Mead Wildlife Area
Encyclopedia
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. It includes portions of Marathon
Marathon County, Wisconsin
Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is part of the Wausau, WI, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 134,063. Its county seat is Wausau.-Geography:...
, Portage
Portage County, Wisconsin
Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 67,182. Its county seat is Stevens Point. The United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Portage County.-Geography:...
, and Wood counties. It is managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...
. The Area is commonly referred to as “the Mead”. Eight WDNR staff manage the Area. The non-profit organization Friends of the Mead/McMillan Association, Inc. assist with raising funds to support the Area’s activities.
History
Originally in the early 1900’s, the lowlands in the area were to be used for farming. They were drained by digging ditches and dredging and straightening a five mile (8 km) section of the Little Eau Pleine River. Farming failed, however, as the lowlands were too cold and acidic for farming.In 1933, the area was to be the site of two reservoirs impounding the Big and Little Eau Pleine Rivers. Land was purchased by the Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company (now NewPage Corporation). The Big Eau Pleine River dam was built in 1936. The dam on the Little Eau Pleine River, which would have created the second largest lake in Wisconsin with 27500 acres (111.3 km²), was not built due to opposition from conservationists and local residents. On April 10, 1959, Stanton W. Mead, President of Consolidated Paper Company, donated 20000 acres (80.9 km²) to the State of Wisconsin for use as a state wildlife area. The Area is named for Stanton’s father, George W. Mead. The Visitor Center bears Stanton’s name. Then governor Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Nelson
Gaylord Anton Nelson was an American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. A Democrat, he was the principal founder of Earth Day.-Public service and leadership:...
attended the dedication. Additional land has been purchased or donated since the Area’s inception.
In addition to the Mead’s area, the McMillan Marsh Wildlife Area is also managed by the same WDNR employees. It encompasses 7500 acres (30.4 km²) and is located one mile (1.6 km) north of the Marshfield
Marshfield, Wisconsin
Marshfield is a city in Marathon and Wood counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the largest city in Wood County. The small portion of the city that extends into Marathon County is part of the Wausau Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,800 at the 2000 census. Marshfield is...
city limits. It is named after the town
Political subdivisions of Wisconsin
The definitions of the political subdivisions of the U.S. state of Wisconsin differ from those in some other countries or even other U.S. states, leading to misunderstandings regarding the governmental nature of an area....
of McMillan
McMillan, Wisconsin
McMillan is a town in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,790 at the 2000 census...
in which it is located. On documentation, the two areas are collectively referred to as “Mead/McMillan”.
Purpose
The Area encompasses different ecosystemsEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
including grasslands, conifer bogs, hardwood forests, wetlands, ponds (reservoirs), uplands, and agricultural fields. Generically, the Area consists of forest, wetlands, and grasslands comprising 13000 acres (52.6 km²), 14000 acres (56.7 km²), and 6000 acres (24.3 km²) respectively. There are three objectives of the Mead Wildlife Area: resource management, recreation management, and environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
.
Resource management includes management of the various ecosystems. Grasslands are maintained by prescribed burns and forests are maintained by sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable forest management uses very broad social, economic and environmental goals...
practices. Reservoirs are surrounded by dikes or higher ground. Pumping stations and water control structures manage the flow of water from the Little Eau Pleine River and individual reservoirs. Various universities and state and federal government wildlife agencies conduct research on the property.
Recreation management includes managing the Area for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, trapping, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, birding, and biking. Public access to all areas is open year round, except for designated wildlife refuges. Most dikes and logging trails are foot accessible and one dike has a marked bike trail. An area has been designated for hunting dog training. All exterior boundaries are marked with signs.
Environmental education is provided to students from various schools located in the surrounding areas. Target audiences include elementary aged school children and environmental education teachers.
Visitor Center
The 6208 square feet (576.7 m²) Stanton W. Mead Education and Visitor Center (44.69722°N 89.86342°W) was constructed in 2005, and includes sustainable design methods and renewable energy technologies such as environmentally-responsible construction methods, environmentally-responsible materials, high-performance building envelope, passive solar and cool day lighting, active solar heating for domestic hot water, geothermal heating and cooling, wind-turbine generated electricity, solar photovoltaic generated electricity, biomass wood heat, and high-performance mechanical systems. The architect Thomas Brown designed building won the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance 2006 Sustainability and Energy Efficiency (SE2) Leadership Award of Excellence.The Center was built largely through private funds and in-kind donations of materials and services, totaling $1.6 million. The State of Wisconsin contributed $606,000 to the project.
The Center, along with other buildings, houses the WDNR staff, resource management equipment and is used for environmental education.