Dane County Purchases Key Piece of Land in Blooming Grove Drumlin Area

December 19, 2003
Sharyn Wisniewski (608) 267-8823, 712-1950

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk Thursday signed a County Board Resolution to purchase 61 acres of land--37 acres north and 24 acres south of Buckeye Road--all within the Blooming Grove Drumlin Resource Area, immediately adjacent to Madison’s eastern neighborhoods, in an area experiencing significant development pressure. “This land is special in so many ways,” said Falk. “The glacial ridges make it particularly scenic, and it is a key connecting piece linking trails and other parkland.” Dane County will apply for state Stewardship cost sharing funds to offset the $686,000 cost of the land purchased from Henrietta Fisher. The new purchase complements Dane County’s recent purchase of a nearby 32-acre parcel from Wade Cattell, with financial assistance from the Town of Blooming Grove and the City of Madison. Dane County, the City of Madison and the Town of Blooming Grove have been working together to preserve the unique lands in this area, typified by a rolling glacial landscape with a mix of wetlands and scenic hills. The purchases enhance recreational and restoration opportunities and form important connections, including the future Glacial Drumlin trail connector between Madison and Cottage Grove. The entire Blooming Grove Drumlin Resource Project Area is approximately 700 acres in size and is characterized by a complex of wooded drumlins surrounded by uplands, wetlands, Door Creek and its watershed, which ultimately feeds into the north edge of Lake Kegonsa. The wooded drumlins and their adjacent wetlands form a distinctive habitat type that is regionally significant. Many have characterized the area as the future eastern E-Way (environmental corridor) and it is a unique example of the Dane County landscape in a rapidly developing area on the eastside of Madison. Preservation of this area provides habitat protection and restoration in addition to multiple recreational opportunities including important connections between the Capital City State Trail, the Glacial Drumlin State Trail and north to Token Creek County Park. The County, City and Town continue to work as partners in this area in a cooperative effort to preserve the resource area which, since 2000, has resulted in about 285 acres of land preserved for the public. # # #