Clough Island Receives Permanent Protection
On Tuesday, numerous state, federal and private groups from Minnesota and Wisconsin celebrated the restoration and permanent protection of Clough Island in the St. Louis River Estuary.
The island is situated where the St. Louis River meets Lake Superior, between Duluth, Minn. and Superior, Wis. This 358-acre haven for wildlife, including native fish and migratory and breeding birds, was recently transferred to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for public outdoor recreation and conservation efforts.
“Clough Island is a natural resources jewel in the St. Louis River Estuary,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius. “The estuary boasts a natural beauty unlike any other in the upper Midwest. The unparalleled cooperation between Minnesota and Wisconsin natural resource agencies, The Nature Conservancy, and federal partners, exemplifies exceptional strategic conservation. Together we are enhancing and restoring wildlife and wildlife habitat, and promoting the hunting, fishing, bird watching and wildlife-dependent activities of the area for future generations.”
The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with the Wisconsin DNR, acquired the landmark island in November 2010 with the assistance of a $1 million grant from the USFWS National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
“I want to thank The Nature Conservancy for offering this beautiful island to the people of Wisconsin and Minnesota,” said Wisconsin DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. “Speaking for my colleagues in the Wisconsin DNR, we pledge to work with our federal and state partners to preserve Clough Island, and the critical wetlands that surround it, for the benefit of all.”
Largely undeveloped with a mix of grassy, brushy and forested habitats, Clough Island is an important haven for more than 200 species of birds during migration and breeding season.
“Clough Island is the centerpiece of the St. Louis River Estuary and provides excellent habitat for migratory birds and native fish,” said Mary Jean Huston, director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin. “Thanks to grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin’s Stewardship Fund, we were able to conserve Clough Island for future generations. We’re thrilled that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will now own and manage the property.”
Professional staffs from both state agencies, the USFWS and The Nature Conservancy have long worked together to protect critical shoreline and aquatic habitats in the St. Louis Estuary.
“The success of this project reflects an extraordinary partnership that persisted over many years. No one agency could have done this alone,” said Minnesota DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr.
The Wisconsin DNR provided $750,000 in matching funds for the acquisition through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund. Additional matching funds were pledged by the McCabe Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Duluth Chapter of the Audubon Society, Western Skyline Preservation Alliance, Save Lake Superior Association, Twin Ports Bass Masters, Lake Superior Chapter of Muskie’s Inc., and Friends of Superior Municipal Forest.
“Placing Clough Island into public ownership protects a large amount of critical habitat for fish and wildlife on the St Louis River, which is one of the key issues that concerned citizens and government agencies from both states have been working together to address, “said Julene Boe, executive director of the St. Louis River Alliance. “This is huge step toward that achieving the goal of delisting the river as an Area of Concern on the Great Lakes.”
Shallow water wetlands including emergent and submergent vegetation surround the island and provide food sources and breeding habitat for native and game fish species. The pre-historic and recently recovered lake sturgeon, the largest sturgeon in the Great Lakes, uses the area as a nursery.
Due to its ecological significance, natural resource partners have tirelessly worked to protect, conserve and restore the St. Louis River estuary. Natural resource agencies in Wisconsin and Minnesota have worked together, in partnership with federal environmental and wildlife agencies to protect this important property from commercial development and contamination.