Point Beach State Forest Master Plan
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MASTER PLAN POINT BEACH STATE FOREST MASTER PLAN JANUARY 2012 POINT BEACH STATE FOREST MASTER PLAN JANUARY 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION AND PLAN OVERVIEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This plan has been developed through a team effort by many individuals from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Through their hard work and expertise, these people have developed a plan that will guide the Point Beach State Forest into the future. Governor Scott Walker Natural Resources Board David Clausen, Chair Preston D. Cole, Vice Chair Christine L. Thomas, Secretary William Bruins Terry N. Hilgenberg Gregory Kazmierski Jane Wiley Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Cathy Stepp, Secretary Kurt Thiede, Administrator, Division of Land Paul DeLong, Administrator, Division of Forestry Plan Acceptance Team Paul Cunningham Bureau of Fisheries Management Tom Hauge Bureau of Wildlife Management Jean Romback-Bartels Division of Land Bob Mather Bureau of Forest Management Steve Miller Bureau of Facilities and Lands The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides Laurie Osterndorf Bureau of Endangered Resources equal opportunity in its employment, programs, services Dan Schuller Bureau of Parks and Recreation and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to the Equal Opportunity Office, Department of the Interior, Washington D.C. 20240, or Plan Sponsors Wisconsin’s Office of Diversity, WDNR Office of Diversity, Arnie Lindauer and P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Peter Biermeier Bureau of Parks and Recreation Curt Wilson and This publication is available in alternative format upon request. Jim Warren Bureau of Forest Management Contact the Bureau of Parks and Recreation at 608-266- Kate Fitzgerald Bureau of Facilities and Lands 2181 or the Division of Forestry at 608-267-7494 for more information. Plan Process Team Jeff Prey, Kristin Lambert, Guy Willman Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 101 South Webster Street Technical Team PO Box 7921 Aaron Buchholz, Sue Crowley, Joe Henry, Tim Mella, Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7921 Dan Rogers, Erin Dembski, and Tom Watkins For your convenience, this document is available on the Other Contributors Internet at: http://dnr.wi.gov/master_planning/PointBeach/ Craig Anderson, Bob Dall, Mark Dudzik, and Ann Runyard Photo Credits Bonnie Gruber, Bob Dall, Sue Crowley, Mark Dudzik, Carmen Hardin, Jeff Prey, Joe Henry, and Thomas Meyer – all Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources F POINT BEACH STATE FOREST January 2012 INTRODUCTION AND PLAN OVERVIEW TaBLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND PLAN SUMMARY ...............................................................................................1 Purpose of the Master Plan ..................................................................................................................................1 Overview of the Planning Process ........................................................................................................................1 Overview of the Master Plan ...............................................................................................................................2 CHAPTER 2: MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Property Designation and Authority ......................................................................................................................5 Vision Statement ..................................................................................................................................................5 Property Goals ......................................................................................................................................................5 Recreation Management .............................................................................................................................................6 Background ..........................................................................................................................................................6 Designated Trails .................................................................................................................................................6 Camping ................................................................................................................................................................7 Day Use and Picnic Areas .....................................................................................................................................8 Fishing ..................................................................................................................................................................9 Hunting and Trapping ...........................................................................................................................................9 Recreation Land Use Agreements .......................................................................................................................9 Land and Vegetation Management ............................................................................................................................10 Overview of the Forest .......................................................................................................................................10 Land Management Areas ...................................................................................................................................11 Native Community Management Areas ..........................................................................................................13 Lake Nipissing Swamp and Sand Blow (926 acres) .....................................................................................14 Old Forest Ridges and Swales (594 acres) ..................................................................................................17 Forest Production Management Area .............................................................................................................19 Red Pine Loop (429 acres) ...........................................................................................................................20 Recreation Management Area ........................................................................................................................23 Point Beach (372 acres) ..............................................................................................................................24 Scenic Resources Management Area .............................................................................................................27 Lake Michigan Beach (95 acres) ..................................................................................................................28 State Natural Areas .........................................................................................................................................31 Nipissing Swamp State Natural Area ...........................................................................................................31 Point Beach Ridges State Natural Area (613 acres) .....................................................................................32 Boundary Expansion and Real Estate Management ..................................................................................................34 Forest Boundary Expansion ............................................................................................................................34 Molash Creek Recreation Management Area (1,583 acres) ........................................................................34 Real Estate Management ................................................................................................................................35 January 2012 POINT BEACH STATE FOREST G TABLE OF CONTENTS Property-Wide Management Elements .....................................................................................................................37 Education and Interpretation ...............................................................................................................................37 General Forest Management Prescriptions by Primary Forest Type ..................................................................38 Wildlife Management .........................................................................................................................................42 Fisheries Management .......................................................................................................................................44 Cultural Resources Management .......................................................................................................................45 Road Management ............................................................................................................................................46 General Land and Forest Management Policies and Provisions .........................................................................48 General Administration Policies and Provisions ..................................................................................................51 Public Communications Plan ..............................................................................................................................53