About CWRLT

CWRLT Successes - Completed Projects

Here a some descriptions of a few of the successes that CWRLT has achieved! These properties demonstrate several ways in which land owners, organizations, and CWRLT can work together to protect the over development of our beautiful land. Contact us to find out how you can help.

James Thiel Reserve

Through the generosity of the James Thiel family, CWRLT has acquired land on Chief Lake, part of the Chippewa Flowage. Since the mid-1980’s he visited the property often and gained strength from its solitude and natural beauty. He planned to retire to this Chief Lake property. Upon his death, a sketch of a modest home he planed to build on the property was found on his person.

The land has an especially attractive growth of pine tree club moss. The property contains one of the more extensive stands of Canada yew, a species of concern. Development and deer browse have decimated the Canada yew in Wisconsin. There is abundant wintergreen on the land. CWRLT will protect this land in its natural state. It will be open to the public for day use.

CWRLT is pleased with this acquisition since the Chippewa Flowage is the only lake in Sawyer County designated as a Legacy Place by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. CWRLT is placing particular effort on acquiring land and conservation easements on the Chippewa Flowage and in the surrounding area.

Big Timber Island
Several years ago, a small, but distinctive land parcel on the Chippewa Flowage was listed for sale by a private owner. Numerous concerns were raised over the possible development of the island, even though it's size was just under l0 acres of land. However, with over 2000 feet of shoreline, many people were concerned that the beauty of the Chippewa Flowage would be permanently marred by the development of this island.

A combined effort of the Chippewa Flowage Area Property Owners Association (CFAPOA) and CWRLT was initiated to publicly raise the $50,000 needed to purchase the Big Timber Island property to protect the pristine land from development and maintain it's undisturbed beauty.

Many people contributed time and money for fund-raising to the Chippewa Islands Project. Thanks to the effort of those people, including the CFAPOA, the Lac Court Oreilles Band of Ojibwe, the Wisconsin DNR, and CWRLT, on January 27, 2004 the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board unanimously approved the acquisition of the privately owned parcel on Big Timber Island and on February 4, 2004 Governor Jim Doyle signed the purchase agreement. Big Timber is now protected from further development and is available for daytime public use.

Thanks to the vision and stewardship of people in past and present, 90% of the shoreline and nearly all of the islands on the Chippewa Flowage are undeveloped and will stay that way for the benefit of today's, as well as tomorrow's, generations.