By Pamela Powers
Menomonie News Bureau

MENOMONIE – West Wisconsin Land Trust on Friday bought 720 acres known
as the Cedar Creek Wetlands, preserving it for future generations.

The wetlands, also known as Hawk Metals, are in the Chippewa Moraine
Lakes Conservation Opportunity Area, designated by the Department of
Natural Resources.

The wetlands are east of New Auburn between Chain Lake and Long Lake.

“It is the filtering mechanism for Long Lake and Chain Lake,” said
Rick Gauger, West Wisconsin Land Trust executive director. “It is what
helps keep Long Lake clean. It is almost two miles long between the
two lakes.”

The land trust purchased the land for $280,000 with the help of a
number of partners over five years.

Chippewa County supplemented the project with a $50,000 grant from the
Chippewa County Stewardship Fund. Another partner, Chippewa Valley
Outdoor Resource Alliance, raised $30,000 for it.

“We are very glad to see this wetland now preserved for public use,”
Don Dukerschein, president of CVORA, said in a statement. “A special
thanks goes out to the Island Chain Lake, Round Lake and Lower Long
Lake Associations for their help and fundraising efforts. This was a
real community effort.”

Other partners included the DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
who awarded grants from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and the
North American Wetland Conservation Act Program of nearly $150,000.

Ducks Unlimited also awarded a grant of $10,000 to the project.

Cedar Creek Wetlands provided a hunting area for raptors, including
owls and red-tailed hawks.

Frogs and fish use it as habitat and fish use it as a spawning area
from both Long Lake and Chain Lake.

The property is open to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping,
hiking and skiing. An existing snowmobile trail crosses the property
when conditions are suitable.

Powers can be reached at 715- 235-9018 or [email protected].