The result of their work is the Badger Reuse Plan, which emphasizes the importance of conservation, education, agriculture, and community involvement in the management of the property.

The Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance was incorporated as a nonprofit organization to oversee the realization of the Badger Reuse Plan, and to mobilize community members in the restoration of Badger’s ecosystems. Just this year, volunteers have spent nearly 1,000 hours removing invasive species, collecting seed, and conducting prescription burns inside the property. The Coordinator for the Alliance will share the organization’s recent challenges and successes, what has been learned about the biological diversity of the site, and future plans for community involvement at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant.