The 2006 Lakeshore Nature Preserve Master Plan will be updated beginning in fall 2021. We extend a very special thanks to the Friends of the Preserve for their generous donation toward this project’s expense.
This planning process provides the opportunity to review the Preserve’s infrastructure, land use, broad land management strategies, and protection of its distinctive natural, cultural, and educational features. Situated on 300 acres of Ho-Chunk ancestral lands, the Preserve
supports the University’s mission of teaching, research, and outreach in countless ways and remains a respite to many during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please see the Lakeshore Nature Preserve Master Plan webpage for evolving information on public engagement opportunities during the planning process.
To develop a master plan that best serves the University and community, surveys and stakeholder input collected during the Preserve Strategic Plan will be reviewed and coupled with public engagement, currently planned as three public sessions. These sessions will all occur in a hybrid in-person/on-line arrangement and include the opportunity for online remarks:
PUBLIC SESSION #1, late fall, 2021: present and collect comments on draft goals and guiding principles, existing conditions, issues, needs, and opportunities.
PUBLIC SESSION #2, early spring, 2022: present and collect comments on draft recommendations developed in response to public engagement session #1, site analysis, staff and committee input; also collect comments on prioritization criteria.
PUBLIC SESSION #3, late spring, 2022: present and collect comments on the draft master plan.
The UW-Madison Lakeshore Nature Preserve Committee will be involved in working sessions prior to each public engagement session and they will receive updates at their regularly scheduled meetings.
The Friends of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve will have representation at the work sessions. The Friends Board will also receive updates at their meetings throughout the process. Friends’ members are invited to all the public engagement sessions for the opportunity to share their
thoughts, as well as on-line via the project website.
The master plan update process will take staff and stakeholders through the steps leading to a list of prioritized recommendations designed to facilitate the vast needs of the land, the university, and its community within this 300-acre living outdoor laboratory treasure.