By Mark Pfost, Public Lands Ecologist – mpfost@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s November, 2024 Newsletter edition.
At the end of October, WWA ecologists met with contractors at Peter Helland Wildlife Area. It was an opportunity for WWA to walk the proposed project area with contractors and to explain the project and answer contractors’ questions. This was the most recent step in WWA’s efforts to restore and enhance wetland habitat on approximately 125 acres.
As a recap, in April of last year, using various aerial imageries, I identified a complex of ditches on Peter Helland that was worthy of further investigation. I first walked the prospective area with a DNR employee; shortly afterward, he and WWA’s Project Director, Peter Ziegler, surveyed the site. Analyzation of that data revealed knowledge gaps that required more trips to gather additional elevation data. More analysis followed. That led to multiple iterative meetings, first internal to WWA, and then between WWA and the DNR; eventually everyone agreed on a restoration plan. With that accomplished, WWA submitted the wetland permit application and other requirements. The last of the permitting requirements were approved in August. With that done, we wrote a Scope of Work for the project and sent it to a number of contractors.
Now we’re in a waiting game. Interested contractors have until the middle of November to submit bids. We’ll notify the selected contractor by the end of November. After that? Work can’t start until gun-deer season ends. Then? It all comes down to suitable weather conditions and the contractor’s schedule.