North Central Forest ecological landscape Attributes and Characteristics Legacy Places Running across much of northern Wisconsin, this ecological landscape encompasses what BD Bad River PG Penokee - Gogebic many residents refer to as the “north woods.” BR Black River Range Lying on top of the end and ground moraine left Blue Hills PA Pershing Area by the glaciers about 12,000 years ago, these vast BI Peshtigo River northern hardwood forests support a variety of BL Border Lakes Region PE wildlife, including many that need large blocks CN Chequamegon - Nicolet PP Pine - Popple River of habitat to survive. Although there are very National Forests PI Pipestone Hills few large lakes on this ground moraine, many large wetlands, small creeks, rivers, and small CH Chippewa Flowage PR Prairie River kettle lakes occur throughout. Soils are primarily CL Chippewa Glacial Lakes SO Somo River acid silt loams, often rocky, and poorly drained. Deerskin River Thornapple - Brunet Areas of loam and loamy sand are also present. DK TP River Woods Many of the state’s major rivers, such as the EC East and West Branches Flambeau, Chippewa, Wolf, Peshtigo, and Brule- of the Eau Claire River TH Timm’s Hill Menominee rivers, originate in the North Central ER Eau Claire River TF Turtle - Flambeau Forest. The exceptional water quality and aquatic FR Flambeau River State Forest Flowage GF Gile Flowage UC Upper Chippewa Lake Superior River Superior GM Goodman Forest BAYFIELD UF Upper Forks of the T QUEEN R MT HH Harrison Hills DOUGLAS Flambeau River ROBE Michigan BD GF HB Haugen - Birchwood Lakeland PG UW Upper Wisconsin Chippewa Flowage ER MO JR Jump River ASHLAND BL River NR IRON SAWYER LA Langlade Moraine CN VILAS Upper Wolf River TF DK UP NF CH UF FLORENCE MR LH Laona Hemlock Hardwoods WC Weyerhauser WASHBURN CN PI TP GM PP LO Lost Lake Bog Cedar Swamp UF WF FOREST HB FR CN UC LO ONEIDA MF MR Menominee River WF Willow Flowage PRICE BI LH MARINETTE RUSK SO MF Monico Forest YC Yellow (Chippewa) PR PE WC TH HH UP MT Montreal River River BARRON JR CN UW EC LINCOLN MO Moose Creek Hemlock Woods CL PA LA TAYLOR LANGLADE BR Namekagon River YC NR DUNN CHIPPEWA OCONTO MENOMINEE Wausau NF North Fork of MARATHON CLARK the Chief River Eau Claire SHAWANO EAU CLAIRE 78 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report North Central Forest Central North North Central Forest diversity of these rivers is a result of the as elk, wolves, bear, bobcats, and pine martens, heavily forested landscape. The major land as well as many birds like northern goshawk, ecological landscape Key characteristics: use is pulp and sawlog production with red-shouldered hawk, and spruce grouse. » Wild lakes and rivers only a limited amount of agriculture, This ecological landscape and the Northwest » Large working forests mostly small dairy farms. Lowlands are probably the only places in Wisconsin » Large acreage of public land Over the last several decades, this area with enough public land to manage a broad scale » Headwaters of Chippewa, Flambeau, Jump, Wolf, has experienced tremendous growth in second- “shifting mosaic” of forests—that is, forests at a and Menominee Rivers home development and a trend to significantly variety of successional stages, with different age smaller parcel sizes. Although most of this new structures and species compositions, in different Size: housing is centered on lakes, flowages, and patch sizes. At present, older forests and conifers » 9,540 square miles rivers, even areas without water frontage are are under-represented in this landscape. » 6,107,100 acres increasingly being subdivided and developed. (17.0% of Wisconsin) Recreation Uses and Opportunities Population: Conservation Needs and Opportunities With the large amount of public land in this area, » 139,000 The existing vegetation is primarily hard- the North Central Forest is a very popular vacation (2.6% of Wisconsin’s population) wood forest. Aspen and birch dominate younger and outdoor recreation destination. The uplands forests; older forests are typically comprised draw hunters, wildlife watchers, snowmobile and Notable species: of a mix of sugar maple, basswood, red maple, ATV riders, off road bikers, skiers, and horseback » Elk and other hardwoods. Hemlock, white pine riders, among others. The rivers, streams, lakes, » Timber wolf and red pine are present in varying densities and flowages attract anglers, boaters, kayakers, » Bobcat » throughout the landscape. Tamarack, white- and canoeists from throughout the Midwest. Pine marten » Fisher cedar, black ash, and black spruce are present Given the extensive public ownership here » Black bear in the conifer swamps. Many large wetlands are and the adjacent Northern Highlands ecological » Muskellunge associated with the kettle lakes and streams. landscape, this is one of the best areas in the » Brook trout This landscape offers opportunities to state to provide a diverse set of long distance » Northern redbelly dace manage large blocks of forest land, ranging and loop trails for both motorized and non- » Bald eagle, osprey, R FILE N from northern mesic to hardwood swamps, for motorized forms of recreation. Some key common loon » species adapted to predominantly unfragmented gaps occur between existing public lands. Neotropical migrant songbirds WISCONSIN D » Spruce and Ruffed Grouse landscapes. These include several mammals, such » Goshawk Fisher (Martes pennanti) » Sugar maple » Eastern hemlock Figure 56: Land cover of the North Central Forest Figure 57: Public conservation and other land ownership Figure 58: Land cover of public conservation lands » Goblin fern in the North Central Forest in the North Central Forest » Braun’s holly-fern » Fairy slipper Urban Agriculture Natural communities: 0% Agriculture Urban Open Water 0% 0% Grassland 4% 5% County Forest Open Wetland (See Appendix B for descriptions) Grassland 2% Open Wetland 15% 10% Shrubland » Alder thicket 10% 5% 1% » Bedrock glade Shrubland 1% State » Dry and moist cliffs 4% Forested » Forested Wetland Emergent aquatic Wetland 16% » Ephemeral pond 12% » Hardwood swamp (Northern) » Northern mesic forest Federal » Northern sedge meadow Other 19% » Northern wet-mesic forest Forest 62% 63% (private land, roads, Forest » Northern wet forest schools, cemetaries, 71% » Open bog military lands, etc.) » Submergent aquatic Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 79 North Central Forest Central North North Central Forest 80 Figure 59a: 2 Legacy Places by EcologicalSuperior Landscape Legacy Places and public conservation lands of the North Central Forest 13 Legacy Places and public conservation lands Washburn North Central Forest 2 Ashland 2 13 MT 122 Hurley Montreal 41 BD 13 GF 169 PG 27 10 8 77 Mellen 37 ER 18 63 1 3 20 8 2 5 NR 34 1 MO 35 18 33 CN TF 77 36 77 13 17 53 7 15 Hayward NF 8 63 14 UF CH Park Falls 70 1 Spooner PI 70 12 TP 13 1 2 UF 1 16 Shell 22 Lake 40 40 FR CN HB 48 15 Phillips LO UC 27 13 r 29 ve Ri u a 53 e b 31 m 13 BI a l F Cumberland 14 40 8 48 Rice 63 Lake 2 25 Ladysmith Barron 8 TH WC River 27 Jump C hi 27 pp e 39 Chetek w a River 53 JR 1 CN PA CL 24 4 9 6 Cornell Medford 64 64 BR 64 Bloomer 25 YC 13 32 12 40 Chippewa Stanley Thorp Owen Abbotsford Falls 29 94 29 Colby Menomonie 53 Eau Claire Altoona 73 12 27 Greenwood 25 Public Conservation Lands Loyal Wisconsin Land Legacy Report 94 State Augusta Marshfield Durand Federal Mondovi County Forest Osseo Neillsville Miles 0 2.5 5 10 Wisconsin L Figure 60a: 2 Superior a Legacy Places and land cover of the North Central Forest n 13 d L Legacy Places and landWashburn cover e g a c 2 y Re North Central Forest LAKE SUPERIOR Ashland WATERSHED p 2 o r t 13 MT 122 Hurley Montreal BD GF 13 169 PG 27 Mellen 77 ER 63 ST. CROIX WATERSHED NR MO CN TF 77 77 13 53 Hayward NF 63 UF CH UPPER CHIPPEWA Park WATERSHED Falls Spooner PI 70 70 TP Shell UF Lake 27 40 FR CN HB Phillips LO 48 UC 53 BI 13 Cumberland 40 8 48 Rice 63 Lake 25 Ladysmith Barron 8 TH WC 27 LOWER CHIPPEWA Chetek WATERSHED JR CN PA CL Legacy Places BD Bad River 53 Cornell Medford 64 BR Black River 64 BR 64 BI Blue Hills Bloomer CN Chequamegon-Nicolet 25 YC National Forests 13 CH Chippewa Flowage CL Chippewa Glacial Lakes ER Eau Claire River 12 FR Flambeau River State Forest 40 Chippewa Stanley Thorp Owen Abbotsford GF Gile Flowage Falls Land29 Cover HB Haugen-Birchwood Lakeland 94 29 JR Jump River Urban Colby LOMenomonie Lost Lake Bog 53 UPPER WISCONSIN MT Montreal River Agriculture Eau 73 CENTRAL Lega MO Moose Creek Hemlock Woods Claire Altoona WATERSHED NR Namekagon River Grassland c y Pl NF North Fork of the Chief River 12 27 Greenwood Shrubland a PG Penokee-Gogebic Range ces 25PA Pershing Area Loyal b Forest y Ecological Landscape PI Pipestone Hills TP Thornapple-Brunet Augusta Open Water River Woods BLACK RIVER Marshfield DurandTH Timm’s Hill WATERSHED TF Turtle-Flambeau Flowage Open Wetland Mondovi UC Upper Chippewa River Osseo UF Upper Forks of the Neillsville Forested Wetland Flambeau River WC Weyerhauser Cedar Swamp Miles 94 YC Yellow (Chippewa) River 0 2.5 5 10 81 North Central Forest North Central Forest 82 Figure 59b: Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Legacy Places and public conservation lands Legacy Places and public conservation lands of the North Central Forest North Central Forest Michigan 37 18 8 BL 11 47 45 36 51 23 17 17 DK Menomin ee Eagle River 70 MR 2 R iv 70 70 er 1 er iv CN R ne 30 Pi 26 GM PP 55 4 1 6 47 WF CN 42 32 17 MF P e s h t Rhinelander ig 12 o 19 River r e 11 iv Crandon R 8 LH r Rive 7 8 lf in