Much has happened in the determination of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant (BAAP) lands since its closing was declared in early 1997. In mid-1997, Community Conservation, Inc. (CC) became involved in initiating a proposal for the lands with Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB), a community based group. CC saw potential to model a BAAP land transfer after that of the Kickapoo Reserve lands. CC completed a proposal for use of the BAAP lands by March 1998. It was submitted to a task force organized by State Rep. Klug. The task force was commissioned to establish a short term evaluation of the BAAP situation. However, the results were inconclusive.

In late 1997, a wide variety of southcentral Wisconsin conservation organizations came together in an effort to secure a conservation future for the BAAP lands. The Community Conservation Coalition for sauk Prairie (CCCSP) has since expanded to include other area civic groups, local NGO's, businesses, and faith-based organizations. With CCCSP's increasing involvement in BAAP, CC has become the group's Financial Administrator.

Since its formation, CCCSP has carried out an inclusive campaign to collect data, share information, stimulate discussion, and provide educational opportunities to define a community supported vision for the HAAP lands. The campaign has included a series of lectures, public forums, and a number of fundraising events.

As part of the fundraising campaign, CCCSP had prints and cards printed from the original "Sauk Prairie Remembered: A Vision for the Future" painting by Russian artist, Victor Bahktin. The original painting is being displayed throughout the community in public buildings, churches, government offices, and art galleries.

CCCSP's long-term education campaign brought the surrounding community together to focus on the common goal of looking at how to utilize the BAAP lands. As a result of this campaign, in early 2001, a unified proposal was completed. The core of this proposal was the restoration of the former sauk Prairie at the BAAP lands. The proposal also posited that some of the remaining lands be used for conservation, research, education, recreation, and sustainable agriculture. It posited the creation of a center for historical preservation, natural history interpretation, training, community use, public education, and conservation planning. CCCSp's education campaign culminated in a 3 day workshop on integrating agriculture and conservation at BAAP. Workshop participants included representatives of the US Department of Agriculture, the University of Wisconsin, the Michael Fields Research Institute, the Sauk County Land Conservation Department, the Sauk County Extension, and a panel of local farmers.

In the summer of 2000, the Sauk County Board of Supervisors appointed a Badger Reuse Committee (BRC). BRC was funded by a $100,000 federal grant secured by Rep. Tarnrny Baldwin. The 21 members of BRC included representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Administration, the Governor's Office, the US Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture, the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Sauk Prairie School District, representatives from the sauk County towns of Sumpter, Merrimac, Baraboo, Sauk City, and Prairie du Sac, local landowners, representatives of the business and tourism cornrnunity, members of the Badger History group, CSWAB, and CCCSP. During the time that BRC was convening, the Department of the Army announced that no new leases would be awarded until BRC arrived at a concensus for the use of the BAAP lands. This concensus was also to be submitted to the US General Services Administration because they are responsible for redistributing government lands such as BAAP.

BRC established 9 values which would be used to determine the future use of the lands: 1) the BAAP lands will be managed as a single unit, 2) the US government will complete the highest quality of cleanup in a timely manner; 3) the BAAP buildings and infrastructure will be used to support cleanup; historical buildings will be preserved, 4) the uses and activities of the BAAP lands will contribute to reconciliation and resolution of past conflicts, 5) educational, research, and recreational uses will be made available to the public, 6) compatible agricultural opportunities will contribute to the cornrnunity, 7) land uses will be compatible with natural landscape, 8) open spaces will be maintained, and 9) land uses will contribute to the area's economic stability and sustainability. CCCSP was one of 25 groups which made land use presentations to BRC. The presentations represented a wide range of land use proposals. There were proposals for ecological restoration, conservation, agriculture, education, clean up, recreation, a historical museum, a chemical industry; an art park, highway use, an equestrian park, railcar storage, and a prison. After the presentations, BRC evaluated the proposals based on the 9 agreed-upon values. CCCSP's proposal ranked highest of all 25 presentations. The next highest ranking were 5 other conservation presentations, including presentations from the Badger History group and a sportsman's group.

The CCCSP proposal encompassed the entire BAAP acreage. Central to the proposal was the restoration of the prairie and the oak savanna lands. The proposal focused on the protection and enhancement of the site's geological, biological, historical and cultural features. Developing sustainable agriculture on the BAAP lands and the building of an education center were additional components of this proposal.

Currently under the auspices of Community Conservation, Inc. (CC), the Valley Stewardship Network (VSN) of southwestern Wisconsin has obtained a grant from the Stry Foundation and a Watershed Planning grant from the Department of Natural Resources. Some of the planning grant has been used to initiate the formation of VSN as an independent 501(c)3 organization. A board of 6 members has been formed. The board has been meeting monthly since last fall and has been defining the focus of VSN. The two main emphases are organization building and facilitation of comprehensive community planning as it pertains to natural resources in the Kickapoo Valley.

Comprehensive community planning is important because of a State of Wisconsin mandate. This mandate specifies that all townships which wish to have a role in the land use decisions within their jurisdictions, must have a specific 9 point comprehensive plan in place by 2010. Without such a plan, no land use regulations may be instituted. VSN's goal is to help the local towns of the Kickapoo Valley get started on their plans so that local control over their township management can be maintained.

Initially, VSN sent information packets to 30 townships and 14 municpalities, requesting input for, and soliciting interest in, proposed meetings to look at comprehensive land use planning. Then, two meetings were scheduled, one in Ontario for the upper Kickapoo Valley and one in Gays Mills for the lower Kickapoo Valley.

At the meeting held in Ontario, there were about 25 members present, representing about seven townships. Barb Schieffer, VSN Coordinator, began the meeting with an introduction of VSN. Following this introduction, Kathy Fairchild, CC Board member and VSN member, made a presentation. She outlined VSN's goal of acting as a facilitator and a resource to help townships become involved in land use planning now. By acting now, townships can meet the new State regulations in a more cost effective way. .

In addition to the presentations, each township member received a "toolbox" notebook with much information. The notebook included maps for their specific township, census and demographic information, information about Smart Growth legislation, land use trends, some planning tools, information on public input, and summaries highlighting sample plans.

As part of the organization building and outreach program, VSN is planning their second annual "Celebrate the Kickapoo Day" Last year, 200 participants joined VSN in the celebration. This year's celebration will be on May 19 in Gays Mills. Field events such as a demonstration of fish censusing through shocking, water monitoring methods, and a talk on hawks and owls, are scheduled for the morning sessions. The afternoon sessions include a series of lectures on Smart Growth and a presentation by a member of the Kickapoo School District. The School District presentation will detail the District's land use planning project for their 300 acres of mixed habitats.

Community Conservation, Inc. (CC) and the Richland Center-Santa Teresa Sister City Project continue to collaborate on raising funds and on program development for the Rio Escalante Chococente Refuge in Nicaragua. In March, Peter Smith, the Sister City volunteer currently living in Santa Teresa, was in Wisconsin for a month to report on his work at Chococente.

Smith is working with two villages, Papilon and La Palma. The villages are located in the tropical dry forest region of the Chococente Refuge. Smith is working with these villages to coordinate the establishing of a multivillage Association. Smith is helping co-ordinate the legal work to formalize the Association. Even though the Association is very new, two other villages within the Refuge, Escalante and Vera Cruz, are also interested in joining the Association.

Some of the immediate, collective village projects that the Association wants to work on are needed because of the recent drought. One of the long term projects the Association will begin working on is the stewardship of natural resources within the Refuge.

At the Sister City Board meeting, Smith presented, and requested funding for, the following list of projects which the Association would like to work on: 1) the construction of centrally located wells, 2) the construction of a small health center, 3) the health training of two women from each community,4) the initiation of a a micro-irrigation project near the improved wells, 5) the identification and repair of the worst roofs in the community, 6) the initiation of a program for chimneys over open kitchen fires, 7) the continued effort to get the new mayor to provide needed latrines for Papilon, 8) the initiation of a literacy program, and 9) the initiation of a reforestation program with the goal of obtaining rights to cut some of the trees. While the Association understands how ambitious this list of projects is, it will set realistic goals to proceed with the most pressing problems first. A number of the projects will be worked on simultaneously.

After Smith's presentation, the Sister City Board voted to commit the existing Sister City funds for the requested projects. The Board also made the commitment to plan several fund raising events so that these projects, as well as additional projects for Chococente and for the protection of the sea turtles, can be accomplished.

Recently Sister City member Peggy Swan coordinated an art fair for area artists. Much artwork was on display; paintings, metal furniture, sculpture, and jewelry. Participating artists agreed to donate a percentage of their sales to the Sister City Project. In addition, some of the artists donated pieces of artwork to the Sister City Project. The sales of these items directly benefited the Sister City projects.

In addition to working on the projects with theAssociation, the Sister City Project and CC are continuing their efforts to encourage research on the dry tropical forest and the nesting turtles at Chococente. Randall Arauz, of Earth Island Institute, is interested in researching the size of the population of the leatherback turtles which nest at Chococente. These leatherbacks have not previously been studied at Chococente even though they are becorning endangered. Arauz plans to work this fall and winter with local villagers to study the number of the nesting leatherbacks during their egg laying season. If resources will allow, Arauz hopes to create a nesting protection program in the future. Similar research is needed for the olive ridley turtles which also nest at Chococente.

The first agreed-on priority was the importance of maintaining sustained funding to achieve the project goals and objectives. To date, there are over 200 paid BMP memberships of $25 each. In addition to this membership fee, some BMP members have made donations. It is hoped that another membership drive will begin to expand the current membership enrollment. To encourage new membership and as a general outreach program, there was general concensus to reinstitute the local newspaper columns that had been written by members. A draft of an informational brochure for prospective members was created.

It is also hoped that efforts will be made to investigate foundation grants to maintain the BMP special projects. There was also some interest in charging fees for services.

It was also agreed that there should be a clarification of the working goals of the organization. Thus, a case statement is being written. In addition, some members are working on creating a business plan. This would insure a stronger institutional structure. Attempts will be made to partner or network with other conservation organizations.

There was still general agreement that the hands-on approach is central to the BMP goals. Landowner visits, education, and work parties are integral to this approach. All of these efforts, along with special events and annual meetings, will strongly contribute to the overall public education emphasis which has been an important element of the Blue Mounds Project.

The process to create the Kickapoo Reserve in southwest Wisconsin achieved some finality on December 26, 2000. The Quit Claim Deed for 8,569 acres of federally owned land was signed by the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration. At the same time, the Department of the Interior accepted 1,200 acres to be held in trust for the Ho-Chunk Nation. Since the 1970's, this land belonged to the US Army Corps of Engineers as part of the La Farge Dam Project. This land was purchased in 1969 through a federal condemnation program so that the US Army Corps could create a lake for recreation. However, endangered species were threatened by the creation of this lake. In addition, it became understood that the lake would quickly fill in with silt because of the silting conditions in this very hilly center of the driftless region. Environmentalists succeeded in stopping this lake/dam project. In 1992, Community Conservation, Inc. (CC) initiated a proposal to create the Kickapoo Reserve with this land. The proposal posited the creation of a managerial board composed of the local area community and residents from other parts of the Kickapoo Valley.

Now in 2000, this land transfer is a final step in federal legislation which de-authorized the Dam Project under the Water Resource Development Act of 1996. This Act delineated that the Reserve would be managed by a predominantly local board. Therefore, this recent land transfer authorizes the current Board to formally assume the management of the Reserve lands. This transfer also makes possible the initiation of a building project for a proposed Visitors' Center on the Reserve.

In late March of 2001, State Senator Mark Meyer, a member of the Wisconsin State Building Commission, helped to get the approval of the construction cost of $2,370,000 for the Reserve Visitors' Center. The Center will be an information hub for visitors of the Reserve. It will house exhibits, a science center, meeting space, and indoor and outdoor classrooms. It will be located on Highway 131, north of La Farge, very close to the original building site of the dam which was never completed.