Ridgeway Pines Natural Area Land Protection
The Driftless Area Land Conservancy announces the permanent protection of 57 acres of land within and adjacent to the Ridgeway Pine Relict State Natural Area in Iowa County, Wisconsin. A conservation easement was donated to the Conservancy by the Malcolm Stack Foundation to preserve open space and protect the nearby pine relicts.
The Ridgeway Pine Relicts are native pine forest found on the soaring St. Peter Sandstone cliffs with numerous spectacular rock outcrops, shallow caves, and rockshelters. These forests have persisted for more than twelve thousand years, back to a time when the climate was cooler and favorable for their growth. However, as the climate gradually warmed the ensuing fire-dominated landscape changed the surrounding areas into prairie and oak 
savanna, plant communities that need fire to sustain them. The pine forests on the other hand, because they do not tolerate fire, perished everywhere except on these rock outcrops where they were out of reach of the flames. The pine forest plant communities isolated within the relicts are unlike the northern pine forests because the associated plants are a mixture of southern and northern species, thus creating an ecosystem that is unique in this region. This important work by the Foundation and the Conservancy will help to ensure the future viability of this truly unique forest ecosystem.
The Malcolm Stack Foundation’s gift of this conservation easement will ensure the Foundation’s desire to protect their lands from subdivision or development in the future through the perpetual monitoring and enforcement of the conservation easement by the Driftless Area Land Conservancy. These lands will continue to be used and maintained for private equestrian cross country riding, show jumping and rider education clinics. The Foundation was formed in 2001 to protect, enhance, and restore the scenic, recreational, and environmental qualities of 
Iowa County through its support of equestrian clinics, local conservation programs, and K-12 science education.
The 57 acres consists of mix of grasslands and forests managed in accordance with state and federal conservation programs and provide an important buffer to a 130 acre pine relict also owned by Malcolm Stack Foundation. For more information on this project go to our Winter 2004 Newsletter (PDF 783k).
