Vicky remembers the day a man arrived at her Trempealeau County home, papers in hand, proposing to buy her property. But he was interested in the land’s mineral rights, which would mean leveling the steep bluf
f prairies. Her land also contains oak savanna, considered by the Wisconsin DNR Wildlife Action Plan to be “globally imperiled.”
The land was not for sale, Vicky said, adding, “Selling this land would be like selling my soul.” Vicky and her family worked with Mississippi Valley Conservancy to protect the land—and now it’s permanently protected from mining or development.
CSW member group Gathering Waters Conservancy helps support Mississippi Valley Conservancy and land conservancies statewide. We thank them for their work!
