At first glance, the large, cleared area at the Kaplan Tract in the La Crosse Blufflands may look concerning to those who love our bluffs. But this work is an important step toward bringing back the dry prairie that once thrived here before invasive cedar and other trees took hold.
Owned and managed by Mississippi Valley Conservancy, the Kaplan Tract is part of a high-priority area identified in the Bluffland Coalition plan. It sits alongside nearly 520 acres of Conservancy easement-protected land owned by the City of La Crosse, creating an opportunity to improve habitat across a much larger stretch of bluffland.
With support from our members and matching funds from La Crosse County Bluffland Funding (in cooperation with the Bluffland Coalition) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, more than 2 acres of trees and brush were cleared from this promising prairie this fall, completing phase two of a restoration project which began in 2025. Contractor Cody Micheel of Micheel Forestry LLC completed the work, preparing the area for a prescribed burn anticipated for the spring of 2027, neatly stacking cull logs in burn piles and treating any clonal species which would have otherwise grown exponentially after a cut. Cody also completed selective thinning, or daylighting, on a quarter acre section of oak savanna, removing all trees except native oak and hickory.
(Above and below: Views of Kaplan following the restoration work in 2025 and 2026. Photos by Cody Micheel)
Globally imperiled oak savannas and vulnerable dry prairies like the one on the Kaplan Tract are home to oak trees, which are considered keystone species, supporting more species than any other tree in our region. These natural communities support a plethora of rare and declining plants and invertebrates like the rusty patched bumblebee and monarch butterfly. The habitats that these species depend on are dependent on natural disturbances like fire to prevent trees and brush from taking over, so our continued management of areas like this preserve are vital to the survival of the plants and animals that call them home.
"Pollinators, birds, deer, and small animals are all using multiple sites across the blufflands, so any improvements made on one site will help wildlife on all of the other sites," explained Restoration Coordinator Payton Lott. "Cody essentially cut back 50 years of encroachment on this prairie so we can start over and give the prairie a fighting chance once more."
Just one ridge away, Friends of the Blufflands volunteers put in long hours removing invasive species on the Mathy Tract year after year, contributing to a growing positive impact across the landscape. The 520-acre Mathy Tract is owned by the City of La Crosse and protected by the Conservancy through a conservation easement. It is one of the most frequently hiked properties in the La Crosse Blufflands.
Our gratitude extends to the many partners and volunteers who are making bluffland habitat improvements possible, including Friends of the Blufflands, Viterbo University, UW-La Crosse, The Prairie Enthusiasts, the Wisconsin DNR, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, our supporters and our For the Wild volunteers.
This is what conservation looks like: people, partners, and communities working together to make the land healthier for generations to come. With your support, we can continue connecting and improving habitat across the blufflands, creating a better place for native prairie plants, pollinators, birds, and wildlife to thrive.